Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Slow cooker apple cinnamon oatmeal is a easy & flavorful breakfast that you can eat at time of the day, year-round. This healthy oatmeal will have your kitchen smelling amazing while it cooks.  You can also make this comforting oatmeal recipe in the Instant Pot.

Ingredients For Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

There are only 6 ingredients in this easy slow cooker oatmeal recipe. 

1. Oats: This recipe calls for steel-cut oats, not quick or instant. 
2. Apple: Use your preferred type of apple. Do you like sweet or tart? 
3. Cinnamon
4. Milk Of Your Choice 
5. Maple Syrup  
6. Vanilla 

How To Make Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Slow Cooker

1. Spray slow cooker generously with cooking spray.
2. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
3. Cook HIGH 3-4 or LOW 6-8 hours.
4. Stir well before serving.

Instant Pot

1. Spray the Instant Pot generously with cooking spray.
2. Add all the ingredients. Stir gently to mix well. Set high pressure for 4 minutes.
3. When cooking time is up, let the pressure naturally release before opening.
4. Stir well before serving.

What Is Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a term used to describe a porridge made from ground, steel cut, or rolled oats. Each of these terms just means that the oat has been removed from a husk and is ready to cook! Oatmeal may also be called hot cereal, which also covers cream of wheat and grits, but we are just going to focus on making oatmeal today.

Most people are familiar with the quick oatmeal that you can get in many flavors and from many brands at your local grocery store, but what many people don’t know is how cheap and easy it is to make your own oatmeal at home. When you make oatmeal at home, you can add a variety of healthy ingredients to it like fruits and nuts to increase the benefits you get from your morning meal! Oatmeal is a whole grain, too, so you can feel better about making it for your children over sugar filled breakfast cereal.

Steel Cut or Rolled Oats?

Slow Cooker or Instant Pot oatmeal is best made with steel-cut oats. Steel cut oats are one of the healthiest grains; they’re minimally processed, and contain more fiber than rolled oats. Personally I always use steel-cut oats for my oatmeal and rolled oats for baking or making oat flour. If you’re using the slow cooker and intend for this to be an overnight oatmeal recipe, you cannot use rolled oats, they will turn to mush during the long cook time.

Having said that, yes you can use rolled oat if you must but you will need to make adjustments. For the slow cooker, the cook time will be 1-2 hours on high or 2-4 hours on low. For the pressure cooker, the cook time remains the same but you have to change the oat/liquid ratio.

Liquid/Oatmeal ratio for slow cooker or Instant Pot:
Steel cut – 3 cups liquid to 1 cup oats
Rolled – 2 cups liquid to 1 cup oats

This recipe does not work with instant oatmeal.

Water or Milk?

For the liquid in this oatmeal, you can use the milk/water ratio I list in the recipe card or you can use all water or 3 cups of your preferred milk. Milk will make the oatmeal creamier than plain water. For this recipe to be vegan, you have to use either water or something like a nut milk or coconut milk. Personally I use almond milk. For the sweetener, in order for this to be a vegan oatmeal recipe, you will need to use maple syrup or sugar. The measurements and cook time will remain the same regardless of which sweetener you decide to use.

Doubling The Recipe

Need to cook oatmeal for a larger crowd? You can double or triple the recipe without having to make adjustments to the cook time. The oatmeal will still cook for 8 hours or 4 minutes (slow cooker vs pressure cooker), you will just need a larger appliance.

Storing Leftover Oatmeal

Refrigerate your cooked oatmeal for 5-7 days. To reheat the oatmeal, add some milk or water, before heating in the microwave or on the stove top.

Oatmeal Recipes

• Old Fashioned Oatmeal

• Pumpkin

• Creamy Berry

• Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oats

FAQS & Tips

• Grab the milk of your choice! For this to be vegan, use a nut milk like almond milk.
• It’s important to spray the slow cooker or Instant Pot generously with cooking spray to keep the oatmeal from sticking. The oatmeal will still probably stick to the sides a bit but it won’t be nearly as bad as it would if you didn’t spray.
• Top your oatmeal with your preferred toppings. Suggestions include additional sweetener, chopped nuts, granola, etc.
• You don’t have to use a sweetener but it definitely ads to the taste. Maple syrup substitutes include brown sugar, sugar, or honey (not vegan). 
• I used a 2.5-quart slow cooker for this recipe. 

This recipe first appeared in my cookbook, The Easy & Healthy Slow Cooker Cookbook. 

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