Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

How to Make Steel Cut Oatmeal in a Slow Cooker:

In the end, I decided to try cooking it in my slow cooker. It sounded great, because I would set it up at night and would have it ready in the morning when I woke up. I followed the directions on the box and mixed together a cup of steel cut oats with 4 cups of liquid. In my case, since we are a small 2-people family, I used 2 cups of water and 2 cups of almond milk. After cooking it for 8 hours in low heat, I woke up to creamy but overcooked and somewhat mushy steel cut oats. It was definitely not what I was aiming for. Plus, the cleaning after was a nightmare. I had to soak the bowl overnight to get the remainings out.

I knew that the timing was not right. It would have to be shorter. However, regardless of how long I cooked it in there, the cleaning would still be an issue. Then I found this recipe and saw that some people cooked it in a bowl placed in the bowl of the slow cooker. They would fill the bowl halfway through with water and let it cook slowly with the help of the residual heat provided by the water and the steam, similar to a water-bath. It made so much sense. I found a medium-size and heat-resistant casserole dish (the white one you see in the photos) and gave it try. Since it was smaller, I made a half a batch of the recipe. Also, this time I knew that I needed to cook it for a shorter amount of time. I set it to 4 hours in low-heat setting.

When I woke up in the morning, it was fully cooked (as seen in the photo), still warm and literally the creamiest oatmeal I have ever made in my life. After the 4-hour cooking time was over, it continued to set in the bowl of the slow cooker leaving me with creamy oatmeal at perfect temperature in the morning. Plus, I was able to put away the slow cooker in no time, because this method required no cleaning of the bowl.

Here, I think I should mention that the timing may change based on the brand of the slow cooker you use. So I recommend experimenting with your crock pot for the best timing and consistency of your liking. If you are wondering, I use Crock-Pot 6.5-Quart, Programmable Touchscreen Slow Cooker, Silver, SCVT650-PS and it gives me perfect results every time.

How To Sweeten The Steel Cut Oats:

Since steel cut oats are super healthy, I wanted to stay away from adding any additional processed sugars. However, it needed a little bit of a sweetener. As you will see in the recipe below, I added a few tablespoons of my homemade unsweetened applesauce into the recipe at the beginning with all the other ingredients. Here, if you do not have applesauce, you can always substitute it with a mashed, ripe banana, or a few tablespoons of honey or maple syrup.

The Best Toppings For Steel Cut Oats:

When it comes to toppings, I always find fresh fruit and nuts to be the best option. I also like homemade granola, but let’s face it; I do not always have granola on hand. Instead, I cut a nutrition bar into small pieces and use it as a topping. And when it comes to protein bars, my husband and I are big fans of ZonePerfect Nutrition Bar. They have so many flavors (my favorite being salted caramel brownies) to choose from and they all taste SO good. I also love that when you put chunks of nutrition bar in hot oatmeal, it slightly melts creating a silky and chocolate-y breakfast bowl. Plus, one ZonePerfect bar containes 17-19 vitamins and minerals with 170-210 calories and 10-15 grams of protein per serving, depending on the flavor. This, in my book, means guilt-free eating.