A mixture of steel cut oatmeal and quinoa that can be cooked overnight in your slow cooker. This breakfast can be topped with fresh berries and a splash of milk for a delicious and healthy breakfast the whole family will love.
Breakfast tends to get a little repetitive at my house.
Actually a lot.
We are pretty much cereal people through and through. The husband will eat different kinds of cereals, but me? I stick with one that I really like and eat it until I’m sick of it. For the past few months it was honey-nut cheerios and now it’s shredded wheat.
Every morning with some almond milk. And the babe’s got his oatmeal and applesauce.
Every.single.morning.
And occasionally, a Saturday comes around and we make a 30-minute cinnamon roll skillet for breakfast, or some waffles, or cheesecake-stuffed pancakes.
Side-note: Am I the only one that gets waffles and pancakes mixed up? I’m constantly calling them the wrong name, and the husband is constantly teasing me about it.
I also do really like overnight oats, which I’ve had a few on the blog. Side-note two: overnight oats were my jam in college. I ate them every single morning and have so many different flavors and recipes I need to share. Mental note. I’m on it.
Anyways. I have always wanted to try quinoa in an overnight version like oats. Except I kinda wanted a no-work quinoa. So, naturally the slow cooker came to mind.
I tried just quinoa in the slow cooker overnight and that was a huge major fail. Don’t do it. Never do it.
But with a mixture of steel cut oats (not old fashioned and not quick – neither work), the quinoa is perfectly fluffy and delicious come morning time. I practically squeeled with excitement when I had a combo that finally worked and didn’t have to wake up to a black sticky disaster in my slow cooker. Side-note three – someone needs to invent a machine that cleans your slow cooker for you. For some reason, that is my least favorite thing to clean. #firstworldproblems
With seriously five minutes prep time, a delicious hot and healthy breakfast to wake up to, what more could you want? You’ve got to try this!
- 1 and 1/2 cups steel cut oats no substitutes
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 4 and 1/2 cups water or almond milk
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, fresh berries, splash of milk, additional sugar for topping
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Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray. (Do not forget this step!)
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In a mesh strainer, rinse out the quinoa really well.
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Combine the steel cut outs, rinsed quinoa, water or almond milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (if desired) into the slow cooker.
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Stir really well and then set your slow cooker to low or, if you have a programmable slow cooker, set it to when you will wake up.
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This meal is ideal at 6-7 hours (best at 6 hours if you have a fast crockpot) and after that it becomes mushy and not so great.
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If you sleep 6-7 hours then turn it on low right before going to sleep or set the program to start preferably 6 hours before waking up.
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Once you wake up, immediately turn it off the heat and transfer to another dish or to breakfast bowls.
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Serve with a splash of milk, fresh berries, and additional brown sugar if desired.
If you leave the mixture in the slow cooker for longer than indicated after being cooked, have an excessively fast cooking slow cooker (haha!), or cook it for longer than indicated your results will be most likely mushy and perhaps even burn along the edges.
Here are some more delicious breakfast ideas:
- 30 minute cinnamon roll skillet cake
- Cheesecake Cinnamon-Sugar Pancakes
- Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake Overnight Oats
Cate @ Chez CaetyLou says
July 20, 2014 at 9:05 amIt is so easy to get into a breakfast rut! This is such a great recipe to change up the breakfast routine! It looks so healthy and delicious!
Consuelo - Honey & Figs says
July 20, 2014 at 1:11 pmI love both quinoa and oatmeal so I can tell that this breakfast would be my absolute favorite! It looks so fluffy and delicious! And your pics are gorgeous! x
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
July 20, 2014 at 6:30 pmChelsea ~ this looks amazing ~ it’s not even breakfast and I’m craving this! Love. Pinned!
Janie Lynn {MyOver-allApron} says
July 20, 2014 at 10:39 pmOh . . . I love warm cereal in the morning, but especially when it’s healthy. I’ve never made quinoa before {come on! I had to learn how to say it first!}, but I love the variation of having it for breakfast. I’ve never seen that before. YUM! I’ll have to try making this and posting my version on my blog.
From your whole foody!
Janie Lynn
http://www.myover-allapron.blogspot.com – recent post: “rainbow” HERB AND GARLIC POTATOES
http://myover-allapron.blogspot.com/2014/07/herb-garlic-potatoes.html
Monet says
July 20, 2014 at 11:58 pmWe are creatures of habit too! But we tend towards eggs. I’ll have to break routine and give this a try though!
Sarah says
September 20, 2014 at 4:57 pmThey make slow cooker liners that are disposable! Sort of like a self cleaning crockpot! I use it for lasagna!
chelseamessyapron says
September 20, 2014 at 5:02 pmThat’s genius! I’ve never even heard or seen those before! Where do you find them?
Erica says
September 17, 2015 at 12:37 pmYou can find them near the tinfoil and storage bags at my grocery store. I know Target carries them as well, but they’re usually a $1 or so more expensive.
