Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

Slow cooker apple cinnamon steel cut oats are the easiest filling breakfast. They are hearty, delicious and healthy, with heaps of cinnamony flavor. Throw everything together overnight for the perfect breakfast on those busy mornings.

Breakfast is one of those things that we all know we need, we know is good for us, and yet, on most busy mornings, we can’t seem to get it together enough to serve a balanced, healthy breakfast. I even struggle with this on the weekends. Part of it is the planning. I mean, really, who wants to plan for breakfast? Then of course, there’s the actual cooking of a somewhat good-for-you breakfast that feels like the last thing on your busy day (or even lazy day) to do list.

Although still new-ish to me, the slow cooker (or crockpot) has totally blown my mind as of late. I don’t know if maybe I was living under a rock, but my goodness, a slow cooker makes life easier. It’s basically a kitchen wizard and makes meal-making SO much easier. You dump all of your ingredients in, set it, and forget it.

And you can MAKE BREAKFAST IN IT. I know; right!?

I’ve already tackled dinner (and dessert) in our slow cooker: this 3-Ingredient Trader Joe’s Thai Coconut Curry Chicken and Hearty Chicken Vegetable and Quinoa Soup have both become slow cooker staples in our kitchen, and if you’ve never tried dessert in a slow cooker, allow me to introduce you to slow cooker/crockpot apple crisp. SO good. (By the way, this Instant Pot basically does it all – slow cooker, rice cooker, pressure cooker – and you’ll love it.) But breakfast; it totally works too!

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

Introducing, heavenly apple cinnamon steel cut outs you can make in your crockpot, instant pot, or slow cooker …

Our awesome food contributor, Hope, put together the recipe for these slow cooker apple cinnamon steel cut outs, and the result just might be your new favorite fall and winter breakfast.

From Hope:

Slow cooker apple cinnamon steel cut oats are the easiest fall breakfast. They are hearty, delicious and healthy, with heaps of cinnamony flavor. Throw everything together overnight for the perfect breakfast on those busy, crisp mornings.

Want the recipe? Scroll down for the yummiest slow cooker apple cinnamon steel cut outs.

Yield:

Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

Slow cooker apple cinnamon steel cut oats are hearty, delicious and healthy, with heaps of cinnamony flavor. Cooking them in a slow cooker also makes it an unbelievably simple breakfast option on those busy, crisp fall and winter mornings.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 apples, cut into small chunks (I used Honeycrisp)
• 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Optional Toppings:
• apple slices or chunks
• fresh berries
• nuts (like walnuts or pecans)
• pepitas
• milk
• maple syrup
• honey
• brown sugar
• peanut butter or almond butter
• shredded coconut

Instructions

1. Spray the bowl of your slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Stir together all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and set on low for 6 hours to 8 hours. 6 hours works well, but 8 hours will give you even softer oats. If you are around, while the oatmeal is cooking, stir once or twice. If you are not around to stir, it may stick to the sides a bit, but should still be fine. I made it once without stirring for 6 hours and once when I stirred at 3 hours (of 6) and both tasted great.
2. Serve the oatmeal hot with extra milk, maple syrup, apple slices, and nuts on top.
3. Any leftover oats can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge (use jars for on-the-go breakfasts!). Stir in a splash of milk before reheating to bring back some of the moisture.

I’m such a big fan of steel cut outs. Also often referred to as Irish or Scottish oats, steel cut oats are a type of oatmeal that are processed by chopping the whole oat groat into several pieces, rather than rolled. Steel cut oats take longer to cook than regular oats, and have a hearty, chewy texture; a.k.a., they’re perfect for cooking in a slow cooker or crockpot. (We love this brand!)

It’s so satisfying to have an entire hearty meal ready to go in a crockpot. You just throw all of your ingredients in and let that slow cooker work its magic.

Don’t forget to serve your slow cooker apple cinnamon steel cut oats with all of your favorite toppings. One of the best parts about these easy make-ahead overnight oats is how truly customizable they are!

A few tasty suggestions for topping your steel cut overnight oats:

• apple slices or chunks
• fresh berries
• nuts (like walnuts or pecans)
• pepitas
• milk
• maple syrup
• honey
• brown sugar
• peanut butter or almond butter
• shredded coconut

Love these slow cooker apple cinnamon steel cut oats? Head to our recipe page to check out what else we’ve been whipping up in the kitchen!

If you make your own slow cooker apple cinnamon oats, be sure to tag me on social media (@glitterinclexi) or let us know in the comments so I can live vicariously through all of your breakfast creations!

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