These maple apple steel cut oats are a great make-ahead breakfast, and are super simple to prepare.
I admit that I definitely have a stubborn streak.
Sometimes that’s a good thing. It got me a PhD. It allowed me to grow this blog from a tiny little blogspot blog with point and shoot photos of Martha Stewart recipes into what it is today.
But sometimes that stubborn streak can tell me things like ‘you don’t like that food, don’t even bother trying it’, and prevent me from trying foods I may have shunned in my youth. Like oatmeal.
Mushy, tasteless oatmeal. In my mind, oatmeal tasted like cardboard and had a terrible, mushy texture. How could I have been so wrong?!
These maple apple steel cut oats are a product of my quest to find a great make-ahead breakfast recipe that could be made in a slow cooker.
Three batches of burned oatmeal later and I waved the white flag. I give up…on the slow cooker. Not on the oatmeal.
Through this process I learned something about oatmeal: it doesn’t have to be so mushy. Steel cut oats have an absolutely amazing, almost chewy kind of texture that has completely wiped the floor with my preconceived oatmeal notions.
For these steel cut oats, I added some unsweetened applesauce and a full diced apple. Always trying to add some fruit and veggies to my meals
I also added a bit of cinnamon, some maple extract, and stirred in a few tablespoons of maple syrup after cooking to bring up the sweetness just a touch.
I LOVE this oatmeal, which is something I never thought I would say! It has a great texture, is healthy for you, keeps you full for a few hours, Kai loves it (which is nothing short of a miracle), and guys…it is make ahead!
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More make-ahead breakfast ideas:
- this round-up of 21 Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfasts is PACKED with healthy and delcious breakfast ideas
- this Berry Almond Breakfast Quinoa is a great gluten-free option
- and these Spinach, Feta & Egg Breakfast Quesadillas are one of my favorite savory breakfast recipes
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 large apple, cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2 teaspoons maple extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or more to taste)
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized pot and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally for 20-35 minutes. I pulled mine off after 25 minutes, and the oats were 'al dente'. For softer oatmeal, cook longer, adding additional cooking liquid if desired.
- Add milk or additional liquid, if desired. Heat in the microwave until lightly heated (80% for 1 minute on my microwave).
Oatmeal keeps for up to 4 days.
Oatmeal may be frozen in muffin trays (try using silicone muffin liners to get them out easily), then place in ziplock bags and frozen for up to 3 months. 3.5.3208
Products used in this recipe:
