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Throw the ingredients in your slow cooker before bed and you’ll have warm overnight apple cinnamon oats ready when you wake up!
These slow cooker overnight apple cinnamon oats pack all the flavors of Fall into a warm, cozy bowl. They’re loaded with all the Fall flavors that you’re accustomed to such as cinnamon, apples, and pecans. I love how easy this comes together as well. It’s nearly hands-off and you wake up in the morning to the most amazing smell in your house. It’s like having a house full of Bath and Body Works candles.
I remember when I first wrote this recipe, overnight oats were just becoming a thing and it’s interesting years later, they are still ever-so popular.
There are so many unique “flavors” out there now and even I’ve got some:
Why slow cooker overnight apple cinnamon oats?
Well, in general, overnight oats are one of my favorite things to make because it’s so hands off.
The best way to utilize this is when you’re having overnight guests.
Everyone wakes up at different times and instead of being concerned about, “what’s for breakfast?” if you have a batch of slow cooker overnight apple cinnamon oats ready when everyone wakes up, they can serve themselves a bowl with their coffee.
It helps the entire household out and you won’t have any hangry guests or anyone rummaging through your pantry for something to tame that hunger!
What You’ll Need:
- Apple – fresh apples! I would go for Fuji, Gala, Honeycrisp, or whatever variety you like. I would stay away from Red Delicious (I think the exterior is too waxy) and Granny Smiths.
- Milk – cow’s milk or dairy-free works!
- Apple Cider – please, NOT apple cider vinegar. Apple cider!! If you can’t find apple cider, you can substitute for apple juice.
- Steel cut oats – I love the texture of steel cut oats and it’s the perfect candidate for an overnight slow cooker oats recipe such as this because it doesn’t get super mushy and steel cut oats typically take longer to cook anyway.
- Brown sugar – dark brown sugar to be exact. I love the depth of flavor the dark brown sugar gives.
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground flaxseed – for that extra fiber, ya know?
- All the toppings – nuts, maple syrup, more apples, and do you dare add some whipped cream?!
Can I use another fruit?
You could but this is for apple cinnamon oats so maybe another hard fruit that compliments apples well?
How to make overnight apple cinnamon oats:
Spray the insert of your slow cooker. You definitely don’t want to miss this step otherwise you’ll be scrubbing the insert for a bit! You can also use a slow cooker liner if you prefer.
Add the ingredients. Add all the ingredients (apples, milk, apple cider, water, oats, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground flaxseed) to the insert of the slow cooker.
Stir, cover, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. You can cook this on high for half the amount of time too. It’s okay if this cooks for a bit longer (hence overnight). Just add some liquid in and stir and it’ll be all good!
What’s the difference between steel cut oats and old fashioned oats/rolled oats or quick cook oats?
It comes down to texture, processing, and cooking time.
Steel cut oats are oat groats that have been cut into two or three pieces and they’re relatively unprocessed while old fashioned/rolled oats are made by steaming and rolling the oat groats for faster cooking. Quick cook oats are the same but cut into smaller pieces for even faster cooking.
Can I make this in the Instant Pot?
I haven’t tried this with the pressure cooking function but the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot would work.
Is it safe to have a slow cooker run overnight?
Absolutely. People leave their slow cookers on during the day to cook their meals.
Again, freakier things have happened so I’m not liable for anything.
I kept waking up in the middle of the night from the apple cinnamon smell but it didn’t bother me – my stomach was what was bothering me! It was wanting some of that oatmeal!
I’m going to be making more varieties of this in my crockpot because of all the leftovers I get with it. I love scooping a hefty amount in Tupperware and bringing it into work for a warm breakfast. It’s filling too so I’m not starving by 11am.
Slow Cooker Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 apples, cored and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 ½ cup (366 g) 2% milk
- 1 cup (236 g) apple cider
- ½ cup (118 2/7 g) water
- 1 cup (160 g) steel-cut oats, heaping
- 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional garnishes: nuts,dried fruit, bananas
Instructions
- Coat the inside of your crockpot generously with cooking spray. You will NOT want to miss this step cause otherwise you will be standing over the sink scraping the little sucker.
- Add all the ingredients to the crockpot (minus the garnishes), stir, cover, and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 1.5-2 hours.
- Serve hot and with garnishes, if desired.
- To reheat: put oatmeal in microwave-safe bowl and add a splash or two of milk to re-moisten it up. Zap it for 30 seconds, take it out, stir it around, then zap for another 10-20 seconds.
Video
Nutrition
Photography by Eat Love Eats
I found the finished product rather “Gluey”. I’m thinking it was over cooked. I think next time I would try making it during the day to get the right cooking time. I do not have a programmable crockpot nor do I have a warm setting. I also added a touch more brown sugar and a splash of milk before eating.
Can use almond milk Instead of regular milk?
Yes, it should work.
Made this! Turned out exactly how I think it was expected to be. I have a small crock pot but it didn’t change anything. I wish I had added lessnof the cider, made it too sweet for me (I usually eat my oatmeal with No sugar). I used a liner and nothing burned or stuck.
Well I didn’t cost my pot with anything 1st, hopefully it won’t be too much of a bear to scrub out! Can hardly wait to taste it now though:)
I made this tonight and it was delicious! My 5 year old son loved it too. I think it will now be a regular, but I will double it for sure. I peeled the apples first, and added some white sugar to taste before eating. We actually made for dessert/ late-night snack tonight, so I cooked it at warmer setting for 3 hours instead.
Can you make this recipe without the milk?
You can, but I would advise adding more water and apple cider since steel cut oats need a lot of liquid to cook.
The steel cut oats… are they the regular ones or the quick cooking?
Regular! :)
What is the Flax seed supposed to do, other than completely ruin everything?
What was the purpose of this comment, other than to be a troll? If you don’t like flaxseed or care for it…then don’t use it! Or, if you really want to know its benefits, you could Google it.
Julie!!! I love your responses to some of these people???. You are cracking me up girl ?
Can you use apple juice instead of apple cider and perhaps leave out the sugar ?
Oh, that is a good thought! Definitely could. If you leave out the sugar entirely, make sure to add some when you eat it (if it doesn’t taste right).
I’ve never left a comment about any recipe ever, until now, but I wanted to thank you. Our family LOVES this oatmeal. I’ve been making it at least once a week for the past 2 months, and each time my kids act excited and surprised in the morning (about oatmeal!!!) . We like it topped with a little butter. Yum! Thank you!