Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel-Cut Oats with Flax and Maple
Slow cooker steel cut oats with tender apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, finished with maple, flax and toasted walnuts. Ten minutes of prep gives a week of breakfasts.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 450 min
- Rest
- 5 min
- Serves
- 6

Slow Cooker Apple Pie Steel-Cut Oats with Flax and Maple is a vegan breakfast recipe made with coconut oil, steel-cut oats, unsweetened almond milk. It takes 460 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes resting, serves 6, and each serving has 345 calories, 9 g of protein and 8 g of fiber.
Steel-cut oats are made for the slow cooker: they hold their chew through a long, gentle simmer that would turn rolled oats to paste. A 1:4 ratio of oats to liquid, a half-and-half mix of almond milk and water, and a well-greased crock stop the edges from scorching overnight. The maple and ground flax go in at the end, so the sugar doesn't catch and the flax thickens the pot to a creamy, spoonable texture. Toasted walnuts on top give you the crunch of a pie crust.
Ingredients
Oats
- 1 tsp4.5 gcoconut oil, for greasing the slow cooker
- 1½ cups264 gsteel-cut oats
- 3 cups720 gunsweetened almond milk
- 3 cups711 gwater
- 2 medium364 gapples (such as Honeycrisp or Gala), cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice, peeling is optional
- 2 tsp5.2 gground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp0.6 gground nutmeg
- ½ tsp3 gfine salt
- ¼ cup80 gpure maple syrup
- 3 tbsp21 gground flaxseed
- 1 tsp4.2 gvanilla extract
To serve
- ½ cup59 gwalnuts, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp40 gextra maple syrup, for drizzling (optional)
- ½ cup120 gextra almond milk, for loosening (optional)
Kit: 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, small skillet, cutting board and knife
Tips
- Use a 4- to 6-quart cooker. In a much larger one the oats spread out thin and are more likely to burn around the edges.
- Firm, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Gala or Pink Lady keep some shape over the long cook. Softer varieties like McIntosh melt into the oats, which works too if you want a smoother, applesauce-like texture.
- The oats thicken a lot as they cool. When reheating, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of almond milk or water per portion and stir halfway through warming.
- If your slow cooker runs hot or you'll be out longer than 8 hours, plug it into an outlet timer so it starts later rather than holding on warm.
Swap ideas
- Pears instead of apples
- Softer, more floral fruit that breaks down further into the oats.
- Chia seeds instead of ground flaxseed
- Thickens the same way but leaves tiny visible seeds and a slightly firmer set.
- Oat milk or soy milk instead of almond milk
- Oat milk gives a sweeter, creamier pot. Soy milk adds more body and protein.
- Pecans instead of walnuts, plus 1/4 cup raisins stirred in with the maple
- A more classic pie-filling flavor, with a buttery crunch and bursts of extra sweetness.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
345kcal per serving
Everything else · 6 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 2 g 10%
- Sugars
- 16.2 g
- Sodium
- 291 mg 13%
- Potassium
- 409 mg 9%
- Calcium
- 292 mg 22%
- Iron
- 2.9 mg 16%
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg 3%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Oil, coconut, Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry, Beverages, almond milk, unsweetened, shelf stable, Beverages, water, tap, drinking, Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program), Spices, cinnamon, ground, Spices, nutmeg, ground, Salt, table, Syrups, maple, Seeds, flaxseed, Vanilla extract, Nuts, walnuts, english
Method
Grease the inside of the slow cooker insert well with the coconut oil, covering the bottom and at least 3 inches up the sides. This is the main defense against a scorched crust.
Add the steel-cut oats, almond milk, water, diced apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to the slow cooker. Stir well so the oats aren't clumped on the bottom.
Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, until the oats are tender with a slight chew and most of the liquid is absorbed. Don't use HIGH, and don't go much past 8 hours, or the edges will brown and the oats will turn mushy.
While the oats finish (or the night before), toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant and a shade darker, 4 to 5 minutes. Tip them onto a plate to cool.
Switch off the slow cooker. Scrape down any browned bits from the sides, then stir in the maple syrup, ground flaxseed and vanilla until evenly combined.
Cover and let the oats stand for 5 minutes. The flax will thicken them to a creamy, porridge-like consistency. Stir in a splash of almond milk if they seem too thick.
Spoon into bowls and top with the toasted walnuts, plus a drizzle of maple syrup if you like. For meal prep, divide the cooled oats into containers and store the walnuts separately so they stay crunchy.
Storage: Cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 5 days. Keep the toasted walnuts separate at room temperature. Freeze portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or a small pot with a splash of plant milk, stirring until hot throughout.
Questions
- How much protein is in slow cooker apple pie steel-cut oats with flax and maple?
- Each of the 6 servings has 9 g of protein, 8 g of fiber and 345 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is slow cooker apple pie steel-cut oats with flax and maple vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does slow cooker apple pie steel-cut oats with flax and maple take to make?
- 10 minutes of prep and 450 minutes of cooking, so 460 minutes of hands-on time, plus 5 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make slow cooker apple pie steel-cut oats with flax and maple ahead?
- Cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 5 days. Keep the toasted walnuts separate at room temperature. Freeze portions for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or a small pot with a splash of plant milk, stirring until hot throughout.
- What can I substitute in slow cooker apple pie steel-cut oats with flax and maple?
- Pears instead of apples — softer, more floral fruit that breaks down further into the oats.. Chia seeds instead of ground flaxseed — thickens the same way but leaves tiny visible seeds and a slightly firmer set.. Oat milk or soy milk instead of almond milk — oat milk gives a sweeter, creamier pot. soy milk adds more body and protein.. Pecans instead of walnuts, plus 1/4 cup raisins stirred in with the maple — a more classic pie-filling flavor, with a buttery crunch and bursts of extra sweetness..
- Does slow cooker apple pie steel-cut oats with flax and maple contain gluten or tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 10, 2026 ·American