On cold mornings, I love a bowl of hot oatmeal! Back in the day, I’d microwave Quaker Instant Oatmeal almost every morning. My favorites were maple and brown sugar, and apples and cinnamon.

I now know how much healthier it is to make oatmeal from scratch. It’s especially easy if you cook it overnight. I was inspired by this slow cooker recipe I found at The Yummy Life. I added some extra spice, and changed a few things to make it more “real food” friendly.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how amazing it smells when you wake up in the morning. As with every recipe, try to use as many organic ingredients as possible 🙂

Serves 6 -7.  Prep time: 15 minutes  Cook Time:  8 hours or overnight

Ingredients

• 2 apples, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 2-1/2 to 3 cups. If you prefer, peel the apples first.
• One 13.5 ounce can of full fat coconut milk or 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
• 1-1/2 cups of homemade chicken broth, or water. The broth will impart minerals and amino acids into the oats, and doesn’t negatively affect the flavor.
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats, I like this brand.
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 TBSP chia seeds, or flax seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• Optional garnishes: raisins, goji berries, chopped nuts, maple syrup, butter, or additional milk. I like to add a raw egg yolk to my bowl of oatmeal.

Instructions

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart slow cooker with butter or coconut oil. Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for approximately 7-8 hours (slow cooker times may vary).

The edges will get a bit crusty while cooking, I like to mix the oatmeal up before scooping it into bowls. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Hope you enjoy this easy and nutritious breakfast!