Creamy Overnight Slow Cooker Steel-Cut Oats

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1½ cups gluten-free steel-cut oats
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• 3 cups chopped fresh or frozen fruit or ¾ cups chopped dried fruit
• ⅓ cup seeds or nuts of choice, tahini, or nut butter

Instructions

1. 1Coat the inside of a 4- to 7-quart slow cooker with the olive oil, brushing it evenly across the bottom and sides. Spray with an additional layer of cooking spray. The oats will stick stubbornly if the insert isn't well oiled.
2. 2Add 4 1/2 cups of water, the milk, steel-cut oats, applesauce, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt to the slow cooker. Stir the mixture thoroughly to combine.
3. 3Secure the lid and cook on the low setting for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. The oats are ready when they're tender but retain a slight chew.
4. 4Turn the slow cooker to the warm setting or off completely as soon as the cooking time finishes to prevent the bottom layer from burning. Give the oats a vigorous stir, then fold in your chosen chopped fruit, nuts, seeds, or nut butter.

Nutrition

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