Slow Cooker Recipes Breakfast Recipes Dairy-Free Recipes Gluten Free Kid Friendly By Kristen Chidsey | 131 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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This Slow Cooker Oatmeal makes the most delicious oatmeal! Oats cook overnight in the crock-pot with rich maple and cinnamon flavors. Wake up to hearty, gluten-free crockpot oatmeal that is a delicious way to start any day!
Love oatmeal? Be sure to check out Instant Pot Oatmeal, Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats, and Overnight Oats.
Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal is one of my kids' all-time favorite flavors of oatmeal. This simple crockpot oatmeal recipe tastes just like classic Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal packets--warming with a touch of brown sugar and rich with maple.
But when it comes to flavor and nutrition this slow cooker version of oatmeal beats those packs of maple brown sugar oatmeal hands down!
Full of fiber, rich in calcium, and made with less sugar, this is oatmeal you can feel good feeding your kids before they head to school. Or grab a bowl of this hearty crockpot oatmeal before you head out the door to work!
And given that this oatmeal is made with steel-cut oats and in the slow cooker overnight, it comes together just as easy as any packet of store-bought oatmeal. Which you have to love when a healthy breakfast is that easy to make!
Ingredients for Crock Pot Oatmeal
- Steel Cut Oats--Steel cuts oats are a must for this slow cooker oatmeal recipe. They cook perfectly overnight and become tender and soft, but not at all mushy, as regular oats would being cooked this length of time.
- Milk--Use any milk you like for this oatmeal recipe. I have used almond milk, coconut milk, and regular milk with delicious results.
- Water--You need to add water along with dairy of your choice to the oatmeal. This prevents the milk from burning/scorching on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Maple Syrup--Pure maple syrup, not artificial maple syrup for the best flavor!
- Brown Sugar--Just a tad for to nod to the classic brown sugar flavor.
- Vanilla Extract--To bring out the sweetness in this crockpot oatmeal recipe.
- Cinnamon
- Salt--A dash of salt heightens the flavor of maple and brown sugar.
- Coconut Oil--For greasing the slow cooker (feel free to use butter or cooking spray instead). This will help with clean-up and prevent the oats from sticking to the crockpot.
Optional Ingredients
Looking to bump up the nutrients in your slow cooker oatmeal? Add in any or all of the following ingredients.
- Flax Seed--add ¼ cup ground flaxseed to slow cooker before cooking oatmeal.
- Wheat Germ--add in up to ¼ cup wheat germ to slow cooker before cooking.
- Protein Powder--add in 1-4 scoops of your favorite protein powder AFTER the oatmeal has cooked in the slow cooker.
- Yogurt--add in 1 cup plain yogurt to the oatmeal after the cooking time for a creamy, calcium-rich addition to Crock-Pot Oatmeal.
- Nuts--add in chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds for a boost of healthy fats.
How to Make Slow Cooker Oatmeal
- Grease the insert of the slow cooker with coconut oil, butter, or canola oil.
- Mix steel-cut oats, water, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt together in a large slow cooker.
- Place lid on the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on low for firm texture and 8 hours on low for a softer texture. Alternatively, cook on high for 3-4 hours.
- Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and chopped pecans and walnuts if desired.
More Delicious Oatmeal Recipes
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal
- Overnight Oats
- Spiced Vanilla Chai Oatmeal
- Healthy Baked Sweet Potato Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
If you enjoyed this recipe for Crockpot Oatmeal, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Slow Cooker Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
Slow Cooker Oatmeal made with steel cut oats, maple syrup, and a bit of brown sugar cook up in crockpot overnight for an easy, healthy breakfast recipe.
4.97 from 148 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 6 hours hours
Total Time: 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 236kcal
Author: Kristen Chidsey
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil, butter, or cooking spray for greasing crockpot
- 2 cups regular steel-cut oats no substitution
- 4 cups water
- 3 cups milk any variety
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- chopped nuts for serving
Instructions
Grease the bottom and sides of the slow cooker insert using coconut oil, cooking spray, or butter.
Combine the steel-cut oats, water, milk, maple syrup, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt together in the slow cooker.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 6 hours on low for a firm texture and 8 hours on low for a softer texture. Alternatively, cook on high for 3-4 hours.
To serve, dish up oats and top with additional maple syrup and chopped nuts if desired.
Notes
You MUST use steel-cut oats for this slow cooker oatmeal. Quick-cooking steel-cut oats, regular or quick-cooking oats will not work.
Optional Addition: Add in up to ¼ cup flax seed or wheat germ to slow cooker before cooking oatmeal for added fiber.
