Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Granola

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To make this delicious, crunchy granola you will need:

• Old-fashioned oats
• Peanut butter - creamy
• Honey
• Vanilla extract - pure vanilla extract is best
• Mini M&Ms - these are optional, but it's just not the same without them, IMHO!
• Non-stick cooking spray

Raise your hand if you love granola 🙋‍♂️. Raise your hand if you love peanut butter 🙋‍♀️. If you raised your hand once or twice, this slow cooker granola recipe is for you!

Made with only 4 staple ingredients (and tons of optional additions), this is MUST-MAKE recipe. Nothing compares to making your own granola!

This homemade peanut butter granola recipe is no exception. It is filled with peanut butter flavor and crunchy goodness! Just a few simple pantry staples and your slow cooker can make magic.

🍲One-pot cooking

• 🥣Start by spraying your slow cooker with a non-stick spray of your choice.
• 🥣Add oats, honey, vanilla and peanut butter into your slow cooker.
• 🥣Cover and cook on high until peanut butter gets runny and melted. This takes between 30 and 45 minutes in my slow cooker.
• 🥣Stir to fully combine all ingredients. Replace the lid of the slow cooker - but do not put it fully in its usual spot. Leave the lid slightly askew to allow steam to escape.
• 🥣Continue to cook your oats mixture for another 2-3 hours. You should check on your oats every 30 minutes or so and stir them to make sure they do not burn on the bottom or sides.
• 🥣Total cooking time will depend on your slow cooker and on how toasty you would like your final product to be. I prefer chewy granola so I tend to cut my cooking time down a bit.
• 🥣Once your oats are toasty, golden brown, and smell delicious, turn off your slow cooker. Allow them to cool off in the slow cooker - with the lid off - and then stir in M&M's. It generally takes about 45 minutes for my granola to cool to the point of being ready for the mix-in.

↔Alternatives / substitutions

1. To reduce crockpot clean up, line your slow cooker with parchment paper. If you do this, you will need to mix your ingredients in a separate, large bowl. Use a microwave-safe bowl to melt the peanut butter for this mixing option.
2. Mini chocolate chips can be used in place of M&M's. If you choose this option, make sure that your granola is fully cooled before adding in chips. Otherwise, they will melt
3. Maple syrup can be substituted for honey 1:1.
4. Additional ingredients that can be stirred into your peanut butter granola oat mixture. Some ideas include:

• almond pieces
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• dark chocolate chunks
• sesame seeds
• cut up pieces of dried fruits
• flax seeds
• cinnamon (add about 1 teaspoon cinnamon along with the vanilla extract before cooking)
• toasted coconut chunks

🍽Serving suggestions

This easy granola is an incredibly versatile treat. My favorite way is to eat it like cereal - in a bowl with some almond milk and banana slices. Alternatively, It is great as a topping for ice cream or your favorite yogurt or oatmeal!

Snacking on it by the handful is how most of it seems to disappear 🤷‍♀️.

Storing

Once your slow cooker granola mixture has fully cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container or bag. It should last about a month when stored at room temperature.

🥘Why use a crock pot?

Of course, granola can be made in the oven. And yes, the oven is faster. But, there are some compelling reasons to use your slow cooker.

First, you can make this entire recipe in just your slow cooker. Any recipe that only dirties one pot or pan is always a winner in my book!

Second, oven made granola generally has to be made on a cookie sheet or other large baking pan. This limits how much you can make at one time. Using a large slow cooker will allow you to make an extra big batch of this incredible treat!

Finally, as with all things slow cooker, it is a really good idea in the warmer months. Avoiding a hot oven is always a worthy goal.

😉Hints & hacks

1. To cool crock pot granola faster, remove it from your slow cooker and smooth out into a single, flat layer. A large baking sheet pan or piece of parchment paper on your kitchen counter both work well.
2. The first time you make slow cooker peanut butter granola, pay attention to the timing for each step. Subsequent cooking sessions will be much easier once you know exactly what to expect.
3. In a pinch, I have used instant oats to make homemade granola. In my opinion, it is not as good.
4. I always recommend a slow cooker liner for easy clean-up. This is, of course, an optional step.
5. In the market for a new slow cooker?  I love mine!