I'm sure you remember reading about Jamie's family trip to the mountains recently - well, not to be left out of apple picking fun, I took a trip to the mountains this past week too with a couple of my friends and our kiddos...
Can you believe they sat that nicely the entire time?
Yeah...they totally didn't.
Anyway, we loaded up a wagon full of pumpkins and apples and cider donuts and apple cider...
And I came home with a whole bunch of apples and while I've made applesauce and have plans for apple butter and apple pie, I wanted to try something a little different with my apples. I saw a recipe for apple pie oatmeal and knew I had to give it a try. I know I might be one of the only people around who actually LIKES oatmeal but I really do love it. Especially in the fall and winter - it's one of my favorite breakfasts.
This recipe comes from Cooking with Jax - it's a slow cooker recipe with a stove top option. I did mine on the stove top but plan to try the slow cooker out soon.
I made a few small tweaks but overall I really liked this recipe. It is not sweet so you can sweeten to your liking and use the sweetener of your choice. A lot of people in the comments suggested a good heaping spoonful or two of brown sugar - I went with a drizzle of maple syrup and it was delicious. This is a yummy, hearty breakfast that is healthy which in my book is a WIN!
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup of steel cut oats or regular rolled oats if on the stovetop (not the quick oats!)
- 2-3 diced apples
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2-3 cups water
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
(Optional: sweetener to be added after oatmeal is cooked. Brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup...)
Directions - Slow Cooker
For Best Results: Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook for 2-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low until it reaches the consistency that you like. Be sure to stir every hour or so.
* You can also cook longer without stirring, but you have to add more water liquid and it does come out a bit mushier. Add an extra cup of liquid for 7-8 hours in the slow cooker.
* It must be steel cut oats when cooked in the slow cooker, as regular oats get very soggy when cooked this way. You can find steel cut oats in your local grocery store (sometimes they are called "irish oats" or "pinhead oats"). If you would really rather use rolled oats, be sure to use the stovetop method below and adjust your liquid/cooking time accordingly.
Directions - Stovetop Method
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until it reaches the consistency that you like. Sweeten to taste.
This recipe made at least 3 servings so be sure to refrigerate your leftovers! It's a great breakfast to grab and reheat in the mornings - I just added a little almond milk to mine. Yum! I can't wait to try this in my slow cooker - I bet the flavors are amazing!
So tell me - am I the only oatmeal lover out there? Please tell me no!
HAPPY FALL!
(Anyone know how to convince an almost 12 year old to cut his hair?? Haha!)
