We eat granola for breakfast a lot. I have been buying it in 16 pound bags from a local supplier, Frankferd Farms, for some time. Recently, the price of the granola went up significantly, and I can’t justify the cost anymore. I got a great recipe from Sis over at Homeschool Christian, but the traditional method of cooking it on a baking pan in the oven would only make enough for a single day for our large brood. I started looking for a way to make it in large quantities, and decided to give the slow cooker a try. Not only did it work great and taste yummy, but it was very inexpensive. Yesterday I went to Frankferd Farms and bought enough ingredients to make 70 pounds of granola. I only spent about $5 more than a 16 pound bag of pre-made granola! I am storing the 50 pounds of oats in a large dog food container (lest you think that’s nasty, please know that we do not have a dog, and this container has never been used for anything else. We also store our flour this way.) Here is the recipe:
Slow Cooker Granola
Combine in slow cooker:
12 cups oats
up to 2 c ground flax (I grind it fresh in a coffee grinder)
1/4 cup cinnamon
1/4 cup dried fruits, nuts, etc.Combine:
1 1/3 c apple juice
1 1/3 c sweetener (maple syrup or honey).Pour over mix.
Cook on high for one hour.
Cook on low for 4 hours.
Stir every 1/2 hour.
For the past year or two, Iron Man and I have been considering upgrading to the 18 Quart Roaster
July 19, 2008 at 1:31 AM
I think we may have to try this. What types of fruits and nuts do you use?
July 19, 2008 at 2:17 AM
I used raisins, sunflower seeds and almonds. I would love to use walnuts, but the kids pick them out.
July 21, 2008 at 3:58 PM
[...] Granola is by far our favorite breakfast. We recently started making it ourselves using this recipe. [...]
July 28, 2008 at 11:50 AM
This sounds like an excellent recipe. I will have to try it. How do you eat granola? I know many people who put it in their yogurt or cereal, but do you just eat it right out of the bowl?
July 28, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Leslie, we eat it just like cereal, pouring milk right over it. It is yummy! Much healthier and cheaper than cereals you’d get in a grocery store too.
September 9, 2008 at 11:24 AM
[...] This makes a yummy, creamy plain yogurt, which tastes much better than storebought. It is also fresher, healthier and much less expensive. We add flavoring at the time of serving. To flavor ours, we have used maple syrup, honey, jams, mashed bananas, small amounts of vanilla, and even pancake syrup. Sometimes we top it with granola. [...]
February 28, 2009 at 9:36 PM
How large is the slow cooker this was originally written for? I have a 7qt, and I think this would hold it, but I’d like to make sure.
March 1, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Brianna, when I wrote this, I was using a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker, so your 7 qt should work just fine.
March 1, 2009 at 5:12 PM
Thanks, I’ll give it a try! Most granola recipes I’ve tried were done in the oven, and most of them have burned something because the heat is just so inconsistent. Not to mention, I can’t make very much at a time. This will be much more convenient.