When the weather is cold and all you want to do is wrap yourself in a sweater, make this slow cooker apple cranberry oatmeal. It’s so easy to make (just pop it in the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours) and it can cook while you are sleeping!
When it comes to eating breakfasts, I want something low maintenance and easy to throw together. I also want it to be as healthy as possible.
If you are interested in additional breakfast recipes, I suggest the stuffed apple muffins recipe, or the cold brew overnight oats (for some caffeine in the mornings) or the blueberry coffee cake recipe.
I don’t always have time to scramble eggs or follow a complicated recipe. What screams easy?
A slow-cooker, of course! I also love using the slow cooker if I am able to make something that is kid friendly…and this recipe is just that.
What I loved about using the slow cooker to make this oatmeal was that it was cooking while I was sleeping. What is better than that?
I just loved how this tasted – and it will be feeding us in the mornings all Christmas week, which I love.
*Make sure you only use steel cut oats. Traditional oats won’t be able to handle the cook time.
Slow Cooker Apple-Cranberry Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 2 apples finely chopped – divided
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- slivered almonds
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker except the almonds. For the apples, add one chopped up apple with the other ingredients.
- Add the other chopped apple when there is only an hour left of cook time. Cook on low for about 6 hours.
I’m glad that you doctored it a little with the additions. I can update the recipe to make sure that those are included.
I also thought it was very bland so followed the suggestions by adding extra salt, cinnamon and honey.
Thank you xxx
Yes, you can. It should keep for about 2-3 days. If you want, you can add a little bit of water when you reheat it to keep it from being too clumpy.
Can you re-heat this throughout the week?
I am too! I really don’t know what could be making it so blah. I would also try adjusting when you add the cranberries and 1/2 of the apples. That might help make them less mushy and more flavorful? Let me remake this in the coming weeks and see if I can adjust the recipe.
I did use steel cut, I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong here! I doubled the cinnamon and it still came out meh. I think I will try adding a bit more salt though that isn’t something I have tried yet. Thanks for replying I’m just really perplexed by this.
I don’t see why this wouldn’t work if you halved it. I haven’t tried that yet, but I imagine it would be fine. In terms of leftovers, I really can’t say. I did eat this a day after it was cooked, but not really after that. I thought it tasted fine after that first day. I would recommend 2-3 days of leftovers. If the 2nd day doesn’t taste as good, don’t eat it the 3rd day. Does that help?
Can this recipe work if halved? And also wondering how good this really tastes as leftovers throughout the week when reheated?
Hmm. I don’t remember it being bland when I made it before. You are using steel cut oats, not traditional oats, correct? You could add more cinnamon (like 3 teaspoons) and try adding in only 1/2 the cranberries at the beginning and then the rest when you add in the other apples. You could also add a teeny bit more salt to it, if you think that might help bring out the flavors. I can make it again and see if I can taste the bland-ness. And I can tweek it as well.
Everytime I make this it comes out bland. I can SMELL the cinnamon etc. But the oatmeal itself has no taste.
Thank you so much! This oatmeal is so freaking good. It was SO easy to put together and was delicious. You will have to let me know if you make this…I’d love to know what you think about it.
This looks great and so nourishing! Love the new blog btw!