This Slow Cooker Oatmeal recipe is a hearty, healthy, easy breakfast idea that is meal prep and freezer friendly! Add different fruit and flavors to make it your own!
Love oatmeal but no time for the slow cooker? Try these Steel Cut Oats (7 ways!), this Baked Oatmeal Recipe or this Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal.
I’ll be totally honest here and say that I feel a little geeky when it comes to my love of oatmeal.
Oats are just such an awesome way to start your day (they’re just as awesome for lunch or a quick dinner or snack!), they’re filling and hearty and I always feel like I’m going to have a productive day if I start with this slow cooker oatmeal (see — totally cheesy, I warned you!).
There are a few tricks to make great oatmeal in your slow cooker, and I’m sharing my complete list down below, but my number one rule is always throw in a Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liner first.
While I have big love for my morning oatmeal, cooked oats are sticky, and the last thing I want to do is soak and scrub my crockpot after several hours of cooking!
Slow cooker liners make clean up a breeze (I mean, there’s literally none!), and I feel like I’m rocking mom life by providing a healthy, hearty, warm breakfast to the kiddos before they’re off to school.
What’s so great about Slow Cooker Oatmeal?
- Oats are loaded with fiber, protein, and plenty of vitamins and minerals including a substantial amount of Iron, Zinc and Folate.
- It’s easy — drop a Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liner in a small slow cooker, dump everything in, stir and you’ve got breakfast in a few hours (depending on which kinds of oats you’re using).
- Crockpot oatmeal is the ultimate meal prep breakfast – it’s make ahead and freezer friendly, and if you use steel cut oats you can let it cook all night long.
- They are a neutral whole grain and can take on a wide variety of flavors so there’s really something for everyone
How to make Slow Cooker Oatmeal: Two Ways
You know I’m not really one for rules, so I just have one when it comes to this crockpot oatmeal: no instant oats. No quick cooking of any kind.
There’s just really no reason to cook them in the slow cooker when they take a minute in the microwave, and you’re going to have an unappetizing pile of mush if you try.
Because of the extended cook time, I recommend using either regular large rolled oats or steel cut oats (not quick cooking!).
Slow Cooker Rolled Oats:
Rolled oats actually quick very quickly in the slow cooker, so this is not going to be an overnight breakfast. It is, however, a great option if you are having a late breakfast, or your kids are having a late breakfast, or if you just want to do a little hands-off breakfast meal prep.
- Add 1 cup oats, 2 cups water, cinnamon, sugar or sweetener of choice, salt and apple to the slow cooker and stir well.
- Cover and cook for 1.5-2 hours on low — don’t overcook! The exact cook time will depend a lot on how hot your slow cooker is, so test at the 1.5 hour mark and add 30 minutes or so if needed.
- Serve, or store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to enjoy.
Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats:
Let me start off by saying that the slow cooker is now my favorite way to make Steel Cut Oatmeal — it’s so easy, they turn out so creamy, and there’s no babysitting the stove for 20 minutes and stirring.
- Add oats, water, cinnamon, sugar or sweetener of choice, salt and apple to the slow cooker and stir well.
- Cover and cook for 4-6 hours on low — no stirring required! The exact cook time will depend a lot on how hot your slow cooker is, so test at the 4 hour mark and add an hour or two if needed.
- Serve, or store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to enjoy.
Tips for making the best Slow Cooker Oatmeal
- Always, always use a Reynolds Kitchens slow cooker liner — trust me on this!
- Don’t overcook — not all crockpot oatmeal recipes will be able to go all night. If you need to let it cook overnight, start it as late as possible and use steel cut oats. If you have a slow cooker that switches to warm after the cook time, you may be fine if it goes over the cook time. We still want the oats to have a nice texture and not be totally mushy. Don’t be afraid to open the lid up early, give it a stir and a taste a little early to ensure they’re not cooking too long!
- The only time I’ve ever had issues with dark or burnt edges around the slow cooker is when I have overcooked my oatmeal — this is another reason it’s important to keep an eye on the clock and on the pot.
- It also absolutely works to cook it during the day and refrigerate for the week. It tastes great warmed up in the microwave, just heat and add a splash of milk and stir. You can also make ahead and freeze for later — see my instructions for doing that below!
How to freeze oatmeal:
I love freezing this oatmeal in individual portions to thaw and reheat on busy mornings!
You can either portion out into individual containers, or you can portion it using a silicone muffin pan or something similar — this makes it super easy to freeze, then pop out your oatmeal “pucks”, toss in a large freezer bag or container, and just take out what you need, when you need it.
Variations on this easy oatmeal recipe:
- This oatmeal recipe is naturally dairy-free, but I usually serve mine with milk. You can serve as is, or with a splash of almond or coconut milk as desired.
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free, provided you are using certified gluten-free oats
- This oatmeal recipe is also vegan if you use maple syrup or brown sugar to sweeten
- Feel free to add in different fruits (bananas, frozen berries, dried cranberries), nuts, peanut or almond butter, additional sweetener or milks before serving to customize — this oatmeal is great because everyone can really make it their own!
- Stir in a teaspoon of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter twist!
*This post is generously sponsored by Reynolds Kitchens — I was compensated for my time but all opinions are my own.
Slow Cooker Oatmeal
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel cut oats (see post notes for rolled oats measurements)
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 apple peeled and shredded
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place a Reynolds Kitchens Slow Cooker Liner in a small slow cooker — about 2.5-4 quarts.
