Slow Cooker Granola

I am a big fan of my slow cooker (I have 50+ slow cooker recipes on my blog); especially recipes I can set them and walk away (or leave my house) for 4 to 8 hours. But like a lot of people, I’ve been home quite a bit more, given the pandemic, so I decided to try to make a recipe that requires you to stay a bit closer to your slow cooker – Slow Cooker Granola.

My mother-in-law mentioned making granola in her slow cooker, and how great the results were, so I wanted to try to make my own version!

This recipe is very adaptable, you can substitute in any nut, oil, liquid sweetener, and dried fruit you prefer. This recipe also makes a good amount of granola, but if your house is anything like mine, it will be gone before you know it!

Ingredients:

  • Cooking spray
  • 5 cups old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free oats to ensure this is gluten-free)
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds (or any nut you prefer; omit to make nut-free)
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 teaspoon each of
    • ground cinnamon
    • ground nutmeg
    • salt
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup agave (or maple syrup or honey if you prefer)
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract (or vanilla extract to make nut-free)
  • 1/2 cup raisins (or other dried fruit you prefer)

Continue reading Slow Cooker Granola

Chia Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

NOTE: I was sent a container of BetterBody Foods Organic Chia Seeds in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone. 

Breakfast cookies. Those should totally be a thing, right? I was recently sent Organic Chia Seeds from BetterBody Foods, and I wanted to try to use them in a way I haven’t already, so Breakfast Pudding, Chocolate Pudding, Jam, and Muffins were out. But for whatever reason, I tend to think of Chia Seeds as a breakfast food, so I started thinking about some of my other favorite breakfast ingredients, and these Chia Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies were born!

Chia Seeds also can be used as an egg substitute when baking, so I decided to make these cookies both vegan and gluten free.

These little guys have a ton of flavor and are surprisingly filling! Chia seeds have a ton of fiber; when eaten with peanut butter and oats, it’s a great way to help feel fuller longer.

Ingredients (makes about 3 dozen cookies):

  • 4 tablespoons chia seeds, divided (I used BetterBody Foods Organic Chia Seeds)
  •  1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (check the label to make sure they are gluten free)
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (check the label to make sure they are vegan)

Continue reading Chia Oatmeal Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

Frozen Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups

Note: I was sent a box of various Bob’s Red Mill products to make the below recipe. Opinions are mine alone.

I’m still rolling through the freezer-friendly recipes my friend and I made a couple of weeks ago. This recipe for Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups was specifically for her oldest son, who absolutely loves oatmeal, particularly when topped with cinnamon and fresh peaches.

 

This freezable version of Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups substitutes in frozen peaches, but the tradeoff for convenience should make it worth it.

These make a tasty breakfast readily available any day of the week, and can be customized to fit specific tastes.

We made these using Bob’s Red Mill Organic Regular Rolled Oats, which Bob’s Red Mill was kind enough to send my way.

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Organic Regular Rolled Oats
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more, to taste
  • 6-12 frozen sliced peaches (depending on muffin/cupcake tins used)

Continue reading Frozen Cinnamon Peach Oatmeal Cups

Blackberry Peach Slow Cooker Crumble

My husband absolutely loves peaches, specifically peach desserts. However, peeling and slicing a bunch of peaches is kind of a pain. So, hooray for frozen cut peaches! Also hooray for slow cooker dessert recipes, like this Blackberry Peach Slow Cooker Crumble!

This recipe, adapted from a Cooking Light recipe, is really simple. Just mix together a few ingredients, add to your slow cooker, and wait.

Three hours later, your house will smell fantastic, and you’ll have enough Blackberry Peach Crumble to feed a crowd! Just top with ice cream and dig in!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill Regular Rolled Oats)
  • 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (or margarine for vegan-friendly), melted and cooled to room temperature
  • Cooking spray
  • 5 (10 oz) bags frozen cut peaches, thawed
  • 3 cups blackberries

Continue reading Blackberry Peach Slow Cooker Crumble

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Note: I was sent a holiday cookie decorating gift basket from De’Longhi, and one to give away. All opinions are mine alone.

With the holidays upon us, it’s always nice to find extra ways to give back. This season, De’Longhi, an international leader in household appliances, is helping to give back by donating 10% of its delonghi.us sales site-wide until December 20th to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a national non-profit organization dedicated to funding research for safer, more effective treatments for pediatric cancer, the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. For the first time, CookiesforKids’ Cancer has launched a Challenge Gift Campaign where all of the money raised from now to December 31st will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $250K. Visit Delonghi.us to purchase products and see all of the great holiday gift ideas De’Longhi has to offer. Visit Cookiesforkidscancer.org for more information on ways to donate!

