Easy Slow Cooker Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups

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Make a warm, comforting breakfast with this Easy Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups recipe made in the slow cooker. Made with no refined sugar, and naturally vegan.

Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups in Black Slow Cooker

Quick Summary: These Slow Cooker Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups are an easy breakfast made by combining rolled oats, cinnamon and ginger, chopped walnuts, and raisins and adding to hollowed out apples. They're cooked on high for 2 hours (or on low for 4 hours), for a cozy and comforting hot breakfast with zero morning stovetop stirring required, and meal-prep friendly.

You and your 90 degree temps, you. Tsk, tsk.

Yes, it's kinda hard to get in the cozy spirit of autumn when you're sweating your face off in shorts and a tank top. Give it time, because I'm sure I'll be missing these days in a few weeks from now. Let us all just give thanks for slow cookers.

Why not have your pie and oats together in one adorably portable and totally edible, picked from the tree package?! And if it's anywhere close to as toasty hot as hell your way as it is here, making this in the slow cooker will be your best friend.

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Why you'll love these baked apple oatmeal cups
Ingredients
Instructions
Expert tips from a dietitian
FAQs
More oatmeal recipes
Slow Cooker Baked Apple Oatmeal Cups

Why you'll love these baked apple oatmeal cups

Perfectly portioned. Since they're made in a hollowed out apple, they are already portioned out, making these perfect for weekly meal prep.
Full of fall flavor. Cinnamon, maple, raisins, walnuts, and of course apples make these such a festive fall breakfast.
Naturally vegan. No modifications needed to make these plant-based.

Baked Apple Oatmeal Cup topped with yogurt

Ingredients

Rolled oats. Also known as old-fashioned oats. My preferred type of oat for this recipe since they cook faster than steel-cut, but keep you fuller, longer than quick-cooking oats.
Water. Just for cooking the oats and softening the apples in the slow cooker. You can also cook your oats in milk for a little more protein and richer flavor.
Cinnamon. For that warm, cozy flavor.
Ginger. Adds extra some extra fall flavor to channel those apple pie vibes.
Vanilla. It's like the pepper to salt for cinnamon. It's now just second nature for me to add a splash of vanilla to anything I make with cinnamon in it.
Chopped walnuts. Love the bit of texture they add. Can also make with chopped pecans.
Raisins. For a little added sweetness and texture. Chopped dates are lovely too.
Maple syrup. My go-to sweetener for fall-inspired recipes. Brown sugar also works.
Apples. The vessels for the fall-flavored oatmeal. Any variety would really work here, but love honeycrisp or fuji.

Close up of baked apple oatmeal cup in slow cookers

Instructions

Add ½ cup of rolled oats and 1 cup of water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened.

Remove from heat, and stir in 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, ½ cup of chopped walnuts, ½ cup of raisins, and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Set aside.

Hollow out the center (core and seeds) of 5 apples with a melon baller or small spoon, keeping the bottom of the apple in tact. Remove enough of the apple center to make room for the oatmeal.

Add ½ cup of water to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add in apples, cut side up. Fill each apple with the oatmeal mixture. Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4 hours, or until apples are softened. Top each apple with a sprinkle of cinnamon, drizzle of maple syrup, or dollop of Greek yogurt if desired before serving.

Close up of slow cooker baked apple oatmeal cups

Expert tips from a dietitian

Add more protein. Up the staying power of these apple oatmeal cups by cooking the oatmeal in milk, and topping with a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Meal prep for quick breakfasts. Since this makes 5 servings, you can meal prep this on a Sunday, and simply reheat for a quick and easy breakfast for the week ahead.
Eat the whole apple. Enjoying this, apple skin and all means no waste, and also adds extra fiber and nutrients to your breakfast meal.

FAQs

What are the best type of oats to use for these apple oatmeal cups?

I prefer to use rolled oats since they get less gummy than quick cooking or instant, but are faster cooking than steel cut. You can use steel cut, and I do like the texture, but can take quite a bit longer to cook.

Are these vegan and gluten-free?

They are vegan if prepared as written. They can easily be made gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats.

Can I just use an apple corer to hollow out the apples?

It does take a bit more time to use a melon baller or spoon, but is important to keep the bottom of the apple in tact to keep the oatmeal from spilling out and sticking to the bottom of the slow cooker.

How long do these keep for?

You can store these covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Simply reheat in a microwave-safe container for 30 seconds at a time, until heated through.