This Honey Nut Granola recipe is made easy with the help of your slow cooker!

My love for granola is well documented on this blog. It’s my favorite late night snack, breakfast, and on-the-go pick me up. After experimenting with savory granola, I didn’t really think there was much else that could shake up my granola routine.

Then Kristen of Dine and Dish shared a recipe for slow cooker granola. My mind was blown. This was a game changer. It didn’t take me long to whip out my crock pot and give this new technique a try.

Guys, I gotta tell you. I am sold. This recipe is so easy, and it delivers a pile of crispy, evenly golden oats. I decided to keep things pretty simple, and decorate the oats only with almonds and honey. I’ve made this with both butter and coconut oil, no brown sugar, and a 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and the coconut oil and brown sugar combination was definitely a winner. It had the right amount of sweetness, and I also felt the brown sugar and coconut oil gave the oats a crispier texture.

When I was eating gluten free, one of the things I missed the most was cereal. (I know, I know. I’m an addict). I searched the grocery store for gluten free granolas, and was shocked to discover how few options there were. I mean, it’s essentially just oats, nuts, oil, and sweetener. How hard can it be to make it gluten free? Of course, the ones that are gluten free cost an arm and your first born child.

It became apparent early on that I was going to need to find a gluten free solution to my breakfast woes, and this crock pot granola was just the thing. I made three batches within two weeks. It was satisfying in the morning with a pour of almond milk, and the perfect snack in the afternoon with a bowl of Greek yogurt and a (generous) drizzle of honey.

A few notes on the recipe. I’ve started pulverizing half of the nuts into tiny bits, which gives the oats extra crunch and flavor. I give the rest of the almonds a short chop in a food processor so some are whole and others are in small to medium chunks.

You’ll want to stir the oats every 30 minutes and leave the lid slightly off kilter so the steam escapes and your oats crisp up. Other than that, this recipe is smooth sailing. Here’s to granola innovation!

Slow Cooker Honey Nut Granola Yield: 12 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes Print Ingredients 5 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 cups raw almonds, divided

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla Instructions Spray a large slow cooker with cooking spray. Add the oats to the slow cooker. In a food processor, grind half the almonds to fine crumbs then add them to the slow cooker. Grind the remaining almonds into small to medium chunks and add them to the oat mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon and Kosher salt and mix well. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the coconut oil until liquid. Whisk in the honey, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the oats and stir until evenly coated. Leave the lid slightly off seal on the crock pot, then cook the granola for 2 1/2 hours on low, stirring every 30 minutes, until granola is evenly golden. Spread the granola out on a sheet of aluminum foil and allow to cool before storing in an airtight container. Did you make this recipe? Leave a review, or head over to Instagram and share a photo! Tag your projects with #neighborfoodies!

Recipe adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen; Method from Dine and Dish