Crockpot oatmeal a la McDonald's

[Dawgluver]

Love theirs. Tried to make some with maple syrup, cinnamon, milk, raisins, and home dried apples in the crockpot, ended up with utter glop. A total "duh" moment. Pectin from the apples made a slimy, semi-inedible mess. Smelled really good, though. Maybe a good facial scrub. I have not found a good recipe for it yet. Ideas?

 

[Zhizara]

My Mom used to make oatmeal using apple juice for the liquid. It always came out right.

 

[jennyema]

Why make it in a crockpot ?

 

[taxlady]

Love theirs. Tried to make some with maple syrup, cinnamon, milk, raisins, and home dried apples in the crockpot, ended up with utter glop. A total "duh" moment. Pectin from the apples made a slimy, semi-inedible mess. Smelled really good, though. Maybe a good facial scrub. I have not found a good recipe for it yet. Ideas?

Maybe use dried apple? I know that most of the pectin in apples is in or near the skin. I seem to remember using dried apple in oatmeal with no problem.

Maybe use more liquid, it might not even be the pectin in the apples.

 

[Dawgluver]

Why make it in a crockpot ?

I remembered seeing a recipe for it somewhere, minus the fruit. Good for a big batch I thought I could freeze and take to work.

I might have cooked it too long. It just disintegrated into slime. The apples were dehydrated.

 

[jennyema]

I remembered seeing a recipe for it somewhere, minus the fruit. Good for a big batch I thought I could freeze and take to work.

I might have cooked it too long. It just disintegrated into slime. The apples were dehydrated.

I'm thinking that you must have cooked it way too long. Even "real" oatmeal (the good stuff) doesn't take long on the stove.

 

[SharonT]

I've been meaning to try Alton Brown's overnight crockpot oatmeal recipe. You need to use steel-cut oats to cook them that long (8 or 9 hours on low).

 

[Katie H]

I've been meaning to try Alton Brown's overnight crockpot oatmeal recipe. You need to use steel-cut oats to cook them that long (8 or 9 hours on low).

I love steel-cut oats and I've tried Alton's crock-pot recipe and, as much as I love nearly everything I've tried that he's demonstrated, I was sorely disappointed in the oats. I followed the recipe to the letter and just didn't like the texture or the taste.

 

[tschaff04]

I have yet to try the crock pot oatmeal but I agree about the steel cut oats. All the recipes I have gathered for it call for steel cut oats because they hold up better to long cook times. Maybe that would work better in your recipe.

 

[Zereh]

I use my crock-pot as a bain marie to cook my steel-cut oats overnight and it works like a charm. I've never been disappointed in the texture.

I use about 3.5 c water, 1 c rice/almond/soy milk, generous hit of salt and 1 c steel-cut oats. It takes about 8 hours on low and are fine on low up to about 10.5 hours. (I put everything into a glass bowl and then pour water around them until I'm about one-inch short of the top.) You could easily substitute apple juice for the milk / fake-milk for a portion of the cooking liquid.

I've not tried them on the high setting, will have to experiment with that here soon.

 

[Dawgluver]

I use my crock-pot as a bain marie to cook my steel-cut oats overnight and it works like a charm. I've never been disappointed in the texture.

I use about 3.5 c water, 1 c rice/almond/soy milk, generous hit of salt and 1 c steel-cut oats. It takes about 8 hours on low and are fine on low up to about 10.5 hours. (I put everything into a glass bowl and then pour water around them until I'm about one-inch short of the top.) You could easily substitute apple juice for the milk / fake-milk for a portion of the cooking liquid.

I've not tried them on the high setting, will have to experiment with that here soon.

Thanks! Haven't found steel cut oats yet, but will give it a try when I do.

 

[jennyema]

Thanks! Haven't found steel cut oats yet, but will give it a try when I do.

Very good!

 

[AnnieDrews]

How about adding the apples at the very end of the cooking time (no matter how you cook it)?? I sometimes cook up some apples with cinnamon and Splenda/butter flavor spray and keep in the fridge to add to my morning oatmeal. I also sometimes stir in frozen cherries or blueberries when I heat it up in the morning.

 

[Sprout]

Until you pick up the steel cut oats, I'd try what you did again but on the stovetop. I've used the same indredients, except fresh apple for a single serving in the microwave before and had no problems.

 

[Dawgluver]

Until you pick up the steel cut oats, I'd try what you did again but on the stovetop. I've used the same indredients, except fresh apple for a single serving in the microwave before and had no problems.

Thanks!

 

[Zereh]

If you're near TJ's they have the best price on the John McCann's oatmeal jennyema linked, it seemed kinda $pendy at the local grocery stores around here; Bob's Red Mill is also good stuff if you can find it. I'm lucky because our neighborhood co-op (PCC) has bulk bins where I buy tons of staples, steel-cut oats included.

 

[Katie H]

Very good!

Yep. Love these oats! But, I have to add that McCann's also makes an instant version that is, in my estimation, terrible. I stick with the type in the round metal can. They are yummy. I toast mine in an iron skillet before I cook them for extra flavor.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks All! Will be on the lookout!

 

[Paulineh]

Steel cut oats are a must and it does sound like you cooked it too long. Why not leave out the apple and add some apple sauce and swirl it through at the end ad see what the texture is then.