Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal

Name: Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 190 min
Ingredients: 1 large apple or 2 small (we use gala or fuji typically); 2 cups rolled oats (regular or gluten free); 3 cups milk of choice (we use unsweetened vanilla almond milk or whole milk); 1 cups water ((you can use all milk if preferred for a creamy, richer flavor)); 2 Tbsp maple syrup or honey; 1-2 Tbsp brown sugar (more if desired); ⅔ cups apple sauce; 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract; ½ - 1 Tbsp cinnamon; ¼ tsp nutmeg; ½ tsp sea salt; 2-3 Tbsp chopped pecans or walnuts

By Lorie Yarro

4.58 from 7 votes

Updated Sep 21, 2025

No Comments

Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links.

Wake up to warm hearty Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal. Less than 10 minutes to prep, easy to vary, and loaded Juicy apples! Rolled oats, cinnamon and a touch of brown sugar make this delicious healthy breakfast a perfect one to warm up with on a cold morning!

Bowl with slow cooker apple cinnamon oatmeal with spoon scooping in.

Ingredient Notes
Add-Ins And Recipe Variations
Step-By-Step Instructions
Recipe Tips
Storage
Other Breakfast Recipes
Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal Recipe
Shop This Post

Oatmeal is in my breakfast in some form almost every single day. Whether it’s overnight oats, baked oatmeal, or granola, you know I am eating it!

This cozy and comforting crockpot apple cinnamon oatmeal recipe is my favorite apple season breakfast recipe, especially on a cold day!

Love oats for breakfast, too? Try these recipes as well: Protein Overnight Oats, Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal, Apple Crumble Bars, or these Banana Oat Blender Pancakes.

Why We Love This Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal

Typically, I live on overnight oats recipes, but will honestly never say no to a cozy apple cinnamon recipe once the weather cools a bit and apple season hits.

This slow cooker oatmeal recipe:

is hearty and full of healthy ingredients to start the day right
makes the whole house smell amazing–now that’s something I will wake up for!
can be made overnight
can easily be made as part of your weekly meal prep routine
is a perfect breakfast recipe for a cold day
can easily be varied to meet your dietary needs

So curl up and get cozy, because this oatmeal is going to be an amazing reason to wake up!

Ingredient Notes

rolled oats: also known as old-fashioned oats. regular or gluten free will work well. I don’t suggest using quick oats for this recipe. Some people like to use steel cut oats in the slow cooker, they are not my favorite and require more liquid and more cook time. To use steel cut oats, you would need about 1-2 extra cups of liquid and cook time would be 7-8 hours on low.
apples: use your favorite type. We love gala apples, fuji and honeycrisp the most so have them on hand most of the time.
milk: I love using whole milk but have also used vanilla almond milk. Feel free to use the milk that you prefer!
applesauce: I typically go with unsweetened and then I control the sweetness with how much maple or brown sugar I use.

Add-Ins And Recipe Variations

add-ins: toss in some dried cranberries, raisins, flax seeds, a spoonful of almond butter, egg white, pumpkin, and more!
serve with: add in some half and half or heavy cream before serving, some butter, apple butter and maybe even a drizzle of caramel syrup! Serve with sliced banana over top!
flavor variations: using different warm spices can change this slow cooker apple cinnamon oatmeal recipe up a lot. Add in some pumpkin spice, apple pie spice, ginger, all spice, and more

Step-By-Step Instructions

Crockpot with rolled oats, diced apples, applesauce, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Step 1: Add the rolled oats, apples, applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and sea salt into a greased crockpot.

Liquid added to oats and apples in crockpot before cooking.

Step 2: Pour the milk over top and stir to combine. You can use half milk and half water, or another combination of milk and water, but I find the oats to much more bland and not nearly as rich and creamy.

Apple cinnamon oatmeal cooked in slow cooker.

Step 3: Cover and cook on the LOW setting for about 2-3 hours or until the liquid is almost fully absorbed and the oats are soft to bite. You can cook longer for a softer bite and a touch less for more chew to your oats.

Cooked oatmeal topped with pecans and cinnamon with wood spoon scooping in.

Step 4: Stir in the pecans and an extra splash of milk or some butter and cream and serve.

Recipe Tips

To cook this overnight, I suggest using the “keep warm” setting versus low heat. I have done it this way several times and had success. I found that the low setting was a bit too hot and the oats came out too dry and the texture was too mushy. You can cook it on warm for about 8-10 hours, sometimes a bit more.
Add more milk if the oatmeal seems too dry. If the liquid is absorbed too quickly or too much, stir in some more about 2-3 tablespoons at a time as desired. You can add more just before serving if you prefer your oatmeal a bit thinner.

Bowl of slow cooker oatmeal with apples, cinnamon, and chopped pecans.

Storage

This apple oatmeal will keep in the refrigerator for about 4-6 days in an airtight container. Add an extra splash of milk or some cream when reheating for best results. You can freeze this oatmeal for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container.