My friend, Cathi, and I email each other almost daily with our activities, and our menus. At some point, I told her a cousin was staying overnight and I needed to remember to set the crockpot for oatmeal. WAA?? She flipped. Cathi’s family has a to-die-for cabin in Big Bear, the type of place that setting the crockpot for oatmeal before going to bed would be part of the bucolic picture. How she never did this before, I don’t know. But she sure does it now.
I’m just thrilled with the fact that steel cut oatmeal can be easy to make. Waking up to the aroma of hot cinnamon and apples is lovely — breakfast is ready even before the coffee perks! This recipe includes fruit and nuts, healthy. It produces very thick oatmeal, not creamy however. Go ahead and double the quantities, if you want. I actually quadrupled it for a weekend in the mountains, worked great.
Crockpot Overnight Apple Oatmeal
- 3/4 cup steel cut oats (oatmeal)
- 1 cup chunky applesauce (Trader Joes is perfect)
- 1-1/2 cup water
- 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Stir all together in a small crockpot (mine holds 12 cups, which I guess is “medium” sized). Cover and set to LOW, cook 8 hours. Makes 4 servings.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I love cooking a large batch in my rice cooker, but I’ve never tried the slow cooker! I must try this recipe soon
Thanks! Will be making this weekend for everyone…I’m sure it will smell beautiful waking up to warm, homemade oatmeal!
Stacy, yes that is what I mean, steel cut oats.
When you state 3/4 c “steel cut oatmeal” in your recipe, do you mean “steel cut oats?”
Thank you very much
Susan, it was a JOY to spend our time together at Rancho La Puerta. I am busy writing about the adventure, so make sure and check back. And DO let me know your thoughts about the oatmeal. Love you!
Hi Patti,
It was great chatting with you over some memorable dinners at Rancho La Puerta last week. I plan to make the crockpot oatmeal tonight. I just have to get the dustballs out of the crockpot before I start, I am not sure that they would add anything special to the dish.
Take care,
Susan Parks
Steel-cut oats are made by cutting the oat kernel into chunks. In the U.S., Quaker-type oatmeal (both quick-cooking and regiular) is made byrolling and flattening the kernel between rollers, so you end up with flakes. Steel-cut oats retain their chunkiness when cooked.
I have some steel cut oatmeal in the pantry that I’d forgotten about until reading this… I know what we’re having for breakfast this weekend!
Patti comments: Hi Bron, do you have Irish Oats in Australia? Not quick cooking. Our cannister (see in the back of the photo) is a “product of Ireland,” 100% wholegrain Irish oats.
Patti comments: also known as Irish Oats. See the white/gold/black cannister in the back? Maybe you will recognize it on the store shelf.
Dumb question for such an easy sounding recipe…what is steel cut oatmeal?
Hi Patti, will be giving this one a go with Autumn around the corner.BUT, what the hec is “steel cut oatmeal”? I think maybe a quick cooking oat? Finer cut than regular? Obviously an americanism??!! We call it porridge here, so it will get a name change for the Kiwi/Aussie palete.
You will be warming up now I guess, few spring flowers arriving?Look forward to hearing from you,Cheers Bronwyn