- Add all ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker, and cook on low for 4-6 hours, depending on your slow cooker and your preferences. (See post above for rolled oats cook times)
- Open the lid, stir and serve as desired.
Nutrition Information
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Nikki Golden says
I’m trying to cut out as much sugar as possible. Will removing brown sugar affect the way this cooks? I was thinking I could leave out the sugar and let people add it in their own bowl if they like
Ashley Fehr says
No you can definitely do that!
Amy Hanson says
If u want to double it do I change anything?
Ashley Fehr says
It may take a little longer to cook but it will work!
Sharon says
Hi Ashley! Thanks for the recipe. I generally make steel-cut oats in my Mini-CrockPot, and this time I used rolled oats in my Mini. I used 3/4 C of The Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats, 1/2 C of Milk (I use Fairlife) and 1 cup of water. I sprinkled in some cinnamon and about one teaspoon of granulated maple sugar. I checked it after about an hour and a half, and then let it go for about 30 minutes more. Thoroughly enjoyable. Will experiment with some toppings/add-ins. I have some Stonewall Vanilla Maple Almond Butter (among other ideas) – will try that with tomorrow’s breakfast- sounds good, right!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sharon, hope you enjoy this recipe!
Tamara Ford says
Hi,
I just came across this recipe and was wondering if almond or soy milk could be used instead of water?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Tamara! I’ve only tested the recipe with water. If you decide to experiment with milk let me know how it goes!
Valerie says
Everyone who ate the oatmeal at my house absolutely said it was the best they’d ever had.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Valerie!
Elaine says
I have made this twice with rolled oats. First time, there was so much water it took five hours and that was with fishing out the water. I was extremely frustrated. The second time I halved the water doing 2 1/4 cup water to 1 cup rolled out and it took about 2.5 hours to cook five cups worth. I added a little vanilla and nutmeg to mine and did a little less maple syrup. I used olive oil spray on my slow cooker in order to stop it from sticking since I do not have liners. I put fresh raw walnuts and dried tart cherries on top. I was out of apples so I subbed organic applesauce. The first time we cooked this, we had deep, rich oatmeal forever and we froze some. We cut them into oatmeal cake slices on foil and reheated them in the convection oven. I topped the cakes with Thug Kitchen’s homemade blueberry sauce and they were a hit. I own their cookbook, but I saw the recipe is online here. The second time I made the sauce, I used cherries and it was equally great. https://paulaporternutrition.com/2015/09/04/oat-griddle-cakes-with-blueberry-sauce/
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Elaine! I apologize if the recipe is confusing. The oat and liquid measurements for steel cut oats will be quite different than with steel cut oats
Rena says
How much water do you use per cup of rolled oats? I only see the amounts for steel cut oats in the recipe. Thanks!
Ashley Fehr says
Rolled oats are 1 cup oats to 2 cups liquid
Molly says
Thank you Ashley! I usually do steel cut but need to use up some rolled. Fan request here for a dedicated rolled oat page (easier for Pinterest). xx, Molly
Elizabeth B says
Can you use One Degree Sprouted Rolled Oats?
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m not sure Elizabeth. I haven’t tried it myself. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes.
Matt says
Not sure why but my oatmeal is still VERY watery after 2 hours using rolled oats. Any suggestions?
Ashley Fehr says
Is it cooked? It could be that your slow cooker is just not as hot as mine and will cook more slowly. If the oats are cooked, you could always drain some of the excess liquid.
Susan says
If I am making this for a large group of people and want to fill my 6 qt crock pot am I able to triple this recipe (I am planning on using Steel Cut Oats) and would this change the cook time?
I will be having a Oatmeal Bar with different toppings to choose.
Any advice would be great.
Will update my comment with results and feedback from my group.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Susan! I’ve never made a batch quite that large. I think it should work, but for best results you’ll probably need to increase cook time and want to stir it a couple times.
Jill says
Susan, did you make a big batch? If so, how’s it turn out?
Laura Reese says
This is so good. I love a good hot breakfast.
Ashley Fehr says
Me too Laura!
Natasha says
Great idea for feeding a crowd!
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! So easy!
Chrysa says
The slow cooker is my favorite way to make steel cut oats. Good idea with the liner!
Ashley Fehr says
It makes clean up so super easy!
Aimee Shugarman says
What a great start to my day. This was delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Aimee! It’s one of my favorites too!
Julie Blanner says
This looks delicious, and I am always a fan of crockpot bags, they make life so much easier. I can’t wait to make this and use it for some meal prepping.
Ashley Fehr says
Yes they do! Thanks Julie!
Shadi Hasanzadenemati says
Love this idea! Looks so delicious and I can’t wait to try it!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Shadi!
Betty says
This recipe sounds very good, but who wants to get up 4 to 6 hours ahead of time to make it?! Isn’t there another way of cooking this?
Ashley Fehr says
I usually let it cook during the day and refrigerate for easy breakfasts. The other way of cooking this is to let it cook all night and then have mushy oatmeal.
Linda says
I use timer from Lowes Hardware for my crockpots.
Becky says
Betty,
I cook this overnight on the warm setting! I put the ingredients into the crockpot after supper and turn it on right before we go to bed. Perfect by breakfast every time!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Becky!
Cher says
How much water do you use Becky? And do you use rolled oats?
Ruth says
I use a plug timer frequently. Set the current, set start time, set end time, then plug the crockpot into timer and timer into the electrical outlet… no sleep disturbance.