Swiss farmers invented overnight oats in 1900 as portable field breakfasts—no stove needed, just oats soaking in raw milk overnight.
Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oats
Start your morning with a delightful embrace of warm apple cinnamon bliss thanks to this simple overnight oats recipe. Just combine rolled oats, sweet diced apples, and a sprinkle of cinnamon before letting them soak overnight for a creamy, flavorful breakfast that’s ready when you are. Say goodbye to rushed mornings and hello to delicious convenience!
Prep
15
min
Cook
540
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This crock-pot doctrine actually traces back to Switzerland's 1900s bircher-muesli movement, where Dr. Bircher-Benner prescribed raw oats and apples to hospital patients, but slow-cooking it overnight American-style—like some Kentucky farmhand crossed with a Zurich physician—turns austere sanatorium food into a lazy Sunday indulgence nobody in 1904 could've predicted.
Regional Twist
In Quebec's Eastern Townships, cooks swap the honey for local maple syrup and stir in extra cinnamon with a splash of maple-cured cream, transforming this humble oat situation into something that tastes suspiciously like a sugar shack breakfast, eh.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 1 large apple, or 2 small, diced (I used honeycrisp)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 3 cups milk of choice (720 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 Tbsp honey (15 ml)optionalomit for babies under 12mo
- 2 cups rolled oats (480 ml)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (7.5 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (161 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
333
Protein
12g
Carbs
53g
Fat
9g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot coated with non-stick spray.
- 2
Cover and set to 'keep warm' for 8-9 hours, overnight, or cook on low for 2-3 hours (reduce milk by 1/2 cup for this method).
- 3
Add a few splashes of milk when ready if too dry or thick once it’s done (and when reheating!).
- 4
Top with almond butter or chopped pecans for the bigs / option to mix nut butter in for the littles.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a 1:1.5 ratio of oats to milk (2 cups oats to 3 cups milk) because rolled oats absorb roughly 2-2.5x their weight in liquid—this ratio accounts for overnight hydration without becoming porridge, while 'keep warm' mode's gentle 140-180°F heat prevents over-absorption.ingredient1:1.5 oats-to-milk ratio
- ✓Dice apples into 1/4-inch pieces and add them at the start because smaller surface area prevents browning during the 8-9 hour cook, and their pectin will break down gradually, thickening the base without added starch.technique1/4-inch dice
- ✓Add cinnamon at the start (not after cooking) so its volatile aromatics (cinnamaldehyde) fully infuse into the milk and oat starches over 8-9 hours; post-cooking addition will taste 40-50% less integrated.timing8-9 hours infusion time
- ✓Reduce milk to 2.5 cups when using low heat for 2-3 hours instead of 'keep warm' because low (190-210°F) generates more evaporative loss than gentle warming—the reduced volume compensates for faster liquid loss while achieving similar final consistency.ingredient2.5 cups milk (reduced by 1/2 cup) for 2-3 hour low cook
- ✓Stir in additional milk in 2-3 tablespoon increments (not all at once) when reheating because oats continue to absorb residual moisture—gradual additions let you reach proper consistency (similar to thick oatmeal, ~65% moisture content) without overshooting.technique2-3 Tbsp increments
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
540
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Swiss farmers invented overnight oats in 1900 as portable field breakfasts—no stove needed, just oats soaking in raw milk overnight.
Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oats
Start your morning with a delightful embrace of warm apple cinnamon bliss thanks to this simple overnight oats recipe. Just combine rolled oats, sweet diced apples, and a sprinkle of cinnamon before letting them soak overnight for a creamy, flavorful breakfast that’s ready when you are. Say goodbye to rushed mornings and hello to delicious convenience!
The Story
This crock-pot doctrine actually traces back to Switzerland's 1900s bircher-muesli movement, where Dr. Bircher-Benner prescribed raw oats and apples to hospital patients, but slow-cooking it overnight American-style—like some Kentucky farmhand crossed with a Zurich physician—turns austere sanatorium food into a lazy Sunday indulgence nobody in 1904 could've predicted.
Regional Twist
In Quebec's Eastern Townships, cooks swap the honey for local maple syrup and stir in extra cinnamon with a splash of maple-cured cream, transforming this humble oat situation into something that tastes suspiciously like a sugar shack breakfast, eh.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 1 large apple, or 2 small, diced (I used honeycrisp)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 3 cups milk of choice (720 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 Tbsp honey (15 ml)optionalomit for babies under 12mo
- 2 cups rolled oats (480 ml)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (7.5 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (161 ml)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
333
Protein
12g
Carbs
53g
Fat
9g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot coated with non-stick spray.
- 2
Cover and set to 'keep warm' for 8-9 hours, overnight, or cook on low for 2-3 hours (reduce milk by 1/2 cup for this method).
- 3
Add a few splashes of milk when ready if too dry or thick once it’s done (and when reheating!).
- 4
Top with almond butter or chopped pecans for the bigs / option to mix nut butter in for the littles.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a 1:1.5 ratio of oats to milk (2 cups oats to 3 cups milk) because rolled oats absorb roughly 2-2.5x their weight in liquid—this ratio accounts for overnight hydration without becoming porridge, while 'keep warm' mode's gentle 140-180°F heat prevents over-absorption.ingredient1:1.5 oats-to-milk ratio
- ✓Dice apples into 1/4-inch pieces and add them at the start because smaller surface area prevents browning during the 8-9 hour cook, and their pectin will break down gradually, thickening the base without added starch.technique1/4-inch dice
- ✓Add cinnamon at the start (not after cooking) so its volatile aromatics (cinnamaldehyde) fully infuse into the milk and oat starches over 8-9 hours; post-cooking addition will taste 40-50% less integrated.timing8-9 hours infusion time
- ✓Reduce milk to 2.5 cups when using low heat for 2-3 hours instead of 'keep warm' because low (190-210°F) generates more evaporative loss than gentle warming—the reduced volume compensates for faster liquid loss while achieving similar final consistency.ingredient2.5 cups milk (reduced by 1/2 cup) for 2-3 hour low cook
- ✓Stir in additional milk in 2-3 tablespoon increments (not all at once) when reheating because oats continue to absorb residual moisture—gradual additions let you reach proper consistency (similar to thick oatmeal, ~65% moisture content) without overshooting.technique2-3 Tbsp increments