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This easy Crockpot Apple Oatmeal is a healthy, WW-friendly breakfast that practically makes itself while you sleep. Just add your ingredients to the slow cooker before bed, and you’ll wake up to a warm, lightly sweet, hearty bowl of oats waiting for you.
Unlike most slow cooker oatmeal recipes that use steel cut oats, this one uses old-fashioned rolled oats. I was a little skeptical at first, wondering if they’d turn mushy after so many hours. Instead, I discovered that rolled oats turn creamy and porridge-like when cooked on the WARM setting overnight — a perfect texture in my book.
The apples keep a bit of crunch, while the dried cranberries and walnuts add sweetness and texture. I swapped in maple syrup for honey and used coconut milk instead of dairy, which gave the oatmeal a lovely richness. Even Rod, who’s not much of an oatmeal fan, admitted this was a pretty good breakfast once I reheated it with a splash of milk the next day.
If you’re looking for a make-ahead slow cooker breakfast recipe that’s WW friendly, comforting, and easy, I think you’ll love this one as much as I do.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Naturally sweet (affiliate link) and hearty – apples, cranberries, and walnuts give flavor and crunch.
- Effortless breakfast – cooks overnight while you sleep.
- WW friendly – a satisfying, wholesome breakfast that fits into your plan.
- Customizable – swap in your favorite milk, sweetener, or dried fruit.
- Meal prep ready – leftovers reheat well for busy mornings.
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy crockpot apple oatmeal:
- Milk – I used coconut milk beverage, but dairy, almond, soy, or rice milk all work.
- Maple syrup or honey – A touch of natural sweetness.
- Butter – Adds richness (optional, but nice).
- Salt – Enhances flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – Warm spice that pairs perfectly with apples.
- Rolled oats – Old-fashioned oats give this oatmeal a creamy, porridge-like texture.
- Apples – Peeled or unpeeled, they add freshness and a little crunch.
- Dried cranberries – A tart, chewy contrast to the sweet apples.
- Walnuts – For crunch, flavor, and healthy fats.
- Extra milk – Stirred in before serving for creaminess.
Calories and WW Points
According to my calculations, each serving has about:
- Calories: 240
- Points: To see your WW Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app. (You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
- Old Points: 6 PointsPlus
How to Make CrockPot Oatmeal Step by Step
Step 1: Prepare the slow cooker
Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. A 2-quart size works best. (If you only have a 4-quart, double the recipe and freeze extras.)
Step 2: Add ingredients
Combine 2 cups of milk, maple syrup (or honey), butter, salt, cinnamon, oats, apples, cranberries, and walnuts in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Cook overnight
Cover and cook on WARM overnight, about 6 to 8 hours.
Step 4: Finish and serve
Stir in the additional ½ cup milk just before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and rewarm in the microwave (affiliate link) with a splash of milk.
Recipe Notes
- Using WARM instead of LOW helps rolled oats hold their texture after several hours.
- I swapped maple syrup for honey and coconut milk beverage for the skim milk and half-and-half. Both worked beautifully.
- If you prefer your oatmeal sweeter, drizzle with a little extra maple syrup before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve warm with extra walnuts, sliced bananas, or a dollop of Greek yogurt.
- For variety, stir in raisins, dried cherries, or chopped dates instead of cranberries.
- Leftovers make a quick, healthy weekday breakfast — just reheat with a splash of milk.
If you’ve made this Apple Oatmeal, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Crock Pot Apple Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups fat-free milk (dairy, almond, coconut, soy, rice, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup dry old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped apples (peeled or not, whichever you prefer)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup fat-free milk (dairy, almond, coconut, soy, rice, etc.)
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 2-Quart.
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker with nonfat cooking spray. I used my 2-quart. (If you only have a 4-quart I would double the recipe and freeze some of the leftovers if necessary.)
- Combine the 2 cups of milk, maple syrup, butter, salt, cinnamon, oats, apples, cranberries and walnuts in the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on WARM overnight, about 6 to 8 hours.
