This delicious overnight crockpot oatmeal with apples and cranberry is so simple to make for a batch breakfast that’s healthy, dairy free, gluten free and full of flavour! Made with the Crock-Pot 6 Qt. Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker it’s a must-try recipe this season!
Breakfast convenience for the win!
The popularity of overnight oatmeal still amazes me! When this simple and clever breakfast idea became “a thing” a few years ago, I wasn’t sure if it was just a trend or something that would last, but overnight oats are still going strong! What’s not to love about a healthy breakfast dish that you can simply throw together the night before and take to-go in the morning. If you search the web or Pinterest you’ll find thousands of variations on overnight oatmeal all with one key factor in mind…convenience!
Traditional overnight oats are typically made by adding ingredients (typically rolled oats, chia seeds, milk, and fruit) to a jar or tupperware container and letting it sit in the fridge overnight. By morning the ingredients have combined and soaked so there’s essentially no cooking or even warming required. Today on the blog I’m showing another variation of overnight oatmeal that’s just as convenient but puts to use a Crock-Pot Slow Cooker.
When I used to work with clients for nutritional consulting I’d often provide them with overnight oatmeal recipes in their meal plans but not everyone liked the idea of cold oatmeal, so this alternative is a great option as you’ll wake up to warm, perfectly cooked, ready-to-enjoy oatmeal in the morning as it has slow-cooked in the Crock-Pot all night.
Making Overnight Oatmeal in a Slow Cooker
The method for making overnight oatmeal in a slow cooker is essentially the same as traditional overnight oats but rather than adding the ingredients to a jar or tupperware, you add everything to the Crock-Pot® Programmable Slow Cooker and in a larger amount as this is meant to make a bigger batch of overnight oatmeal.
Once everything is mixed up nicely in the slow cooker you simply set the timer to low and a time of 8 or 10 hours. I do recommend giving the oatmeal a good stir again right before hitting the hay as it can sometimes stick to the sides depending on the ingredients used (but nothing a good stir in the morning can’t solve).
Slow cooker overnight oatmeal also gives you the option of using steel cut oats rather than just rolled oats as they will definitely cook overnight whereas in a jar in the fridge overnight they may still be too firm to eat in the morning.
Apple & Cranberry Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal
For my version of Crock-Pot overnight oatmeal I used a combination of the following ingredients:
- Rolled Oats
- Flaxseed
- Cinnamon
- Coconut Palm Sugar (you can sub for pure maple syrup)
- Diced Apples
- Dried Cranberries
- Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
- Natural Apple Juice (no sugar added)
- Water
This combination creates a delicious and festive flavour that is reminiscent of apple pie or apple crumble. It’s also full of dietary fibre, healthy fats, antioxidants, and B vitamins.
When it comes to topping for the oatmeal…the sky’s the limit! I used nut butter, chopped fresh apples, a mix of seeds, toasted coconut and a few frozen cranberries. Overnight oatmeal tastes great on it’s own but I often love to add toppings for extra crunch and texture!
The Crock-Pot 6 Qt. Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker
While you can use any type of slow cooker for this recipe, the Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Slow Cooker is a great option as it is easily programmable meaning you can set the exact time you want (a 10 hour option is great for this kind of recipe) and once cooking, the slow cooker will automatically switch to warm to keep the contents at a perfect temperature. It also has a securely-fitting locking lid with a rubber gasket making it great for taking on-the-go if you don’t want to transfer the contents to another dish.
If you love overnight oats but haven’t tried a slow cooker version yet be sure to add this delicious crockpot overnight oatmeal with apples and cranberry to your must-make list!
What method do you usually use to make overnight oatmeal? Tell me about it in the comments and be sure to pin the photo below the recipe to save this one for later!
Overnight Crockpot Oatmeal with Apples & Cranberry
This delicious overnight crockpot oatmeal with apples and cranberry is so simple to make for a batch breakfast that’s healthy, dairy free, gluten free and full of flavour! Made with the Crock-Pot 6 Qt. Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker it’s a must-try recipe this season!
Ingredients
- 3 cups regular rolled oats or steel cut oats (add 1 extra cup of water if using steel cut oats)
- 1 cup apple juice (no sugar added)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 heaping tablespoons coconut palm sugar (or pure maple syrup)
- 2 heaping tablespoons whole flaxseed
- 3 apples diced (any variety, I used 2 gala apples and 1 granny smith apple)
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Optional Toppings:
- Diced apples
- Dollop of nut butter
- Fresh or dried cranberries
- Flaxseed, hempseed, chia seed, pumpkin seeds
- Drizzle of almond milk
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker lightly with a non-stick cooking spray (olive oil or coconut oil) or lightly grease with a thin layer of coconut oil.
- Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and mix well to combine.
- Set the slow cooker to low for 8 or 10 hours (alternatively you can cook on high for 4 hours, but be sure to stir often, every hour or so).
- Stir once or twice during cooking (if possible*) to further prevent oatmeal from sticking to the sides of the crockpot.
- Once cooked, divide among bowls and top with desired toppings.
- Enjoy!
Notes
*If you are leaving the oatmeal overnight it’s not expected you wake up in the middle of the night to stir it, just stir once before heading up to bed and the spray or oil should prevent sticking.
*Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheat as needed.
*Leftovers can also be frozen and stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
*This recipe is not meant to be overly sweet, if you prefer sweeter oatmeal, swap out 1 cup of water for 1 additional cup of apple juice (2 cups total).
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Have a great Sunday!
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Crock-Pot but as always the thoughts and opinions are my own.
nutritional facts: saturated fats, sodium, sugars, etc?
do you list the nutritional fact re: you’re recipes…i.e. saturated fats, sodium, sugars, etc
I don’t, but you can enter the ingredients in an online nutritional calculator to find it!
Could I make this apple cranberry slowcooker oatmeal recipe with fresh cranberries?
You could but they are quite tart, so it may change the flavour of the oatmeal!