Hugs in a bowl — warm, cozy, and just a little bit indulgent.
Today’s breakfast is a cinnamon-apple hug in a bowl: comforting steel-cut oats slow-cooked with apples, cozy spices and creamy coconut for a naturally rich texture. Depending on how you serve it, this can feel like dessert for breakfast — and it’s one of the most comforting morning meals I’ve made in a long time. We haven’t been able to stop eating it.
October vibes are in full force here — apple cider, pumpkin beers, and cheesy soups make their seasonal appearances, and I can’t help but swoon over all of it. The chilly mornings lately (we even saw snow flakes!) made me crave something warm, filling and easy to prepare ahead of time.
I’ve mentioned my childhood love of Quaker instant packets more times than I can count — they were an after-school snack and sometimes dinner for years. That nostalgia, plus watching my little one Max get wildly excited about every new bite, inspired this recipe. Breakfast is my favorite meal to share with him, and lately he’s been especially into food — grab one bite and he’ll demand another.
Because weekday mornings are busy, overnight or slow-cooker breakfasts are my go-to. These oats cook low and slow so you can wake up to warm, ready-to-eat oatmeal without fussing over the stove. I love steel-cut oats for their chewy texture and satisfying mouthfeel — if you value texture in your oatmeal, these are for you.
Into the slow cooker went steel-cut oats, cubed apples, coconut milk, a touch of water, brown sugar and a bounty of warming spices — cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. I added coconut oil and coconut butter for richness; the result is luxuriously creamy without tasting overtly of coconut. If you don’t have those ingredients, feel free to use regular milk and butter — the dish will still be comforting and delicious.
I let the oats cook on low in the slow cooker for eight hours and stirred only once. If you’re making this overnight you probably won’t want to wake up and stir repeatedly, but note that some oats may stick slightly to the edges depending on your slow cooker’s heat. If your slow cooker runs hot, consider cooking during the day or checking in occasionally to avoid overly crisp edges.
The finishing touch is a homemade whipped maple cream — simply cook pure maple syrup to the proper temperature, chill briefly, then whip until light and creamy. Drizzled over the warm oats, it becomes an irresistible sweet, silky topping. I also love to add toasted almonds, hemp seeds, extra apple chunks, shredded coconut and coconut chips for contrast and crunch.
This combination yields a bowl that’s creamy, fragrant with cinnamon and apples, and perfectly suited to crisp October mornings. It’s easy to make ahead, stores well in the fridge for a few days, and reheats beautifully with a splash of milk.
Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal with Whipped Maple Cream
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Ingredients
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 (14-ounce) cans light coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups cubed apples
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch cardamom
- for topping: toasted almonds, hemp seeds, toasted coconut chips, shredded coconut, apple chunks, cinnamon sprinkle, whipped maple cream
maple cream
- 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
Instructions
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Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray. Stir all ingredients together in the slow cooker and set on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir once or twice if you can. If not, the mixture might stick to the edges a bit. Serve hot with extra milk drizzled on top and a variety of toppings.
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You can store leftovers in the fridge for a few days and reheat with a splash of milk.
maple cream
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Place maple syrup in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium until it boils and reaches 235°F, watching carefully to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and place the pan in an ice water bath for 5–10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, stir the syrup until creamy — about 10–15 minutes by hand, or use a stand mixer on low with the paddle attachment until light in color and pourable. Stop before it thickens too much.
Notes
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