Cranberry Apple Crockpot Oatmeal is a healthier oatmeal balanced with protein and healthy fats. Just toss everything in a crockpot for an easy, make ahead breakfast! Gluten Free + Low Calorie
Certain things happen when you go to the gym all the time. For instance, people start associating you certain equipment and you get the occasional "oh hey, someone's on your bike."
I had an old man jokingly ask me recently if they paid me to ride the spin bike to motivate others. Haha...in my dreams mister!
Little did he know, I was working on a new set for one of my classes.
Then there are the people who are suddenly doing everything you're doing aka the copycats. At first it's complimentary, but after awhile it's kind of creepy.
What's really funny is when I see one of the beefy guys grabby a BOSU or balance ball to do a move I do. It's pretty entertaining!
There are also the people who one day out to the blue start talking to you and proclaim they've been "watching you." Once again, kind of stalker-esk.
Or on a more normal note, I get women asking me where I buy my fitness apparel (Fabletics, Lulu or Athleta in case you're wondering).
So either I'm a freak of nature, am a motivation to others or simply attract all the freaks. Probably a combination of all those things. Hopefully, more motivation though.
Although I did kill two people out of spin class the other day. P.S. that doesn't mean everyone is a freak, but a couple of them have turned out to be. True story!
How does this tie in with a Cranberry Apple Crockpot Oatmeal? It does, but first two important pieces of nerdy nutrition advice so listen up!
Those oatmeal packets you're buying at the store. Yeah, hate to tell you but they're bad for you. Almost all are loaded with added sugar and other chemical goofiness your body doesn't know what to do with.
I can't tell you how my weight loss clients think they're eating healthy by eating them. The problem is even if they're low calorie the added sugar becomes a problem for those trying to lose weight or that have specific conditions.
This Cranberry Apple Crockpot Oatmeal is a better for weight management because it has protein and healthy fat added to it to balance out the carbohydrates which the store bought ones do not.
I've had a few clients mention they don't like eggs.
Oatmeal is a great place to add egg whites because they cook in like water and you never know they're in there. It's like eating a pancake (in case you didn't know there's eggs in those too).
So before you reach for those instant packs, investigate what's in them then think about how you're balancing the carbs. In my opinion, Cranberry Apple Crockpot Oatmeal is a much better solution but of course I'm biased!
Breakfast can be a challenge on a busy morning. Making oatmeal in a crockpot and loading it with fruit, eggs and seeds is a recipe for breakfast happiness. I used the best crockpot to do it!
It's a great recipe to add to the weekly meal prep because you can make an entire batch in the crockpot in one shebang, divide into separate meal prep containers and you're setup for healthy breakfast for the week.
That's as easy as it gets! Now if that's not motivation, I don't know what is...
Cranberry Apple Crockpot Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 cup frozen or thawed cranberries
- 1 apple cored and sliced
- 2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- 2 tablespoons pepita seeds pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 3 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Spray inside of a crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place all ingredients inside crockpot.
- Cook on low 3 hours or high 1 hour until oats are cooked and cranberries and apples are softened.
- Divide servings into meal prep containers. Serve topped with Greek or coconut yogurt for extra protein.
Notes
- My Amazon shop has more products similar to those used for this recipe and that I recommend to my nutrition clients.
Nutrition
Can I add protein powder to this?
Yes, you can add protein powder. You will need to add more liquid to balance that. How much will depend on the consistency you like and the type of protein powder you use.
Can this be frozen?
Yes, oatmeal can be frozen then thawed and reheated.
Can I freeze extra servings?
Yes
Can you use coconut milk instead of almond milk?
Of course you could!
I must totally not be very cool, because I was never even talked to at the gym... I think people just notice how well you do at certain things or your consistency Megan, and they admire that!
I'm actually more of a work out at home gal; it takes bravery for me to go to the gym. O_O
Oh girl, you don't have to look a certain way or even know what you're doing. You just need to show up with the confidence of a rockstar!
How many cups is one serving size?
About 1/2 cup
Haha I'm so terrible at "spacing out" at the gym Dave will often be like did you see so and so (clearly I didn't), so I almost never notice if someone is staring and I don't get many people coming up to me asking questions (prob. bc I'm in beast mode when I'm there lol). I kind of love that! This recipe looks amazing, I still have some frozen cranberries, yum!!
I space out too, but people still do it to me! I think it's because I'm so hard core compared to everyone else.
Oooh, I think that I have all of these ingredients in my kitchen. Making it soon!! I love all of the texture and flavors from the variety of seeds and fruits! No boring oats allowed. 🙂
I can't remember the last time I had a plain bowl of oats. haha!
This looks like such a delicious, comforting breakfast! I love all of that sweetness from the apples and the cinnamon pairs beautifully! Thanks for sharing, Megan! 😀
It is the ultimate winter comfort & nourishment. Thanks Kennedy!
How much do you consider a serving? I always struggle with this.
1/8th of the recipe is one serving. Start by taking 1/2 cup of the mixture and placing in a bowl or container. Repeat this until you have 8 containers then take the remainder and divide equally among the 8 containers. If you're concerned about getting the exact portion, this is the way to do it. You can also weigh the entire cooked oatmeal on a food scale then divide by 8 to get the weight in grams per serving.
HOLY YUMMINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And as for the gym, I rather not say some of the things.. 🙂 I think you are a motivation!!!!!
HAHA...I want to know if this stuff happens to you or if it's just me!
I think it's probably a mix of you being motivational and there being a few freaks out there, haha! But mostly the first one, I'm sure.
This oatmeal sounds delicious! I love that you can wake up and it's ready to eat. My kind of breakfast! 😉
Well, I seem to attract a lot of weirdos in general but I like your theory so I'm going with that. Have a great weekend Sarah!
I've never tried making oatmeal in a crockpot before, but it sounds like a great idea, especially for Sunday food prep!
It is! You really should try it sometime.
Obviously, this look s amazing. I would love to have known what people thought while I was doing the hand bike!
I could tell you what I think of those hand bikes...
That's creepy :/ Another perk or working out with my "home gym" 😉
And I still need to try making oatmeal/porridge in my slow cooker!
I have to say I've been to a lot of gyms and mine is the most normal of any I've been to with the exceptions I mentioned. And yes! You really need to bust out the crockpot and make oatmeal. It's so easy!
I guess that's one of the reasons I avoid the gym - I'd rather just get my workout done without having any social interactions! I go so infrequently that luckily none of that has happened 🙂 And that's pretty cool that you have loads of recipes ready to go! I'm always scrambling to put something together in time.
I think I just attract the freaks. That seems to happen to me everywhere I go. And yes! I have so many recipes sometimes I forget I have them. Haha! I try to keep a list of, but it gets lost with all my other lists.
You had me clicking and sharing with the word meal in the crockpot 🙂 but I have to join in that I'm all about the at home these days. Just don't talk to me 🙂
haha! I don't know what I'd do without my crockpot. It's a lifesaver.