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Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal

Reader Contribution by Erin Sheehan
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We avoid processed cereal at our house, relying on simple, healthy, home-cooked food instead. That makes a quick breakfast difficult. We like oatmeal a lot. I wanted to try something new and came across steel cut oats. I tried cooking steel cut oats on the stove, but it always took too long and they came out too chewy for my taste. I also found it too fussy to have to constantly stir the pot it so the oats wouldn’t stick.

When I discovered that steel cut oats can be made in the crock pot I realized I’d found my new favorite breakfast food!

Steel cut oats are good for you because they won’t make your blood sugar rise quickly, it’s a slow release. And they taste great! There are many ways to vary the recipe so it stays new to you. You could change the seeds and nuts and experiment with different fruits.

I make this recipe once a week and refrigerate leftovers. I heat up what I want each day. It’s possible to make it overnight but I prefer to do it while I’m there to stir and check on the level of dryness.

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal

1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
4 tablespoons raw pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
8 cups almond milk (or soy or coconut milk)
4 tablespoons roasted, salted sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons vanilla (can be omitted if using vanilla almond or soy milk)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup wheat bran
Add-ins: 2 finely chopped apples OR 3/4 cup pumpkin OR 1/2 cup orange juice

Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Stir.


Set slow cooker to high. Cook for 2 hours, stirring every 30 to 45 minutes or so. Reduce heat to low and cook another two hours, continuing to stir occasionally. If it starts to look too dry add in a little water and stir well.

Turn off cooker and allow to cool. Serve hot.

If you make this recipe overnight, just set the cooker on low for 6 hours. I use a timer to turn it off during the night when I cook it overnight. You don’t want to go over 6 hours, even on low, because it will dry out.

I hope you enjoy this healthy breakfast recipe!