Slow Cooked Overnight Oatmeal
38 comments »
I used to think I could multitask. But as it turns out, I’m terrible at it.
This was revealed last week when I was driving the children to and fro afterschool classes and I was pondering the deep insignificancies of daily life.
“Really mom? I can?!” came the excited voice of my little Jacob, “Cool! Thanks!”
What in the crazy cakes was going on, I inquired. My attention snapped from the inside nodules of my teensy mind to the big reality of the inside of our minivan.
“Well, I just asked you if I could have ten bucks for a DS game and you said, ‘that’s great, bud.” All this without me having the first clue that I’d even had a conversation with him.
And they say texting while driving is distracting. Apparently thinking while driving has the same effect on me. Trouble.
Finding it impossible to multitask in the morning? With all the this and that’s to be accomplished before dawn, it’s easy to feel frantic in that a.m. hour. Which is why this simple, slow cooked oatmeal is the answer to most of life’s little worries. If only I could get it to do the driving for me.
Slow Cooked Overnight Oatmeal
There's something serene and heart swelling about waking up in the morning and finding a warm, hearty breakfast already made. It lessens the hectic pace of the day ever so slightly. It makes you feel proud and organized. And, in the case of this simple, creamy overnight oatmeal, it tastes ridiculously delish. I have a 2-quart slow cooker and like to make this recipe in that smaller crockpot because the oatmeal doesn't spread out so much. I think it leaves the end result creamier and softer. But, if all you have is a regular crockpot, by all means, use that! The recipe should work either way.
Ingredients:
4 cups of water
1 cup Coach's steel cut oats
1/2 cup cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cup milk, coconut milk, or almond milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons brown sugarDirections:
Spray a crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add the water, oats, cranberries, golden raisins, raisins, cinnamon, 1/2 cup of the milk, and the salt. Mix. Then cover and cook on low overnight, for 6-8 hours.
Serve in the morning with a sprinkling of brown sugar and a cold splash of your favorite milk. Enjoy!
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Kelli @ Joseph's Grainery on March 2, 2011 at 12:11 pm
I love my slow cooker…in fact I made brownies in it just the other day! Looking forward to trying some oatmeal in my slow cooker.
Cookbook Queen on March 2, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Soooo….I get up in the morning, and breakfast is ready already?
Count me in!!
Also…I have recently started drinking almond milk and i LOVE IT!!!
Brooke replied: — March 2nd, 2011 @ 4:12 pm
Isn’t Almond Milk the bomb?! Lurve it!
Sarah Caron on March 2, 2011 at 2:13 pm
That’s hysterical! Don’t ya hate when you do that? And YUM the oatmeal looks delish.
Brooke replied: — March 2nd, 2011 @ 4:12 pm
Yes! I DO hate when I do that. And, I’m afraid it happens much, much too often! Egad!
Katrina on March 2, 2011 at 2:24 pm
This sounds awesome! I’m totally trying this tonight. yum!
Holly on March 2, 2011 at 4:05 pm
LOL!! Sounds like a moment out of my day!! The oatmeal sound yummy and warm-comfort food!
ashleynashville3 on March 2, 2011 at 5:01 pm
my dad makes overnight slow cooked oatmeal all the time! when i go home to visit it’s a guaranteed breakfast at least one of the mornings I am there. delic!
Brooke replied: — March 2nd, 2011 @ 6:23 pm
Oh, sweet daddy! Love it!
Jacqui on March 2, 2011 at 5:16 pm
Oatmeal is my favorite morning breakfast! I’ve never made it in a slow cooker… then again I don’t have kids crawling around my feet in the morning yet!
Brooke replied: — March 2nd, 2011 @ 6:23 pm
You are going to love how creamy it is! It reminds me of a bread pudding, all moist and sweet. Kids or no kids, there’s something fantastic about popping it in the crockpot and having it ready to go first thing in the a.m.!
Lizzy on March 2, 2011 at 7:12 pm
We love this! Love the idea of waking up to the comforting oatmeal (or any breakfast already cooked up). One of my favorite things about cooking in a crock pot is how amazing it makes the whole house smell! Thank you for sharing your recipe :)
Kayla @ Fitter Than Choc on March 3, 2011 at 3:59 am
I love oatmeal, but have not made them in my slow cooker. I have a really big slow cooker so I wonder if the size matters?
Emily on March 3, 2011 at 9:10 am
This looks delicious! Am going to have to try it! I too have a very large slow cooker- I’ve read though that you can put a smaller casserole or pyrex type dish inside your slowcooker to make smaller batches of things in so I think I’ll try it that way- I definitely want it nice and creamy!
