Cooking steel-cut oats on the stovetop takes about 40 minutes, which is about 35 more than you can spare most mornings. But that's about to change.
Don't worry, we're not going to tell you to start waking up earlier. But we are going to suggest that you start making steel-cut oats in your slow cooker. All you have to do is dump your ingredients in the pot before bed, hit power, and then hit the hay. Come morning, you'll have a big batch of creamy, cooked-to-perfection oats. (You can even make overnight oats without any cooking. Just follow these 7 easy recipes.)
Best of all, the flavor combinations are pretty much endless. No matter what kind of oats you're in the mood for, there's a way to make them in the slow cooker. Just take a look at these easy, tasty recipes. (Never diet again and still lose weight with this cutting-edge plan that naturally retrains your fat cells! Here's how.)
Crock Pot Peaches and Cream Oats
You might be eating your weight in fresh peaches now that the weather's warming up. But save some for Spicy Southern Kitchen'ssteel cut oatmeal. Cooking the peaches with the oats (instead of adding them on top) infuses floral peach flavor into your porridge. A drizzle of half and half or cream at the end balances the sweetness and adds a velvety texture. (Pair your bowl of oatmeal with one of these healthy foods from Prevention Premium to give your breakfast a superfood punch.)
Overnight Apple Pie Slow Oats
Actual pie for breakfast is really only appropriate for holidays (though you can always eat these cupcakes that are clean enough to have for breakfast!). But apple-pie scented oats? That's another story. Five Heart Homecooks her steel-cut oats with chopped Honeycrisp apples, milk and apple juice, and a generous helping of warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Placing the mixture in a baking dish and pouring a little bit of water in the slow cooker keeps the edges of the oats from burning.
Slow Cooker Baked Oats with Bananas and Nuts
Surprise—your slow cooker can make baked oatmeal too, says Foodie Crush.Using less liquid gives these banana, raisin, and nut-filled oats a thick, chewy texture that's more cake than porridge. Try it with a dollop of plain yogurt, or break it into pieces and have it in a bowl with milk, just like cereal. (Did you know you can also use your slow cooker to make granola?Try these 7 delicious ways to do it.)
MORE: 20 Super-Healthy Smoothie Recipes
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Crockpot Blueberry Pie Steel Cut Oats
You can never go wrong when you cook your oatmeal with tart, juicy blueberries. But Hummusapientakes an extra step toward deliciousness by adding nutty flaxseeds, ground cinnamon, and a secret ingredient: store-bought granola (like this one featured in Prevention Premium's Cleanest Packaged Food Awards). It adds sweetness, so you don't need to use another sweetener. Plus, it keeps some of its crunchiness even after cooking, giving your oats extra texture.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oats
Adding canned pumpkin to your oatmeal doesn't just make it taste like a Pumpkin Spice Latte. It also ensures that your porridge stays super moist and creamy. Eating Bird Foodamps up the flavor with cozy pumpkin pie spice and maple syrup, creamy almond milk, and crunchy pecans.
MORE: Top 10 Cholesterol-Fighting Foods
Slow Cooker Berry Breakfast Quinoa
If the day ever comes when you get bored with oatmeal, try making breakfast quinoa instead, like Eat Yourself Skinnydoes. Cooking the quinoa with frozen berries and mashed banana adds natural sweetness along with an extra shot of fiber. Use milk instead of water for more protein, or finish your oats with a spoonful of almond or cashew butter.
Marygrace Taylor
Marygrace Taylor is a health and wellness writer for Prevention, Parade, Women’s Health, Redbook, and others. She’s also the co-author of Prevention’s Eat Clean, Stay Lean: The Diet and Prevention’s Mediterranean Kitchen. Visit her at marygracetaylor.com.
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