Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

Finished breakfast dish topped with fresh berries, chia seeds, and honey, offering a warm and healthy start to the day.

4.59 from 12 votes

Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal, made with oatmeal and quinoa in the slow cooker, is a healthy, hands-off breakfast. Just add fresh berries and a splash of milk to serve!

Prep Time15

Cook Time8

Total Time8 15

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Overnight oats and quinoa, overnight steel cut oatmeal

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $3.23

Equipment

6-quart Crock-Pot

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups steel-cut oatmeal see note 1
1/2 cup white quinoa
5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk or water; I prefer almond milk!
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Toppings as desired see note 2

US - Metric

Instructions

Spray slow cooker generously with cooking spray or line with a slow cooker liner. In a mesh strainer, rinse quinoa under cold water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Let dry.
Combine steel-cut oats, rinsed quinoa, almond milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (if desired) in the slow cooker.
Stir everything together, place the lid on the slow cooker, and set it to low for 1 hour. Then, without opening the slow cooker or disturbing it (otherwise heat escapes!), switch the dial to the warm setting. Allow to cook overnight for 8–9 hours (longer than that and it becomes mushy; see note 3).
Once you wake up, immediately turn it off and stir in the oats. They may still have some liquid, but it continues to soak in as they are served (I like them better with extra liquid rather than dry and mushy/gummy!) These oats are intended to be creamy.
Check the post above for more serving suggestions, but add your favorite toppings such as fresh fruit, an extra splash of milk, additional brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup, and a big scoop of nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, etc.).

Video

Notes

Note 1: Do not use regular old-fashioned, rolled, or quick oats—they won’t work. If you use instant or quick-cooking steel-cut oats, (Be sure to check the package—sometimes it’s hard to tell if they are instant steel-cut oats), it will be done in about 6–8 hours. For best results, I recommend regular steel-cut oatmeal.

Note 2: Optional toppings: 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, fresh berries, a splash of milk, and additional sugar for topping.

Note 3: Different cooking options:

For morning brunch: Cook on low for 2-1/2 to 4 hours. I don't recommend cooking overnight steel-cut oats on the high setting.
Overnight—with quick-cooking steel-cut oats: Cook on low for 30 minutes, then turn to warm for 6–7 hours.
Overnight—with regular steel-cut oats: Cook on low for 1 hour, then turn to warm for 8–9 hours.
Note that not all slow cookers cook the same. If your slow cooker has a tendency to cook quicker, it may be done sooner than the times indicated. If it is left in the slow cooker too long, it will likely become mushy and gummy. If your slow cooker cooks slower and oats/quinoa aren’t tender, turn the slow cooker back on to low for 30 or so minutes in the morning.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of milk to loosen the texture before serving.

Nutrition