Anna on March 3, 2011 at 12:34 pm
haha cute. this oatmeal looks wonderful!
Kate gaines on March 3, 2011 at 12:50 pm
LOL! So , so true!
Can’t wait to try the oatmeal…sounds delish!
Thanks for sharing!
DeeAnna on March 3, 2011 at 1:40 pm
Great recipe! I add granny smith apple chunks also. You can serve it in a “to-go” cup with a spoon…..no excuses for skipping breakfast!
Sheri Barker on March 3, 2011 at 5:07 pm
just made steel cut oats in the crockpot last night…and woke up to deliciousness this morning!!! love it with chopped apples and raisins…mmmmmm!!!!
kiki on March 3, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Where did you get those cute brightly colored bowls? Love them!
Brooke replied: — March 3rd, 2011 @ 8:03 pm
Fun, huh?! They are from Ross and were $5 for a set of 4 bowls. Hope you can find yourself a set! I use ‘em for EVERYTHING!
Rivki Locker (Ordinary Blogger) on March 3, 2011 at 7:13 pm
I just came across your site on Babble’s list of top blogs and I am so glad I did! Your recipes look wonderful and so do your photos. This recipe looks terrific. I love the idea of waking up to a hot breakfast that requires no prep. Great for busy school mornings. Can’t wait to try it.
Brooke replied: — March 3rd, 2011 @ 8:04 pm
Thank you! So delighted to have you along as a reader! Welcome!
Baffled on March 3, 2011 at 9:15 pm
I’ve been making oatmeal with milk for years now. I love it that way. I have a couple of questions regarding the liquid amounts in the recipe. Why is there so much liquid? Usually oatmeal is one to half ratio. This is five to one. Is this because it is done in the slow cooker? Also, the list has one and one half cups of milk but the instructions only lists one half cup.
Ryane on March 7, 2011 at 8:29 pm
You mentioned salt in the recipe, but not in the directions. Is it not needed?
Brooke replied: — March 8th, 2011 @ 1:04 am
Whoops! Fixed. You’ll want to add a titch of salt to flavor up your oatmeal. It’s most def needed!
Candace on March 7, 2011 at 8:51 pm
I LOVE making steel-cut oats in the crockpot! I like to swap 1 cup of water for skim milk, for added creaminess. I also love to stir in frozen berries in the morning. They cool down the oatmeal just enough for little mouths to devour without burns and the berries don’t get overcooked.
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Patricia Calef on March 9, 2011 at 3:31 pm
I use the same recipe but swap out canned pumpkin for the milk.
Brooke replied: — March 10th, 2011 @ 12:14 am
Anything pumpkin. YUM!
Aggie on March 24, 2011 at 7:19 pm
Just put this in the crockpot…going to set it to cook before I go to sleep (hope I don’t forget! lol!) can’t wait to sprinkle some sliced almonds and coconut on it in the morning … I only had raisins and dried apricots. I can see this becoming a weekly thing for me…I love steel cut oats but never have it in me to pull it together in the morning! And my kids love oatmeal!
Thanks for the inspiration and the recipe!
Brooke replied: — March 25th, 2011 @ 7:38 pm
It’s really the best way to go for breakfast. Loving the coconut!
Sara on March 24, 2011 at 9:32 pm
I LOVE this idea! But….my kids are NOT big fans of cooked raisins- do you think it will alter the recipe if I cut it out? Should I substitute anything in its place? Thanks so much for this yummy idea!
Brooke replied: — March 25th, 2011 @ 7:38 pm
Sara- The raisins add a lot of natural sweetness. Feel free to cut them out, then drizzle your final bowl with a bit of pure maple syrup before serving. Good as gold!
Jeni on March 31, 2011 at 8:25 am
How many will this serve? And I buy the Coach’s Oats at Costco that I can cook in 5 minutes on the stove top – can I use these in the crock pot or is there a different version that I should buy to use in the crock pot?
Taryn on August 6, 2011 at 8:58 pm
I’m going to try this tonight. Thanks for a great looking recipe!
Amy on August 10, 2011 at 11:50 am
This oatmeal is delicious. I don’t know why it never occurred to me before- making it in the slow cooker. Genius! I guess that’s why I subscribe to food blogs. I made it per the directions above (used 1 1/2 cups unsweetened Vanilla Almond Mild) but I didn’t have raisins so chopped up a Granny Smith apple. Loved it. This will likely be my new go to breakfast. So easy and delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
Michele on August 10, 2011 at 11:42 pm
How many people does this recipe serve? Do you think I could double it in my 6 qt slow cooker or is the slow cooker too big?
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