Nothing is better than waking up in the morning with a hot breakfast ready for you, which is why these Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats are the perfect overnight breakfast recipe for this winter season. With this recipe, you’ll wake up with a slow cooker full of warm cinnamon roll steel cut oats ready to be enjoyed with a warm cup of coffee or tea.
What are steel cut oats?
It can be difficult understanding the difference between the different types of oats. The most common kinds of oats you’ll see in the grocery store are steel cut, rolled, and instant oats. The difference between each type of oat essentially comes down to the processing of the oat groat. This processing affects the look, texture, and cooking time for each oat.
For this recipe, we’ll be using steel cut oats. Steel cut oats are processed by chopping the whole oat groat into several pieces. This gives the oats a grainier texture and requires a longer cooking time, which is why they are the perfect choice for overnight slow cooker oats. To learn more about the different types of oats, read through Deconstructing Oatmeal which gives more great information!
Are steel cut oats better for you?
Because the processing of each type of oat is different, the nutritional properties may slightly differ. For example, because steel cut oats are the least processed, they typically have much of the bran intact, whereas instant oats have been precooked and dried, removing much of the outer bran.
Because of this, steel cut oats tend to be higher in fiber. However, all types are nearly equivalent when it comes to protein, carbohydrates, and fat content. There’s also much discussion around the glycemic index when it comes to carbohydrates, especially if one is managing their blood sugar. Steel cut oats have a lower glycemic index than their counterparts.
Can you make steel cut oats overnight?
Yes! As I previously mentioned, with steel cut oats being thicker in texture and requiring a longer cook time, they are the perfect choice for overnight oats. They can cook overnight in your slow cooker for 7 to 8 hours and be perfect when you get up in the morning.
How do you make slow cooker steel cut oats?
To make slow cooker steel cut oats, you’ll combine all of the ingredients into your slow cooker and let cook on low for 7 to 8 hours overnight. For this recipe, you’ll combine the steel cut oats, cinnamon, butter, and milk. This will give you that cinnamon roll flavor with your slow cooker steel cut oats.
Once they’re ready, you’ll sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and let it melt. Then, top with the optional cream cheese icing to give you that complete cinnamon roll experience!
Serving suggestions for slow cooker steel cut oats
Of course, you can top your slow cooker steel cut oats with just about anything, from fresh fruit to cinnamon and sugar, to jams and jellies, like this strawberry vanilla jam. That’s the best part about these oats; you can make them your own with whatever toppings you’d like! For this recipe, I topped the slow cooker steel cut oats off with a cream cheese frosting, just like you’d find on a warm cinnamon roll!
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Slow cooker steel cut oats are the perfect overnight breakfast option, especially on cold winter nights. You'll wake up with a warm bowl of slow cooker steel cut oats ready to enjoy!
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 2 cups milk
- 6 cups water
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 oz. cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp. milk
- 1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 5 Tbsp. powdered sugar
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Spray the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all of the steel cut oat ingredients except for the brown sugar to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours overnight.
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In the morning, remove the lid and stir the oats. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and let sit.
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In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese frosting ingredients. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients on low until you have a creamy frosting. Add additional milk if the icing seems too thick.
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When ready to serve, hand pipe or drizzle the icing over each individual bowl of the slow cooker steel cut oats and serve immediately.
Recipe Video
Slow cooker steel cut oats are easy to make and versatile when it comes to creating your own flavor combination. Start your day off right with a warm bowl of slow cooker steel cut oats!
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