Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal
Rise to a warm bowl Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal It’s the best way to start any fall day! Made with steel-cut oats, real pumpkin, maple syrup, and lots of delicious spices, it’s a hearty breakfast you can make before bed and wait for you in the morning.
5 star review
“I’ve been enjoying these oats all week, perfect for my busy schedule and fall weather. Thanks for this great recipe!”
– Sarah –
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal is the perfect convenient seasonal breakfast.
Easy, healthy and endlessly versatile, steel cut oats become one of my favorite breakfasts.
Although I take a breather from oatmeal in the summer when our house reaches rainforest humidity levels; In the crisp fall and winter months, I long for a way to warm my insides.
And first on the menu? This Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal Recipe!
The downside (dare I say it?) of steel cut oats is that they take longer to cook.
- My solution: Cook the steel cut oats in a pot while I sleep (I use this method in mine). Overnight slow cooker steel cut oats as well as)!
- Before going to bed, throw the ingredients into the slow cooker, cover and in the morning breakfast is ready to serve.
Ingredients and substitutes
You will find the complete list of recipes in the recipe card below, but you should remember some notes.
- Steel cut oats. Unlike their milled instant oatmeal cousins, the grains in steel-cut oats are left whole, allowing them to retain their flavor and texture. Forget the crumbly, gritty oats you ate before. Steel cut oats are delightfully nutty, chewy and more filling than instant oatmeal.
- Water + milk. Liquid sources for oatmeal. You can use any milk you have on hand.
- Pumpkin clean. Be sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Maple syrup. A natural sweetness that perfectly complements the taste of pumpkin.
- Ground flax meal. You can replace the flax meal with equal amounts of chia seeds, hemp seeds, or 3 tablespoons more of steel cut oats.
- Vanilla. It makes the oats taste more warm and cozy.
- Spices. This recipe uses the fall spice group! Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves are all that the pumpkin needs to brighten up.
Step by step instructions
Merge. Mix all the ingredients (minus the toppings) together in a slow cooker.
Cooking. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Open and stir. enjoy it!
Pumpkin Pumpkin Oatmeal for Slow Cooker
Oats themselves are creamy, so I especially like some foods that introduce texture:
- Chopped roasted pecans, walnuts or pepitas
- Dried cranberries
- Small chocolate chips
- Almond butter
- Sliced apple or sliced banana
- Greek yogurt
- More cinnamon sprinkles
- Pure maple syrup
- Homemade granola
Pumpkin overnight oats
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Elements
- 1 ½ Cups Steel cut oats If necessary, substitute quick-cooking, instant, or packaged oats, gluten-free
- 3 Cups Water
- 2 Cups Milk Your favorite kind (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
- 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
- ¼ Cup Pure maple syrup More to add *
- ¼ Cup Ground flax meal Or substitute equal amounts of chia seeds, hemp seeds, or leave it out.
- 1 A spoonful of soup Pure vanilla extract
- 1 A spoonful of soup Ground cinnamon
- 1 Tea spoon Ground ginger
- ½ Tea spoon Ground nutmeg It’s about improving the flavor of your own grind. Whole nutmeg. I use This zester to do
- ½ Tea spoon Ground cloves or allspice
- ½ Tea spoon Kosher salt
- To serve: chopped roasted pecans Dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, chocolate chips, peanut butter, or any other pumpkin toppings you enjoy.
Instructions
-
In the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, place all ingredients except the toppings and stir to combine: rolled oats, water, milk, pumpkin, maple syrup, flax meal, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
-
Cover and cook on low, but still slightly chewy, until the oats are tender, about 7 hours (overnight) or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Remove the cover and stir to combine the ingredients evenly, removing the oats from the bottom and sides. Enjoy hot with desired toppings.
Notes
- * This recipe is not as delicious as it is written, but it can be easily modified. I recommend trying it with just 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup, then adding more as you like for individual dishes.
- ** Know your slow cooker! Every crock pot is a little different, so you may need to adjust your cooking time depending on how quickly you finish your recipe. I also recommend using a programmable slow cooker. This oneSo if you don’t check it right away, the oatmeal won’t burn.
- If you’re cooking overnight, another option is to prepare the oatmeal in a large heatproof bowl that fits in your slow cooker, so that the edges of the oats don’t burn (readers with very powerful slow cookers may have this problem). Place the food in the slow cooker, then pour water over the sides of the water bath. I haven’t tried the recipe this way, but let me know if it worked for others who tried to make mine Overnight slow cooker steel cut oats.
- to store: Overnight steel cut oats can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- To warm up: To reheat, heat the desired amount with a few tablespoons of water or milk, then in the microwave or in a small pot until warm.
- To cool down: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
