Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’ve made this recipe at least 20 times. Maybe even 30. Not exaggerating.

And I owe you all an apology for not sharing this slow cooker oatmeal with you sooner. You see, at first, I wasn’t really sure if it was “blog-worthy.” It’s not fancy, it has only 5 ingredients, and it doesn’t look all that pretty once it’s cooked up in your slow cooker.

But I thought about the How To Eat MO – inspiring and teaching individuals and families to cook simple and healthful meals and share these meals with your family and friends. Well, what better breakfast to share with your family and friends in the cold winter months (yes, those are slowly approaching) than a big bowl of steaming hot and creamy steel cut oatmeal?

And this recipe definitely feeds a crowd! You could definitely scale it down if you’d like, but this will feed my family of four for an entire week of breakfasts. Cook once, eat all week. Doesn’t get much better than that.

As I said before, this steel cut oatmeal is pretty straight forward. A mixture of steel cut oats, water, milk (whatever you’ve got on hand), a little vanilla, and salt. And whatever you do, don’t forget that salt! It acts to bring out all the flavour locked in those oats. From here, you can jazz up your own bowl to your heart’s desire! Here are some of my favourite oatmeal combinations:

1. Peanut butter & banana
2. Raisins & almonds or cashews
3. Strawberries & yogurt
4. Apples, cinnamon, & pecans (if you’re looking for a straight up apple version, check out this recipe)

We don’t like our oatmeal too sweet in my house, but if you want to add some sweetness, you can never go wrong with a drizzle or two of maple syrup. Or go for my daughter’s favourite combo – chocolate chips and more chocolate chips.

The absolute best part about this recipe is that it’s completely hands off. Once you mix everything together in your slow cooker and switch it to low, you get to go to sleep knowing your breakfast will be ready and waiting for you in the morning. This oatmeal reheats beautifully in the microwave so I like to portion it out into individual containers. And I’m kind of a weirdo – I also like these oats cold. Don’t knock it till you try. it.

I want to hear your favourite combos! What’s your favourite way to top your bowl of oatmeal?

Dara 

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal

Print recipe

Serves	about 8-10 (but eat as much oats as you need to be full!)
Prep time	5 minutes
Cook time	8 hours
Total time	8 hours, 5 minutes
Meal type	Breakfast
Misc	Pre-preparable

Ingredients

• 2 Cups steel cut oats
• 8 Cups water
• 1 1/2 Cups milk (any milk you like)
• 1 Tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 Tsp kosher salt
• additional milk, raisins, fruit, peanut butter (for topping)

Note

These steel cut oats make a large batch, so feel free to cut it in half if you don't think you need that much. They will last in the fridge for up to a week. I like to portion them into individual containers for the week ahead and reheat in the microwave with a splash of milk for about 1-2 minutes.

Directions

1.	Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.
2.	Add oats, milk, water, and remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
3.	Cover slow cooker and turn on low. Let cook overnight for about 8 hours. (I've let it go for 9 hours and it turned out fine). The oats should be cooked and the mixture should be creamy.
4.	Serve immediately topped with the toppings of your choice or let cool and portion into containers for the week.