How to make overnight maple & brown sugar oatmeal in the slow cooker

Lindsay Mattison

Contributing Writer

When you think of oatmeal, what do you picture? Is it a packet of Quaker instant oatmeal, plucked out of the variety flavor pack and heated up in the microwave? I've spent most of my life eating that packet of oatmeal, and while there's nothing wrong with it there's also nothing exciting about it. The recipe below completely changed the way I think of oatmeal and has transformed my breakfast routine.

What I love about this recipe is how easy it is to make a delicious and nutritious breakfast for the whole family. The steel cut oats cook away as I sleep, and I wake up to an instant breakfast that tastes anything but instant. All I need to do is add fresh fruit and enjoy. Once you make this recipe, you'll never go back to the packets!

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Slow Cooker Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

6-8

5 minutes

8 hours

8 hours 5 minutes

7 cups of water

2 cups steel cut oats

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup raisins

1 cup peeled and diced apple

In a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker, combine all of the ingredients and stir to combine.

Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 7-8 hours, until the oats are tender and most of the water is absorbed.

Serve with fresh fruit. If you prefer a looser consistency to your oatmeal, add milk when serving.

Save the leftover oatmeal in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Resources Melskitchencafe.com and Dana Ryan

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