READY IN 6+ hrs

Slow Cooker Oats

Read Reviews (126)

"I just can't get up in the morning to make my hubby breakfast before he leaves for work, so I put this in the slow cooker the night before, and breakfast is served! A hearty breakfast that's easy to do." — brandysue

Directions

Place the steel cut oats, water, apple, raisins, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla extract into a slow cooker, and stir to combine and dissolve the sugar. Cover the cooker, set to Low, and allow to cook 6 to 7 hours (for firm oats) or 8 hours (for softer texture).

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 6 hrs
READY IN 6 hrs 15 mins

Footnotes

Cook's Note
Important: Use steel cut oats or this will be a mushy mess. Also, if your crock cooks too high, cook on the warm setting.

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Oct 13, 2011

This is a great recipe! I make as is or add milk or juice instead of some of the water. I add dried cherries, or cranberries, pecans. I use brown sugar, white sugar, or maple syrup. I usually add 1 cup of pumpkin puree with pumpkin spices. But however I make it, it is always yummy! If you double it, you reduce the chances of it burning on the sides and you can freeze individual portions in the small 1 cup Ziplock containers. Then microwave frozen for 3 minutes.

—Janette

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Oct 04, 2011

I really did not care for this at all. The only change I made was using about 1/4 cup of raisins instead of a 1/2 cup. I thought 3 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of oatmeal seemed like a really wrong ratio. I normally cook oatmeal on the stove top in about 5 minutes. The oats have a nice bite to them still. I decided to try this method after seeing many recipes. I thought the oatmeal was mushy and it was surrounded with a thick gummy liquid. I also didn't care for the darker brown color. I am one to normally cut sugar in a recipe, but this one needed at least twice the brown sugar listed to give it some flavor. The crock pot was also a pain to clean. No one would eat it and it ended up getting tossed. It was so thick, brown, and mushy, I didn't know how to salvage it.

—Blender Woman

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159 Ratings

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Sep 24, 2011

For the reviewer wondering...Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They are golden in color and resemble small rice pieces. Steel-cut oats are also known as coarse-cut oats, pinhead oats, or Irish oats. I usually buy them in bulk at my local farmer's market co-op store. This recipe is delish. I love the addition of the apple and the use of the crock pot. It makes the whole house smell wonderful, and there is very little effort or time required from me. My two year old would eat this for every meal of the day if I gave him the option (which is tempting on some days).

—BLyn

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Sep 27, 2011

I've made oats in the crock pot for years. Instead of water I use milk or soy milk. The water alone is too bland. This is a great starter and lends itself to additions like adding a tablespoon of peanut butter or toast some walnuts or almonds and add to the pot and let cook with the oats. Try maple with the vanilla extract. Thanks for posting the recipe.

—Teena V

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Oct 08, 2011

I did slight variation of this ... added 4 cups water to my 1 c steel cut oats. 3 TBS of ground flaxseed. 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon. 2 chopped organic gala apples. Added raisins after cooking. sprayed the crockpot with pam spray just in case to prevent sticking. after 8 hrs, oatmeal was perfect. we added some sweetener, me: Truvia; hubs: agave nectar. It was so filling and yummy! had leftovers for tomorrow morning's bfast!

—Amy

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Oct 06, 2011

Using steel cut oats (like the recipe calls for) NOT rolled oats is super important in this recipe. Those who complain about it being complete mush are likely using the quaker oaks, or rolled oats. Steel cut oats look like tiny pieces of uncooked rice, not the flat round oats. This is a great recipe for early mornings for the whole family. Thanks!

—amy

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Sep 25, 2011

I get home from work at around 2 in the morning and always check AR for the newest reviews. I saw this recipe and thought it would be great to wake up at 10:30 and have breakfast made. I had all the ingredients, so I tossed this together in the crockpot. When I got up, this was cooked perfectly. It did need some salt; since the recipe didn't call for it, I didn't put any in at the beginning. My husband added more brown sugar and raisins to his, but I ate mine just the way it came out (except for adding salt). Very good recipe. Perfect for work nights. Thanks, brandysue!

—Dianemwj

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Sep 26, 2011

Very easy and Very good breakfast! I didn't have raisins so I used dried cranberries, may stick w/them because they were plump and juicy. I did add a touch of sugar when I served it.

—Mary Horan

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Nutrition

Calories
208 kcal
10%

Carbohydrates
37.2 g
12%

Cholesterol
10 mg
3%

Fat
5.6 g
9%

Fiber
4.3 g
17%

Protein
3.9 g
8%

Sodium
35 mg
1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Slow Cooker Oats

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 208
Calories from Fat: 51

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5.6g 9 %
Saturated Fat 2.8g 14 %
Cholesterol 10mg 3 %
Sodium 35mg 1 %
** Potassium 140mg 4 %
Total Carbohydrates 37.2g 12 %
Dietary Fiber 4.3g 17 %
Protein 3.9g 8 %
Sugars 15.5g
Vitamin A 3 %
Vitamin C 2 %
Calcium 4 %
Iron 16 %
** Thiamin 3 %
** Niacin 2 %
** Vitamin B6 2 %
** Magnesium 3 %
** Folate < 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.