There are few situations where we are lucky enough to wake up to a homemade breakfast, fully prepared and making the kitchen smell like a delicious morning feast. Often, the burden of making breakfast in bed falls to the unlucky early riser in the house and tends to happen only on the most special of occasions. The outstanding recipe below for cranberry maple oatmeal is our life hack for waking up to an absolutely delectable breakfast.
The beautiful thing about this mouthwatering morning treat is that it can be prepared in only 5 minutes, and better yet, the night before! That's right, this cranberry maple oatmeal cooks to blissful perfection from the safety of your favorite kitchen appliance — your slow cooker! With steel-cut oats providing the sturdy and energizing base to this warming bowl of heaven, the addition of dried cranberries, brown sugar, almonds, apples and cinnamon ensures that this breakfast will be a hit with the whole family!
Cranberry Maple Oatmeal
Ingredients1 cup steel-cut oats
¾ cup dried cranberries
⅓ cup shaved almonds
2 pink lady apples, peeled and small diced
4 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoons maple syrup (to serve)
Directions1. In a 6-quart slow cooker, add all the ingredients from oats to butter. Mix well with a wooden spoon.
2. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours (overnight).
3. Mix well after cooking. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Pro tip: Add a bit of crunch to your breakfast by sprinkling a tablespoon of granola over the top of your oatmeal. You can use store-bought granola, or toss leftover oats and/or almonds with maple syrup or honey and roast in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until crispy.