Heather says
October 3, 2014 at 4:33 pmI worry about the liners having BPA and heating them? I hate heating plastic 🙁
Chelsea says
October 3, 2014 at 4:52 pmIt’s not required to use plastic liners for this recipe; just a thought from another commenter.
Ann B. says
January 11, 2015 at 2:18 pmI made this for a weeknight overnight guest, and we both loved it! I set the slow cooker for 4 hours on low, and let it sit on warm for about another 3 1/2 hours, and it was great.
chelseamessyapron says
August 27, 2015 at 9:08 pmSo great to hear!! Thanks so much for your comment and leaving a review 🙂
susan says
January 30, 2015 at 3:02 pmcan you use 2 cups of the oat and no quinoa? i would love to make some tonight but don’t have quinoa in the house! thanks! i’ve tried with old fashioned oats and it didn’t work well.
chelseamessyapron says
August 27, 2015 at 9:09 pmSorry for such a late reply! Yes more steel cut oats would be great. Unfortunately old fashioned oats cook way too quickly so I’ve never had luck with those either!
Barbara Smitth says
March 10, 2015 at 9:40 pmWhat is a serving size and how high is this in carbs?
chelseamessyapron says
August 27, 2015 at 9:53 pmHere is a nutritional label; hope that helps!
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
Calories 140 Calories from Fat 15
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat
Cholesterol 0%
Sodium 105mg 4%
Potassium 160mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 28g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 10g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 4%
Iron 8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Caryn says
March 30, 2016 at 9:52 amHow much is a serving? It says serves 6…..
chelseamessyapron says
March 30, 2016 at 12:19 pmDivide everything made into six equal parts and each equal part is one serving 🙂
Emily says
August 5, 2015 at 9:34 pmHas anyone tried this in a rice cooker? I have a zojirushi with a congee setting – might that work with the same water ratios?
Lexi says
August 30, 2015 at 7:38 amhas anyone tried 2 cups almond milk and 2 cups water for 4 cups total liquid? I made the recipe with just almond milk and it was to die for but just curious
LaShawn says
September 18, 2015 at 1:50 pmI did not see it on here; or I overlooked it. But how long is it good for once it is cooked? I want to do some breakfast meal prep and was hoping this would be good for a few days after it was cooked?
chelseamessyapron says
September 23, 2015 at 5:01 pmI think it’s best the day it’s made. After that it becomes a bit mushy…
DonCam says
October 21, 2015 at 11:53 amReynolds Wrap has a product called a Slowcooker Liner. It is a disposable BPA Free plastic liner that you put in your slow cooker, and when the food is cooked and you’ve ladled it out, you throw the liner away and your crockpot is spotless.
Steel cut oats in the slowcooker, is awesome to use a liner for. I make one batch per week, eat it fresh one day, and then put it in individual containers and just heat in the microwave.
chelseamessyapron says
October 21, 2015 at 5:02 pmGreat, great tips!! Thanks so much for sharing with everyone DonCam! 🙂 Love that you have breakfast for the whole week!!
Alison says
December 29, 2015 at 4:49 pmTo avoid having a messy slow cooker bowl to deal with: put all your ingredients in a heat proof bowl that fits inside your slow cooker bowl. Place the bowl in the slow cooker bowl and pour just boiled water into the slow cooker until it reaches the same level as the porridge ingredients. Then turn slow cooker on. It’s like a double boiler and works wonderfully. I use a Pyrex bowl that I leave the porridge in and put it in the fridge after its cooled & just reheat what I want every day. The bowl doesn’t get too messy and I put it in the dishwasher anyway. And the slow cooker doesn’t even really need a clean. I’ve done many batches like this and it works perfectly. But I do on high for a couple of hours while I’m at home rather than overnight. I’ve done oats & quinoa this way but was looking for a combination when I found your website. This method will make your experiments much easier – I know it has for me. So much I bought another Pyrex bowl!
chelseamessyapron says
January 2, 2016 at 11:27 amThank you so much for your tips Alison!!
Tina says
January 14, 2016 at 5:37 pmCan I just use one of the slow cooker liners instead of spraying and make it easier to clean up?
chelseamessyapron says
January 14, 2016 at 6:04 pmAbsolutely! 🙂
Kristin says
January 25, 2016 at 2:00 amI’ve made this twice now and my whole family loves it (even my quinoa-hater hubby). My two-year-old asks for it all the time now, which is okay because it actually makes great leftovers! I just store it in a big ziplock in the fridge, dump out the portions into bowls, add a little milk, microwave, and ta-da! This recipe has been a lifesaver!!!
By the way, I use an outlet timer (ya know, the kind you plug into the wall and plug your Christmas light in) to tell my crockpot when to come on, and it works perfectly!
