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Prepare breakfast before you go to bed so you can wake up to the warmth of this crockpot apple cinnamon oatmeal! It’s an overnight steel cut oatmeal recipe that makes your morning easier!
Hallelujah! The sun is shining! Which means, hopefully, that nasty snow will go away as quick as it came and I can get back to fall. I guess it’s somewhat whimsical when you think about it – a brief introduction to winter!
So, since I’m pushing winter to the back of my brain and focusing on FALL, what’s more fall than an apple cinnamon oatmeal recipe!?
I hadn’t tried an oatmeal recipe in my crockpot for a year or so, which is CRAZY because it’s basically the answer to my easy breakfast dreams! It’s literally breakfast, ready, as soon as you wake up. Warm and comforting and ready to go!
Oh, and the smell of this glorious oatmeal in the morning is almost better than the taste! Who wouldn’t want to wake up to that? Crazy people. That’s who.
How do you make crockpot oatmeal?
As with the majority of my recipes, this crockpot apple cinnamon oatmeal is SO easy. The night before, combine steel cut oats, chopped apples, cinnamon, maple syrup and a bit of butter with vanilla almond milk. You can absolutely substitute the almond milk for regular dairy milk or even coconut milk if you’d like.
Are you wondering about the parchment paper?
I started doing this little trick recently and it’s the best thing! Line your crockpot with parchment paper so that you literally have no clean-up!! ACTUALLY no clean-up! Just remove the parchment and you’re good to go!
Do you have to use steel cut oatmeal?
Absolutely, yes! Steel cut oats are meant to take the longest to cook so they’re perfect for an overnight oatmeal like this. Quick oats or rolled oats would get way too mushy if they spent that much time in the crockpot. You gotta get steel cut!
Is steel-cut oatmeal healthy for you?
According to this article from Bob’s Red Mill, steel-cut oats are the least processed variety of oats you can buy, so they do contain more fiber and density than rolled oats or quick oats. Nutritionally, they are very similar in their makeup.
Personally, I’m a fan of all oats! For this recipe, however, I can’t stress it enough. You need to use steel cut!
How long do you cook oats in the crockpot?
The best amount of time for this recipe would be about 7-8 hours. Any longer than that, and the oatmeal will start to get a bit mushy. I usually dump everything into the crockpot a few hours before bedtime – because who wants to dice apples right before bed – and then I turn it on just as I go to sleep. Be sure to turn it to low!
There will be enough to feed about 4 of you, unless one of you is a pint-sized oatmeal destroyer like Hattie. Then there will be enough to feed maybe 3 😉
Get that crockpot out. It’s the season for it! (Snow or not).
If apple cinnamon isn’t your thing, I’ve got TONS of different oatmeal options for you to try out!
- banana bread baked oatmeal
- almond java breakfast bulgur
- lemon poppy seed overnight oats
- eggnog baked oatmeal
Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Total Time: 8 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Prepare breakfast before you go to bed so you can wake up to the warmth of this crockpot apple cinnamon oatmeal! It’s an overnight steel cut oatmeal recipe that makes your morning easier!
Ingredients
- 2 large apples, diced (any kind)
- 1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
- 4 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk*
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Line a 3-4 quart crockpot with parchment paper,** or spray with non-stick spray. Combine all of the ingredients into crockpot and give it a stir, ensuring the oats and apple pieces are covered by the milk. Turn the crockpot to LOW and cook for 7-8 hours
- Before serving, give the mixture a stir. Dish into bowls and top with additional syrup, honey or apple pieces. Enjoy!
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. I would add a bit of extra milk before re-heating.
Notes
*Vanilla almond milk tastes the best in this recipe. You can also use regular almond milk or regular dairy milk!
**As per my post above, lining the crockpot will make your life SO much easier in terms of cleanup!!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 7-8 hours
Love this combo! It’s so yummy and so perfect for fall! I also love the parchment paper hack! I usually just spray my slow cooker with cooking spray, but I may have to change my technique!
Thank you Elayna!! Yes! I usually just do cooking spray too, but for those really crusty dishes the parchment paper is the best!
Oh, oatmeal is so comforting…but I am always much too lazy to make it in the morning. This sounds like the perfect alternative.
Hah waiting for the water to boil is the worst part 😉 Thank you!!
Mmm, what a delicious recipe to prep before bedtime and then wake up to a delicious breakfast! Always LOVE apple & cinnamon so I’ll have to try this!
I totally agree, Jessica!! It’s such a fantastic smell to wake up to! Thank you!!
Perfect for this time of year. Love the traditional flavours of apple and cinnamon.
Apple cinnamon oatmeal is one of my favourite breakfast options, but I LOVE that you made yours in a crockpot. So easy!
The crockpot makes it soooo easy! Thank you Shareba!
This recipe for Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is brilliant, Katherine! I can imagine how wonderful it smells through the night. Everyone would be ravenous by breakfast with that cinnamon and apple fragrance. Thanks so much for the epic parchment paper tip, too. I will definitely be pinning and trying both the tips and your recipe.
Hah yes, it’s almost torture when you wake up to the smell! Everyone is rushing to the kitchen to get a bowl of it! The parchment paper makes a huge difference for sure. Thank you Denise!
I would never have thought of oatmeal in the crockpot but I’m totally trying it now. This looks unbelievably delicious!
Yay! It’s a terrific breakfast recipe, Terri!
We love doing this. The house smells amazing when you wake up, too. Great tip about the parchment paper!
Yes it is the BEST smell in the morning!! Thanks Colleen!
i made it. And everyone like it and want more and more. I made this today for breakfast. It was a hit with us
thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe of oatmeal
It sounds so simple and delicious! I love how it’s made in the ease of a crockpot!
Thank you Christie!!!