Slow Cooker Steel Cut Chai Apple Oatmeal

Spend 5 minutes prepping this Slow Cooker Oatmeal the night before, and wake up to a delicious, hot bowl of oatmeal that is full of fall flavor!

Written by: Taylor Kiser Food Faith Fitness

Click HERE to save this recipe for Slow Cooker Oatmeal!

Slow Cooker Oatmeal with Apples

Being married to nurse has its pros and cons. A pro: As a food blogger, I am cutting and chopping ALL day long. I am also very accident prone. Do you see how that is not a good combination? Murse husband to the rescue!

Sidenote: Don’t tell him that I called him a “murse.”

A con: Shift work. For our whole marriage (almost 2 years) he has had to work 7pm-7am shifts. This means that I go to bed alone for half of the week. And the best part about being married is every night sleepovers with your best friend. At least that’s what a quote on Pinterest told me. So I must be missing out.

That was until we moved to Washington, and he was able to land a job on the day shift. WOO HOO! And, let me tell you, Pinterest did not lie. It is wonderful having company at bedtime, ALL the time.

But, there has been a bit of a downside to this shift in schedule; now I have to get up at 4:30am to make his breakfast. Cooking isn’t one of his strong suits, and I don’t trust him near any kitchen appliance. Not even a microwave, so don’t even suggest that I make his breakfast the night before and he just reheats it the next morning.

So, there I was, a grumpy zombie wife who was graciously getting up to whip up breakfast for her not-domestically-inclined-at-all husband. That was, until I discovered that my CrockPot could do ALL the work for me, and I only had to spend 5 minutes getting it together the night before.

Life. Changing.

The next morning we woke up the smell of this apple cinnamon slow cooker steel cut oatmeal. Let’s just say, I could wake up at 4:30 every morning if it smelled THAT good. I might be lying to you about wanting to get up at 4:30 though. There isn’t much in life that makes me want to do that.

However, this CrockPot oatmeal with apples HAS smelled that good every single morning since this recipe was created, because my hubs could not stop shoving the oatmeal into his mouth.

All the while, I get to happily sleep in peace. You know what they say, “Happy Wife, Happy life”

Click HERE to save this recipe for Slow Cooker Oatmeal!

Slow Cooker Oatmeal Ingredients

I kept this slow cooker apple cinnamon oatmeal as simple as possible, for all the reasons I shared above. Here’s what goes into this slow cooker steel cut oatmeal:

• Steel-cut oats
• Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• Water
• Chai tea bags
• Cinnamon
• Apples
• Molasses

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

How to Make Slow Cooker Oatmeal

This CrockPot oatmeal with apples is a breeze to prepare! Here’s how I make this slow cooker oatmeal night after night:

1. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Combine the oats, almond milk, water, tea bags, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and apple in the slow cooker.
3. Cook on low heat until all the liquid is absorbed, 7-8 hours.
4. Once cooked, remove the cinnamon stick and tea bags.
5. Stir in the molasses.
6. Serve as is or top with your favorite oatmeal toppings.

How to Reheat Oatmeal

This slow cooker oatmeal recipe makes about 4 servings, so you’ll likely wind up with leftovers. I recommend reheating leftover apple cinnamon oatmeal in a saucepan over medium-low heat. You’ll need to add a splash of water or almond milk to loosen up the oats and prevent them from drying out.

Can You Freeze Oatmeal?

Yes, cooked oatmeal can easily be frozen in individual portions. When ready to eat the frozen oatmeal, reheat it from frozen in a saucepan or in the microwave.

Click HERE to save this recipe for Slow Cooker Oatmeal!

Tips for Making Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Please note that you MUST use steel-cut oats. Instant or old-fashioned oats will turn to mush if prepared using the instructions in the recipe card below.

The amount of molasses you use will vary depending on how sweet you like your slow cooker oatmeal, so add a little at a time and taste as you go. I liked around 4 to 5 tablespoons of molasses, and my husband liked 6 tablespoons.

You can top this slow cooker steel cut oatmeal however you’d like. A few of our favorite oatmeal toppings include: almond milk, chopped pecans, and apple slices.

More Healthy Breakfast Recipes:

This Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal is a great make ahead baked oatmeal to make all fall and winter. It has all the delicious flavors of your favorite pumpkin pie while still providing great nutritional value to start your morning off right.

These Southwest Breakfast Bowls are a great way to enjoy a quick, healthy, and high-protein breakfast at home on busy weekday mornings.

This Chocolate Banana Almond Milk Smoothie doubles as a filling breakfast and sweet afternoon pick-me-up. It’s so easy to make and incredibly creamy!

Coconut Chia Pudding Parfaits with Tropical Fruit Turmeric Puree is a delicious breakfast treat or afternoon snack featuring coconut milk-soaked chia layered with blended tropical fruits.

This Chorizo and Eggs Scramble is a fun way to mix things up for breakfast. Traditional scrambled eggs are combined with fresh spinach, cilantro, and spicy chorizo sausage.

Have you ever made oatmeal in your slow cooker?

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Slow Cooker Steel Cut Chai Apple Oatmeal

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes

Spend 5 minutes the night before, and wake up a delicious, hot bowl of oatmeal that is full of fall flavor!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Steel-cut oats
• 2 Cups Unsweetened Vanilla almond milk
• 1 Cup Water
• 2 Chai Tea Bags
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Cups Apple, roughly chopped (about 1 large apple)
• 4 - 6 Tbsp Molasses

Optional toppings:

• Additional almond milk
• Chopped pecans
• Apple slices

Instructions

1. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray and then combine the oats, almond milk, water, tea bags, cinnamon, cinnamon stick and apple inside.
2. Stir well, so that everything is mixed, and cook on low heat until all the water is absorbed, 7-8 hours.
3. Once cooked, remove the cinnamon stick and tea bags. Stir in the molasses.
4. Serve as is or drizzle with additional almond milk, pecans, and apple slices.

Notes

*The amount of molasses you use will vary with how sweet you like your oats, so add a little at a time and taste as you go. I liked it around 4/5 Tbsps, and my husband liked it at 6 Tbsp.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 259Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 14mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 6gSugar: 22gProtein: 6g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.

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Click HERE to save this recipe for Slow Cooker Oatmeal!