To help spread the word, De’Longhi sent me a holiday cookie decorated gift basket to help make some yummy cookies which included The Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Cookbook.

The gift box includes:

  • set of holiday cookie cutters
  • 3-pack of holiday colored icing
  • pair of cappuccino glasses
  • coffee
  • Cookies for Kids’ Cancer: Best Bake Sale Cookbook

I decided to make the cookie that started it all, a recipe for Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies that was developed for Cookies for Kids’ Cancer’s first bake sale.

This recipe is legit.  They are the perfect balance of chewy, buttery, and chocolately. It’s no wonder the recipe is so popular!

De’Longhi was generous enough to also make a holiday cookie decorating gift basket for an I Can Cook That reader! More details on the giveaway after the recipe.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb  (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Continue reading Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blueberry Breakfast Bars

I have a coworker who absolutely loves blueberries. She is retiring this week, and I wanted to make her a blueberry treat before she left. I adapted this recipe for Blueberry Breakfast Bars on The Kitchn, with the original recipe coming from the Whole Grain Mornings cookbook by Megan Gordon.

My version uses quite a bit of substitutes and including using sprouted spelt flour instead of whole wheat flour because I could not find my whole wheat flour when I went to make these (I guess I need to clean out my pantry!) I also have more blueberry filling in my version, and used a different sized pan. Be sure to check out the original version on the kitchn to see if you prefer their method!

Ingredients:

Blueberry filling:

  • 4 cups fresh blueberries, divided
  • 1/4 cup natural cane sugar
  • 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • the juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon water

Crust:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup original wheat germ
  • 3/4 cup sliced raw almonds
  • 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
  • 1 cup sprouted spelt flour (or whole wheat flour)
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Continue reading Blueberry Breakfast Bars

Hazelnut-Mocha Banana Smoothie

I am trying to get into the habit of making (and wanting) smoothies for breakfast. They are so simple to make and work great for meals on the go. My boyfriend is a huge fan of green smoothies, where he adds various fruits to the blender along with some kale. I don’t mind them, but I thought I’d baby step my way into the smoothie world with something a little more my speed: an oatmeal banana smoothie with espresso and chocolate hazelnut. Mmmmm.

This recipe is adapted from Foxes Loves Lemons, a fellow food blogger as well as a recipe developer. Her recipes are mouthwatering and her pictures are just amazing! She also manages to post daily which just blows my mind. How she manages to deliver such amazing posts daily is beyond me!

My recipe below is a touch different than Foxes Loves Lemons because I wanted to incorporate Nocciolata, a dark chocolate and hazelnut spread, into my smoothie. To see the original version, check out her blog post here.

Nocciolata is made with no chemicals, artificial flavors, GMOs, or palm oil. What it is made with is certified organic ingredients including dark chocolate from the Antillean Islands, Italian hazelnuts (16%), brown sugar, skim milk and Bourbon vanilla extract. Yum! Nocciolata can be found in many stores including Wegmans, King’s, and Whole Foods to name some in the Philly area. For a list of stores that carry Nocciolata, check out their webpage.  

source: https://www.nocciolatausa.com/

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 cups almond milk
  • 1 banana, cut into chunks
  • 1/4 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon Nocciolata spread
  • 1 tablespoon espresso powder
  • 1 cup ice

Disclaimer: I was sent a free sample jar of Nocciolata to try. My opinions are my own. 

Continue reading Hazelnut-Mocha Banana Smoothie

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Almond Streusel

My boyfriend and I were visiting friends this weekend and I wanted to bring a little something for everyone to enjoy. This month’s Cooking Light gave me the perfect recipe: Blueberry Coffee Cake with Almond Streusel.

Coffee cake can refer to two different dishes: a cake made with coffee, or a cake that is served with coffee. This coffeecake is the latter and can be served for breakfast or as a dessert.

Ingredients:

  • 9 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries
  • 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • Cooking spray

Continue reading Blueberry Coffee Cake with Almond Streusel

Banana Berry Pecan Granola Bars

There are so many fantastic food bloggers out there. One food blog I regularly check is Cookin’ Canuck. Dara makes the most appealing looking recipes and her photos are always stunning. She has also cooked her way healthy and has a wonderful post about her journey. Dara has a great recipe for Low Fat Granola Bars with Bananas, Dried Cranberries, and Pecans that I just had to try. I switched it ever so slightly, but you can find the original recipe here.
Ingredients:
  • 3 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup pecan pieces
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey (to make vegan, substitute agave nectar)
  • 3/4 cup dried berries (I used Trader Joe’s Golden Berry Blend)
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 tbsp whole flax seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Exit mobile version