Kristin says
January 25, 2016 at 2:03 amI totally gave it 5 stars, but it kept changing it to 3! Weird!
chelseamessyapron says
January 25, 2016 at 9:17 amHaha no worries! Sometimes the ratings do that, I have no idea why?! Ha! Thank you!
chelseamessyapron says
January 25, 2016 at 9:17 amThat is so great to hear! 🙂 Thank you so much Kristin! 🙂 And what a genius thing to use an outlet timer — so smart! And I love how you reheat the leftovers — that’s perfect!!
Caitlyn says
January 26, 2016 at 4:18 pmI only have a 1.5 qt slow cooker – if I cut the recipe proportionately, would I also cut the cook time? I assume the recipe uses a 5-6 qt size. Any insight would be great.
chelseamessyapron says
April 4, 2016 at 11:20 amI’m not sure since I’ve never used a 1.5 slow cooker but I definitely think the cook time would be a lot shorter. Wish I could be of more help!
Taryn says
February 9, 2016 at 11:20 amThe reason I wanted to do this is so I could get 8 hours sleep because people could
get it themselves but it seems like I would have to get up after 6 hours in order for it
to taste best. It sounds really great though.
chelseamessyapron says
April 4, 2016 at 11:45 amI hope it was enjoyed! 🙂
Carmie says
February 16, 2016 at 5:06 pmLoved this. Much better than recipes with just Steel Cut Oats. Didn’t stick to slow-cooker and was very fluffy and moist. The recipe indicates 6 servings. Can you tell me the serving size as it seems like it is more than a cup serving size.
chelseamessyapron says
February 17, 2016 at 9:14 amThat is SO great to hear! 🙂 Thank you so much for your comment and trying out this recipe! 🙂 I’m not sure the exact serving size, but essentially divide everything made into 6 equal parts and each part will be 1 serving 🙂
Amy M says
March 20, 2016 at 6:06 pmCrock pot liners will help manage the clean up on this task
chelseamessyapron says
March 20, 2016 at 9:00 pmYes for sure! 🙂
Rita says
April 28, 2016 at 2:10 pmCan I double the recipe? Will the cook time be the same? I’d like to make this for a big group reception on Sunday! I’m guessing it will fit in my crock. Thank you!
chelseamessyapron says
April 29, 2016 at 12:38 amI’m sorry Rita, I’ve never tried doubling this so I’m not certain how it would work out. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, but I don’t think you’d want a longer cook time as it would likely become mushy. Wish I could be of more help!
Sarah says
June 29, 2016 at 9:27 pmI dont know if its because I have a sweet tooth or not but i need a sufgestion for making it a tad sweeter???
chelseamessyapron says
July 1, 2016 at 12:45 amYou can add more sweetener to taste! 🙂 More brown sugar or maple syrup would be great!
Shirley says
September 13, 2016 at 8:35 pmCould this be cooked on a stove top?
chelseamessyapron says
September 14, 2016 at 10:01 pmI’m sure it could! I would just use the recommended amounts of water on the packaging though because it won’t need as much liquid as the crockpot. Good luck 🙂
Tandra says
September 29, 2016 at 11:38 amHow long until this goes bad? I eat some everyday with breakfast.
chelseamessyapron says
September 29, 2016 at 1:03 pmIt should be good 4-6 days 🙂
Jeanne says
December 14, 2016 at 6:51 pmMade this for my bible study’s Christmas brunch-it was the favorite item on the buffet!! I used equal parts canned coconut milk and water and only the maple syrup. At the brunch I put brown sugar and dried cranberries on the side. Plenty sweet and they LOVED it! Thanks?
Jeanne says
December 14, 2016 at 6:53 pmOh and I doubled it! It cooked according to the same time recommendations.
chelseamessyapron says
December 19, 2016 at 7:24 amI’m so happy it was a hit at the Christmas brunch; thank you so much for sharing! 🙂 Happy holidays Jeanne! 🙂
Kathy says
January 8, 2017 at 3:44 amI tried this on the high setting on my crockpot and it was perfect in 2 hrs. Great when you forgot to put it on the night before or are crunched for time.
chelseamessyapron says
January 8, 2017 at 8:17 amSo glad to hear that! Thanks for sharing Kathy 🙂
Johanna says
March 26, 2017 at 8:26 pmI have a mini slow cooker for 1 serving. No heat adjustment so I use a on/off timer-set it, plug in wall,add slow cooker and great breakfast ready.
chelseamessyapron says
March 26, 2017 at 9:09 pmPerfect! 🙂
Maria says
November 22, 2018 at 7:53 pmCan I use half water and half whole milk?
Kathy says
February 16, 2019 at 7:19 pmI’ve made this several times and its terrific. I take food to my 94 year old mom and am always looking for good healthy breakfasts that she will enjoy. I like to add raisins and pecans 1/2 cup hemp hearts (really nutritional) and replace some of the brown sugar with raw honey. Thanks Chelsea for a great recipe!
chelseamessyapron says
February 22, 2019 at 9:43 amI’m so happy to hear you guys enjoy this! You sound like a great daughter! Thanks Kathy! 🙂