If you are like me, you have been trying to avoid processed foods and rely more on healthy whole foods. In addition to avoiding processed food, we are also steering clear of animal products. This all makes breakfast pretty tough. No store-bought cereal, no eggs, no store-bought bread, no sausages … we run out of options pretty quickly it seems.
I discovered steel cut oats a while back and have found that they are delicious when cooked in the crock pot. You can either make them overnight or make a batch ahead and then keep it in the refrigerator to heat up each morning.
I first posted a steel cut oat crock pot recipe a couple of years back. Since then I have refined the recipe and made a few changes that I think make the finished product tastier and healthier. I hope you will give this gluten-free, vegan, high-protein, whole-food breakfast recipe a try!
Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal
1 cup steel cut oats
5 cups almond milk (or soy or coconut milk)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
4 tablespoons unsalted sunflower seeds (can be raw or roasted)
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or other fruit – chopped apple, apricot, peach, etc)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated turmeric* (optional, see note)
Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Stir.
Set slow cooker to high. Cook for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes or so. Reduce heat to low and cook another two to three hours, continuing to stir occasionally. If it starts to look too dry add in a little additional milk or juice and stir well.
Turn off cooker and allow to cool. Serve hot.
*Fresh turmeric is available at most Asian food markets. It’s a super-food and helps support your body’s immune system. I try to add it to nearly every recipe I make!
If you make this recipe overnight, 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!