- Stir in the 1/2 cup milk just before serving.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for several days. They can be rewarmed in the microwave (affiliate link).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Source: Slightly adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly Revised and Updated: 600 Healthy, Low-Fat Recipes for Your Slow Cooker (affiliate link) by Phyllis Good
Crock Pot Apple Oatmeal FAQ s
Can I use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?
Yes — steel cut oats work beautifully in the slow cooker, but they take longer (6–8 hours on LOW) and result in a chewier texture. If you swap them in, you may want to increase the liquid slightly.
How do I keep Crockpot oatmeal from getting mushy?
The trick is to cook on WARM instead of LOW if your slow cooker has that option. Cooking on WARM overnight (6–8 hours) keeps rolled oats from breaking down too much and helps prevent dry edges.
Can I freeze Crockpot apple oatmeal?
Absolutely! Let the oatmeal cool completely, portion it into freezer-safe containers, and store for up to 3 months. Reheat with a splash of milk or water to bring it back to creamy perfection.
Can I make this dairy-free?
Yes. I’ve made it with coconut milk beverage, but almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk all work just as well.
More WW-Friendly Apple & Oatmeal Breakfast Ideas
If you enjoyed this Crockpot Apple Oatmeal, you may also like some of my other healthy, WW-friendly apple and oatmeal recipes:
Discover More WW-Friendly Recipes
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Thoughts about food safety when using only the “warm” setting for dairy? I would think it allows the milk to sit in the danger zone too long, causing bacteria to multiply.
Hi Dodge, If you have concerns, I would suggest no using dairy in this recipe by substituting water or choosing another recipe that can better address your needs. Appreciate your thoughts. All the best. ~Martha
Martha, would 3 hours on low be long enough to cook this? It sounds so good. I am asking for a 2 qt slow cooker for Christmas. I have 2 6qt cock pots already. Thank you!
Hi Teresa, I think 3 hours would be fine if you cook it on the high setting. Hope this helps. ~Martha
Made this overnight and it was big hit sensation for all out treats buds! Also added cranberries! Used old fashioned oats and it came out perfect texture!
Hi Janice, thanks so much for taking time to share!! Glad you liked it!!
I have a ton of frozen apple slices. I’m wondering if I could just dice them a bit and toss them in frozen rather than using fresh apples. I’m trying to use up a bit of frozen fruit to loosen up the freezer! THANKS!
Hi Kelly,
Though I haven’t done it with chopped frozen apples, I think it would work fine!
This recipe sounds so good! Would replacing the fresh apples with say frozen peaches work? And maybe reduce the liquid by a little bit?
Hi Julie,
I haven’t tried it but crock pot oatmeal is very forgiving so I think it would work just fine. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!. – Martha
Can you use steel-cut oats?
Hi Julie, you need to use more liquid with steel cut oats so for this recipe you would need for cups of milk for the 1 cup of steel cut oats. Hope this helps!
Hi. Little late to this party, but do you mean 4 cups of milk for 1 cup of steel cut oats?
Hi Hollly, yes to double the recipe use 4 cups of milk and 1 cup of oats.
Question: My slow cookers only have “low” and “high” settings. I’m not sure what warm is (maybe mine are too old for this). Would you suggest using low for less time? Or going to the rice cooker my husband bought and has never used?
Hi Beth, I would suggest LOW for less time. If you want to be able to cook it overnight, I have had success placing a heat proof bowl with the oatmeal inside your slow cooker set to LOW too. Hope this helps.
This would have been great to have on hand over the past few weeks. My work schedule has been wacky, so I’ve just be grabbing yogurt and fruit every morning. That’s fine during the summer when I really prefer cold foods, but the mornings are chilly now–time for oats! 🙂
You are so right, Cammy! I too crave something warm for breakfast when the mornings turn chilly! Love being able to make a big batch that I can just warm quickly in the microwave each morning.