Apple Spiced Slow Cooker Oatmeal: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Vegan

This amazingly simple apple spiced slow cooker oatmeal recipe is perfect for your breakfast meal prep. It only requires a few simple ingredients, a crock pot, very little prep or hands on time, and it’s vegan, gluten free and dairy free! Made with applesauce and diced apples, this steel cut oatmeal is great for the fall but can always be enjoyed year round!

Looking for other fall recipes? Check out this pumpkin spice cold brew or gluten free apple spice oatmeal cookies!

Apple Spiced Slow Cooker Oatmeal Ingredients

What our family loves most about this crock pot oatmeal recipe is that it only needs simple, real food ingredients – all ones that are typical of anyone’s pantry.

You will need gluten-free steel cut oatmeal, almond milk, or any milk of your choice such as cashew or oat milk, along with unsweetened applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a chopped apple.

You will also add a bit of pumpkin pie spice, salt, and water into the slow cooker with the oats and almond milk. That’s really all there is to this recipe, but what cooks up is a perfectly spiced, full of flavor oatmeal.

You may also want to have a few ingredients for topping, such as additional sliced apples, nuts such as pecans or walnuts, and nut butter such as almond or peanut.

How to Cook Steel Cut Oats in the Slow Cooker

This is a hands-free method of cooking oatmeal that really works well for meal prepping or a weekend breakfast. Everything gets dumped into your crockpot, leaving you available to do other meal prep, or enjoy your time away from the kitchen!

You’ll first start by chopping the apple, and then adding all of the ingredients into your slow cooker. The milk and water will get poured in, and then you’ll want to stir everything well to incorporate the oats in with the liquid, applesauce and spices.

Then you will cover your slow cooker with the lid, and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 7 to 8 hours. Stop the cooking process when the oats are soft, but not mushy.

The chopped apple pieces will cook down, soften and mix into the oatmeal really well and add great flavor. If you like more liquid in your oats, you can add that once it’s done cooking by stirring another half cup to cup of milk into the slow cooker, or by adding a splash of milk into your individual portion.

Serving and Storing Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Before serving, give your oatmeal a taste and add any additional salt or pumpkin pie spice you may want. Then you can serve it up in bowls or meal prep containers.

Add any toppings you’d like, like a few apple slices, a dash of cinnamon, walnuts, and a few tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter.

Before storing in the refrigerator, allow the oatmeal to cool. This oatmeal is good for 4 days and can be reheated in the microwave. Add a splash of milk or water prior to reheating to rehydrate the oatmeal.

Other Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love:

• Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
• Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal
• Breakfast Burrito Skillet
• Sheet Pan Sausage, Potatoes & Peppers
• Chorizo Egg Bake
• Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches

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