If you struggle to find time in the morning to cook yourself a healthy breakfast, then please allow me to introduce you to banana bread Overnight Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats. This healthy crock pot oatmeal recipe is the closest thing you’ll find to living in a bed and breakfast. Simply stir the ingredients together the night before, set your slow cooker to low, and in the morning, you’ll awake to the heavenly scent of warm cinnamon floating through your home.
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If I ignored the dishes, I’d feel a little like I had a personal breakfast chef.
I discovered this method for cooking steel-cut oats in the crock pot the year a series of unfortunate events left us without a stove for almost three months.
I’ll spare you the details, but suffice to say that without a proper cooktop or oven, I embraced my slow cooker with a passion I didn’t realize I could muster for an appliance.
I’d seen overnight steel cut oatmeal recipes floating around the web for ages, but most were for the cold variety that soaks overnight in the refrigerator. (Check out my version of Overnight Steel Cut Oats!)
While I do adore regular overnight oats (these Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats and this Sugar Cookie Overnight Protein Oatmeal are two favorites), in the winter months, I crave my oatmeal hot.
The issue: On weekday mornings, I’m usually too busy or too unmotivated to stand at the stove and wait for steel cut oatmeal to simmer. My priorities are coffee and finding a pair of socks that match.
The solution: Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats!
What Are Steel Cut Oats
If you’ve never had steel cut oats, prepare yourself for a serious oatmeal upgrade.
- Steel cut oats (whole oats that have been cut into a few pieces) are significantly less processed than instant oats, which are steamed, pressed, ground, and otherwise obliterated.
- This means that, unlike instant oatmeal, which has all the flavor and texture of a pile of wet sawdust (oatmeal skeptics, I can sense your nods of understanding), steel cut oatmeal has a hearty, pleasing texture and nutty taste.
- As a bonus, because steel cut oats take your body longer to break down, they keep you fuller too.
The one downfall of steel cut oats is that, if you make them day of, they can take 30 minutes or longer to cook on your stovetop, which is about 26 minutes longer than I’m willing to wait for my breakfast on an average morning.
Making overnight steel cut oats in the slow cooker solves the problem.
All of the steel cut oatmeal magic happens in the slow cooker overnight, so in the morning, the only waiting you’ll do is for the coffee to brew. (Another example of overnight recipe magic: Crockpot Egg Casserole!)
Flavoring Steel Cut Oats
On its own, oatmeal can be pretty bland, but with a few little tricks, you can turn it into a crave-worthy breakfast.
- To give my banana bread overnight steel cut oats some pizzazz, I took inspiration from my favorite healthy banana nut muffins, adding mashed ripe bananas, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the oats before they cooked.
The result was a filling, healthy breakfast with the cozy flavor of freshly baked banana bread.
Going along with the Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats banana bread theme, I couldn’t stop myself from topping my bowl with extra banana slices and walnuts.
Combined with the bananas that were mixed into the crock pot oatmeal, this steel cut oats recipe has just the right amount of sweetness for me.
- If you prefer your oatmeal on the sweeter side, I suspect a drizzle of pure maple syrup or honey will do the trick. Chocolate chips and a giant dollop of peanut butter wouldn’t hurt either.
- For those who prefer to keep the overnight Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats plain, you can swap the mashed banana for unsweetened applesauce or a few extra splashes of milk to ensure they do not dry out.
Tips for Slow Cooker Overnight Oats Success
- Either be VERY generous with the nonstick spray or use a crock pot liner. Steel cut oats like to stick.
- Use regular, long cooking steel cut oats like these ONLY. Any other kind of oatmeal (including quick-cooking steel cut oats, regular rolled oats, quick oats, and the aforementioned instant oatmeal) can’t stand up to the hours in the slow cooker and will degrade into total mush.
- Every slow cooker is different. If your slow cooker runs hot or does not have a function to switch to “off” or “keep warm” after the cooking time is through, you risk overcooking or even burning the edges of the steel cut oatmeal. If this is the case, my suggestion is to make the slow cooker steel cut oats during the day when you can keep an eye on it, and then reheat it the next morning. This guarantees perfect crock pot oatmeal, and you still have the make-ahead benefit.
- Hack if you are REALLY worried about the edges burning: stir together the steel cut oatmeal ingredients inside a large casserole dish that will fit inside your slow cooker. Pour a little water in the bottom of the slow cooker, and then place the dish inside (the water should go about halfway up the side of the dish). This creates a water bath and allows a longer cook time.
- HAVE FUN!
Other Favorite Steel Cut Oats Recipes
- Pumpkin lovers will flip over these Pumpkin Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats. Bonus: Kids love them too—my 2 1/2-year-old niece eats them daily.
- I’m also a fan of stirring in a scoop of vanilla or chocolate protein powder into my oatmeal to make it even more filling.
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats. Ideal for making perfect steel cut oatmeal in less time.
- Also, steel cut oats can be made on the stovetop! Here is how to make the PERFECT bowl of Steel Cut Oats.
How to Store Leftover Oatmeal
This recipe makes a big batch of slow cooker oatmeal, which I guarantee you will be happy to have on hand.
- You can store leftover overnight slow cooker steel cut oats in the refrigerator for almost a week, and in the freezer for months. To reheat, simply mix your desired portion of steel cut oats with a little water or milk and warm it in the microwave.
