I have discovered how to make slow cooker grain-free granola – this is absolutely genius!!!
Scroll below to watch the quick cooking video to see how incredibly simple this is.
Slow Cooker Grain-Free Granola – Jaffa (chocolate orange) flavour
My kids love grain-free granola, their favourite so far is my chocolate grain-free granola (my favourite is orange and pecan).
I generally make a big batch of breakfast granola every two weeks on a Sunday night whilst I am cooking dinner in the oven. I enjoy my Sunday evenings, cooking a few things ready for school lunches for the week ahead. Mainly coconut flour chocolate chip cookies.
But sometimes, especially in the summer, I don’t want the oven on OR we run out of granola early and I can’t be bothered cooking it in the oven.
The master of all inventions – is necessity. So I tried one night to cook my grain-free granola in the slow cooker – it worked!!
Luckily slow cooker grain-free granola uses simple pantry ingredients you probably have in your cupboard right now. And the recipe is so adaptable, you can easily swap the ingredients for another seed, nut or flavour.
Have fun experimenting with flavours.
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- Simple ingredients
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- Throw them in
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- Turn the slow cooker LOW
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- Enjoy!
TOP TIPS: for making slow cooker grain-free granola.
- To stop the grain-free granola from burning whilst cooking in the slow cooker, stir occasionally.
- Each slow cooker will vary so be guided by yours.
- Turn your slow cooker onto a LOW setting and stir every half hour.
- Alternatively, cook on HIGH, but be prepared to stir more frequently. Possibly every 15 minutes.
- Set your timer so you don’t forget. Watch your favourite TV show.
- Get some free exercise getting up-down-up-down
- Or ask your children to take it in turns. They want it? They have to help cook it 😉
To serve: This is one of the most common questions I am asked.
I allow my children to enjoy 1/2 cup grain-free granola served with unsweetened yoghurt or milk. My husband enjoys it with unsweetened yoghurt and coconut cream. Everyone loves it with low sugar berries on top.
You can also us it to top a simple low-carb sundae. It adds a lovely crunch when sprinkled over as garnish.
Slow Cooker Grain-Free Granola
Equipment
Ingredients
- 500 g desiccated/shredded coconut unsweetened
- 50 g sunflower seeds
- 50 g pumpkin seeds
- 150 g almonds chopped
- 25 g cacao nibs
- 70 g coconut oil
- 2 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice or more, to taste
- 4 tbsp cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 tbsp orange zest
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Stir.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Alternatively, turn the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 4 hours. Stir every 30 minutes.
- Each slow cooker will vary considerably. So adjust your cooking time, and frequency of stirring, to prevent burning.
Notes
Slow Cooker Grain-Free Granola -
- Nutrition values will vary widely for this recipe depending on which seed/nuts you add and how much.
- Use the nutrition panel as a guide only.
- I have calculated the values using a 1/2 cup (43g) but will depend on how much you use for breakfast (maybe more) or as a dessert on berries (maybe less).
- Store in an airtight jar for 3-4 weeks.
Leonie Johnston says
I’ve become a huge fan of this granola recipe for brekky and was wondering if some modifications/additions to the recipe could make it possible to make granola bar snacks.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Leonie, I have just the recipe for you – here are my grain-free granola bars. You could even substitute the coconut, seeds etc for your favourite grain-free granola. Yum.
Suzette says
This looks so good and I’ve been looking for more recipe/snack ideas. Any suggestions on what I can substitute the orange zest with?
Suzette says
I meant breakfast/snack ideas…..LOL!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
This recipe really needs the orange zest to make it Jaffa = chocolate + orange. Alternatively you could try my fennel granola, cinnamon granola or chocolate granola.
Alexandr Lorvinus says
Tried to cook it. It turned out only the second time, but the taste is delicious. I have a big request for you – to write an article on the recipe for a slow cooker, I know for sure that some sweets can be made in it. I do not really like the recipes that I found on the Internet.
al says
Hi, I am new to making my own low-carb granola! I love the idea of Jaffa flavours but I don’t have a slow cooker, would it be possible to do this recipe in the oven instead? Thanks 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Yes, all my other grain-free granolas are cooked in the oven. You can cook all my grain-free granolas either way. I like to use the oven in the winter and the slow cooker in the summer, when I don’t want my house over heating.
Kym says
Hi Libby
Im on a tight budget so dislike the idea of buying citrus just for zest (no psckaged alternative). If i omited sweetener could i use something like orange liquid stevia?
Thanks
Holly says
Could this slow cooker method be used for the other granola recipes on your website, specifically the chocolate grain-free granola? Please advise, thank you!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
YES 🙂 I use this method all the time in the summer here. I just have to remember to jump out of my chair to stir it occasionally so it doesn’t burn/catch on the bottom of the slow cooker dish.
Holly says
Awesome! We’ll be using our Instant Pot, any experience using one of those for the granola? It seems, from previous experience using it as a ‘slow cooker’ that it might not be as hot as a slow cooker, when set to low/high, so we’ll have to see how it goes. Do you have any tips as to how to know when the granola is done? We find it tricky with the chocolate grain-free granola as the cocoa powder colours the ingredients, so it can be tricky to see when things have browned. Thanks!
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m afraid I don’t have an Instant Pot, it’s next on my shopping list. Then I can make a whole new set of easy and quick low-carb recipes 🙂
Alicia says
Making this right now in the slow cooker but I have a couple of questions:
-I have my slow cooker up to high but I’m unsure if that means I leave it for the full 6 hours (or is it 4? two different times in your recipe!) or it needs a shorter time span?
– lid on or off the slow cooker? because moisture is gathering inside and I’m not sure that’s good for developing the crunch.
also I didn’t have any oranges so I stuck some cinnamon and ginger in instead and it is smelling torturously good inside this house right now.
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Oooh, I love the sound of cinnamon and ginger – yummm!!! The cooking times are using LOW and cook for 6 hours. Stir every 30 minutes. Alternatively, turn the slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 4 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. I keep the lid on whilst cooking, and each time I lift the lid to stir, enough moisture comes out to let the granola crisp up nicely. Enjoy 🙂
Leonie Johnston says
The cooking time is still a bit confusing, Libby, because at the top of the recipe it says cook & prep time is 2 hrs 5 mins then the instructions say 4 hours on Low or 2 hours on High. In your reply above you say 6 hours on Low or 4 hours on High. Does this mean the length of cooking is not really crucial? How do you know if it’s done?
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
Apologies for the confusion, and you are correct in concluding the time is not crucial. It is HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours. After much trial and error, I felt the 6 hours on LOW really was not necessary and produced the same results than if it were to be cooked for only 4 hours at LOW.
Vince says
I haven’t heard the term jaffa in a while. My New Zealander friend used to say it all the time but that’s about it. The chocolate orange flavor gets overlooked so often but it can be really amazing. I love your take on it – and it’s nice to see the word jaffa used once again 🙂
Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com says
I’m an Aucklander, so a true Jaffa 🙂 I love chocolate-orange flavour, it’s always a hit around here.
Terri F says
That’s cool!