Notes on Cooking/Burning: I have never had an issue with the steel-cut oats burning in my slow cooker. However, each slow cooker is different. If your slow cooker burns the bottom of the oats, just don't stir the burnt bottom into the remaining oatmeal and you can eat the rest of the crock-pot oatmeal. In the future, cut back cooking time by 2 hours.
Dairy-Free: Use your favorite unsweetened, vanilla, or plain non-dairy milk.
Liquid Ratios: If you would like to use more milk than water, that is fine. You need a total of 7 cups of liquid. I don't recommend exceeding 4 cups of milk as then the oatmeal would be at risk of scorching the bottom of your slow cooker.
If you would like your oatmeal thinner, use 8 cups of liquid (5 cups water, 3 cups milk), if you would like thicker oatmeal, use 6 cups of liquid (4 cups of water, 2 cups of milk).
Storage: Store cooled leftover oatmeal in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, adding milk if needed to thin. To freeze leftover crockpot oatmeal, allow it to cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe container (I like to freeze in individual servings). Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. To reheat, place in a heat-safe bowl and then reheat it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until warmed through. Add milk to thin if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 111mg | Potassium: 127mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 2mg
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About Kristen Chidsey
Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Tamika
This is my favorite recipe for oatmeal. I did have to cut my second patch down 2 hours because the oatmeal sticking the bottom and I even used coconut oil on my first try. It was still edible, but my second time was perfect.
Being a vegetarian, I wanted something to last for a few days before starting a new recipe.
Thank you and I’ll be following your suggestions and recipes.Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for the feedback and for taking the time to leave a comment and review 🙂
Reply
Kimberly
Oh no! I just saw that it needs to be steel cut oats. I just mixed up everything with rolled oats. Is there a modification I can make? Thank you!
Reply
See AlsoEasy Lasagna Roll Ups RecipeKristen Chidsey
Hi Kimberly! Honestly, it will be hard to salvage, but not impossible. I would add in 1.5 more cups of regular oats, as they need less liquid than steel cut oats. I would also only cook for 1.5-2 hours on low.
Reply
Jacki
Hi - Thank you for this.
What do you think of adding apples to this while cooking? I make oats and apples every morning and would like to try this with apples.Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jackie! I would recommend stirring in fresh chopped apples right before serving to give the oatmeal texture and keep their vibrant color. If you are desiring soft apples, peel and add as desired. Enjoy 🙂
Reply
Lisa
Can I freeze this?Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Lisa! Yes, this can be frozen and I freeze it quite often myself. I like to freeze in single servings for myself, by placing the cooled oatmeal in a freezer-safe container or bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight. To reheat, place in heat-safe bowl and then reheat it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until warmed through. Add milk to thin if desired.
Reply
Brooke
Thank you so much!! I appreciate it and your quick response.
Reply
Brooke
Can this recipe be used with rolled oats? (They are NOT quick-cooking rolled oats.)
Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Brooke! I am sorry but this recipe is designed for steel-cut oats. The consistency is not the same using rolled oats.
Reply
Sherry
I've made this multiple times. The recipe is versatile. I've made this in the slow cooker on low, on high and even on the stovetop when I was rushed for time. The results are consistent everytime. This has become a staple at our firefighter family breakfast at the hall. My Crock-Pot is literally cleaned out everytime. I even have a child that takes a bowl home for leftovers. It reheats well( just add a little extra milk or syrup). I serve it with fresh berries, granola and real maple syrup. It's become a staple here. A great option for young families that aren't into grease or bacon & egg breakfasts.Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you so much for sharing this, Sherry! I love hearing your firefighters love it.
Reply
LJ
Delicious! I added some flax seed and in morning topped with walnuts. Very satisfying!
Thank you!Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing.
Reply
Gina
Loved this recipe very delicious. How can you store the leftovers?Kristen Chidsey
Hi Gina! Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the oatmeal. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, adding milk of needed to thin.
Christina Jensen
I made a trial run of this, I purchased the only steel cut oats at the store. It was incredibly watery even after 8 hours. Looking at the container I do see it is '3 minute' steel cut oats. Is that why? I need this to turn out for this weekend!
Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Hey there Christina! I am sorry you had this issue. And yes, the quick-cooking steel-cut oats were to blame for the consistency. However, if that is what you have on hand, let me help you put it use. Combine 2 cups of your quick-cook steel cut oats with 2 cups of water and 2 cups of milk (you won't need as much liquid) Add in 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ▢¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ cup brown sugar. Stir to combine and cook on LOW for only 2 hours. I hope that helps you not waste your ingredients and enjoy this recipe 🙂
Reply
4.97 from 148 votes (123 ratings without comment)
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