Overnight Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats {Oatmeal}

"Revised Post For Overnight Crock Pot Oatmeal"

How about a nice hearty breakfast as soon as you wake in the morning. If that sounds good to you then Overnight Crock Pot Oatmeal is the recipe.  You can assemble this breakfast dish in the crock pot the night before and wake up to a bowl of hot, nourishing oatmeal. A lot of people dislike oatmeal, but I love it especially on those cold weekend mornings.

Oatmeal is such a healthy, cheap and satisfying breakfast, my kids are not crazy about it but I am hoping by introducing them to the variety of topping choices that they just might change their minds.
 

Make sure when making this recipe that you remember it is important to use Steel-Cut Oats; old-fashioned or Quick Oats become too soft during slow-cooking.

I purchased my Steele cut oats at Sprouts Farmers Market.
 

They were ridiculously cheap, I couldn't believe it I got 2lbs for $1.00. You can also use McCann's Irish Oatmeal. I have seen the McCann's brand at a specialty store but, it was $7 for a container. (Whew to pricey for me) most local organic food, whole foods or central market stores carry Steele Cut Oats.

Difference and variety of oats:
  

Steel cut oats:  are whole oat groats that have been chopped into smaller pieces.
Rolled oats:  are oat groats that have been steamed, rolled and flaked for easier cooking. Quick cooking:  oats are rolled oats that have been chopped into smaller pieces and

Instant Oats:  are basically powdered oats. There you go that is the variations of Oatmeal.

Post Revision:

My previous recipe for overnight oatmeal was cooked directly in the crock pot. I have been playing around with this oatmeal recipe a bit and decided that using a water bath method to cook the oatmeal is the best way.

 

The oatmeal is still cooked overnight in the crock pot, but instead of adding everything directly to the crock pot it is added to a smaller bowl.

Then that bowl is placed in the crock pot in a water bath, covered with the lid and cooked all night.
 

This way the oatmeal kind of bakes slowly all night and you will not have the crusty browning on the edges of the oatmeal that happens by just cooking it directly in the crock pot. I am loving this method so much better.

I have added pictures of the water bath method so you can see what I am talking about. By far this is the best way for this recipe.
 

This method will also work if you have one of those crock pots with the multiple bowls. Just add water to the bottom bowl and then the oatmeal mixture to the bowl on top. Cover and cook on low. 

You'll need: Steel cut oats, dried apples or other dried fruit, half and half or milk, water, cinnamon sugar and brown sugar, vanilla extract, butter, 6 quart crock pot, and a smaller bowl that fits inside of the crock pot. (if using the water bath method)

This is what steele cut oat's looks like. Measure 1 - cup of oats and add to the smaller inner bowl. Do not use regular oatmeal as it will not hold up to the cooking process and be mushy. 

Add the four cups of water, milk or half and half, brown sugar, vanilla, butter and cinnamon sugar. If you would like to add dried fruit add that as well or save as a topping. Fill the crock with water to about halfway. 

Set the inner bowl in the crock and see how high the water rises. Add more water in the crock pot if necessary. Try to match it so that the water reaches about the same height on the outside of the oats bowl or just below the bowl. Place the lid on your crock pot. Set on low and go to bed. The oatmeal needs to cook on low for about 7-8 hours.

When you get up the next morning remove the lid from the crock pot your oatmeal should be cooked perfectly in that steamy water bath.

Yummy!!!! add oatmeal to individual serving bowls and add your desired toppings. If you don't like your oatmeal really thick. Add some additional milk to the bowl and warm in the microwave before adding your toppings. If I don't have dried fruit on hand I like to dice up a fresh apple, and pecans just before serving.

Overnight Crock Pot Oatmeal

1 - cup steel cut oats (do not use old fashioned oats)
4 - cups water (if using a slow cooker liner decrease the water to 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 - cup half and half or milk
1 - cup dried fruit of choice, optional (apples, raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc)
1/4 - cup brown sugar
1 - tablespoon butter
1 - teaspoon vanilla extract
2 - 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar

First off find a bowl that will hold four cups of liquid, and fit inside your crock pot with the lid on. Measure out one cup of Steele cut oats. 

Pour that into the inner bowl. Add the four cups of water, milk or half and half, brown sugar, vanilla, butter and cinnamon sugar. 

If you would like to add dried fruit into the oatmeal add it now or save to use as a topping.  Fill the crock with water to about halfway.

Set the inner bowl in the crock and see how high the water rises. Add more water in the crock if necessary. 

Try to match it so that the water reaches about the same height on the outside of the oats bowl or just below the bowl. 

Place the lid on your crock pot. Set on low and go to bed. When you get up the next morning your oatmeal should be cooked perfectly in that steamy water bath.

Toppings to add before serving:
Butter, sugar, honey, agave, splenda,

cinnamon, nuts, raisins, dried fruit

chocolate chips, maple syrup

I don't like to add my raisins to the oatmeal while it cooks, not everyone in my house loves raisins. To solve that problem I just let the raisins sit in a cup of hot water the next morning for about 5 minutes. Then drain and they are nice and plump and ready to be used.

Recipe yields 4 servings.

3 in 1 Slow Cooker Method for Overnight Oatmeal

At the beginning of this post I mentioned that you can also cook this oatmeal in a slow cooker/crock pot with multiple bowls. Well this is what I am talking about. I got this bad boy for Christmas, I guess mama was a good girl.
 

It has been on my wish list for sometime now. We are big oatmeal eaters so I have been using it like crazy. I am adding a photo tutorial of cooking the oatmeal in a 3 in 1 slow cooker in case you already have one. 

Fill water about 1/2 to 3/4 full in your largest bowl (6 qt). This is sometimes hard to determine the first time so add the water slowly adding more if needed.

add all of the oatmeal ingredients to the smallest bowl and place on top of the large bowl. This is the point where you will need to check if you have enough water in the large bowl. Make sure the smaller bowl is touching the water like a water bath, but not to much water where it will overflow.

place the lid on top.

select the low setting and push the blinking power butter for the 6 qt (largest bowl) capacity bowl, since that is the bowl on the bottom. Cook at least 8 eight hours or overnight.

After add the oatmeal to serving bowl. I like to add some milk to the oatmeal to thin it out just a bit. Then add diced apples and pecans. That is my favorite way to eat oatmeal. So there ya go two ways to make this wonderful oatmeal.

Cook's Notes: Do not use regular oatmeal as it will not hold up to the cooking process and become mushy.  Steel cut oats are the only oatmeal that can be used for this recipe. Also the fresh apples pictured are added as a topping rather than added to the oatmeal while it cooks.