- For meal-prep ease, I also like to freeze my leftover crock pot oatmeal in portioned containers and place a few in the refrigerator to thaw at the beginning of each week. I love waking up knowing that I’m just a few minutes away from a warm, healthy bowl of steel cut oatmeal, with no work beyond lifting my spoon required.
Recommended Tools to Make Overnight Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats
- 6-quart programmable slow cooker
- Slow cooker liner (not strictly necessary but helps with clean up)
Overnight Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats with Banana
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Ingredients
- 1.5 cups steel cut oats do not substitute quick cooking, instant, or rolled oats, gluten free if needed
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups milk any kind you like (I used skim)
- 2 large mashed ripe bananas plus additional banana slices for serving
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal*
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg it’s an amazing flavor upgrade to grate your own nutmeg. I use this zester to do it.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For serving: chopped toasted walnuts raisins, chocolate chips, maple syrup, peanut butter, or any other mix-ins you enjoy with banana bread
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients except the toppings in the bottom of a 4-to-6-quart slow cooker and stir to combine: Steel cut oats, water, milk, mashed bananas, flaxseed meal, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (overnight) or on high for 4 hours, until the oats are soft but maintain a bit of chew. Remove cover and stir to evenly combine the ingredients. Enjoy warm with desired toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Can you eliminate the bananas in the recipe? Too much potassium and I just don’t really like bananas!
Hi Anne! You can swap the mashed banana for unsweetened applesauce or a few extra splashes of milk to ensure they do not dry out.
This was super easy and the family loved it. I keep an oatmeal topping bar on hand .
Awesome, thanks Linda!!
Made this with McCann’s quick steel cut oats. Turned out Creamy with a bit of chew. Was delicious and so creamy. Will definitely be eating a lot more of this! In crockpot about 5 1/2 hours on low.
So glad to hear, thank you Vern!
Would you think I could add more liquid or anything else to have them in the crockpot 9 or 10 hours instead of 7-8 just because it’s the way my schedule would require?
Hi Shanna, Every slow cooker is different. If your slow cooker runs hot or does not have a function to switch to “off” or “keep warm” after the cooking time is through, you risk overcooking or even burning the edges of the steel cut oatmeal. If this is the case, my suggestion is to make the slow cooker steel cut oats during the day when you can keep an eye on it, and then reheat it the next morning. This guarantees perfect crock pot oatmeal, and you still have the make-ahead benefit. Of course, if you decide to experiment with more liquid and longer cook time, I’d love to know how it goes!
I made this for a houseful of weekend guests. I used to make a cheesy ham egg casserole, but switched to something healthier this year. They all LOVED it and took the recipe. The texture was a lot less chewy than stove top steel cut oats, much softer and more pleasant for those who don’t like eating “twigs and sticks” as my hubby calls it. The only change I made was to omit the nutmeg for one guest’s allergy and it was terrific without it. It needed no more sweetener for my taste, but some folks enjoyed some honey. Walnuts, almonds, raisins and craisins made it an fun oatmeal bar. Definitely use the crockpot liner! Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback and glad you enjoyed it, Diane!
Oh Wow! This tastes just like banana bread, just luscious.
Yay! Great to hear! Thank you Pamela!
It has a slightly rotten taste with the cook bananas.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too! I would start by checking to make sure all ingredients are fresh and the bananas are ripe but not bad or with brown spots. That could be causing the taste you are getting. Hope this helps!
Sounds good! But I have an easy way also. Soak 1/2 cup of steel cut oats in approx. 3/4 cup of your favorite plant based milk. I like non sweetened vinyls flavored soy milk. I am six drops of stevia. Soak overnight in the fridge. Next morning add cut up fruit, cinnamon, etc., and microwave about 90 seconds. Voila, hot cereal. Easy cleanup, rinse and repeat for the next day.
Thanks for sharing, but we really love this recipe the way it is. Hope you give it a try!
We tried this at my teens are kind of lazy and don’t always want to make something for breakfast (especially when rolled oats can take 20-30 minutes). My son always wakes up super hunger and needs something quick. This has become our new go to breakfast. We make a batch in jars on Sunday to eat for the week. Add in peanut butter, cocoa power, nuts, seeds, fruit. It’s just a fast blank canvas you can do so much with. I had 4 out of 6 bags of steel cut that I bough in bulk that were expiring because no one could be bothered to cook them (I would sometimes cook a big batch for the week but reheating always left dry, not as good as fresh cooked oats, your way is fresh creamy oats every time). Now I know we’ll go through the rest quickly. Our microwave isn’t as strong so it takes 2 minutes, but still really quick and tasty. Thank you so much for this comment. Others might not appreciate it but we sure do. Just 2 ingredients, 2 minutes, so easy.
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Teresa!
Great recipe.Very pleasant flavor boost for steel cut oats. It also works with an Instapot. 12 minutes on Porridge, then 15 minutes for pressure to release naturally.
Glad you enjoyed it, Barbara!
I love this recipe!! The steel cut oats have a great chew to them. It’s delicious! I also make an apple cinnamon version which is equally as delicious. A keeper!
Thank you Susie!
For the first time I am eating well cooked steel cut oats. Cooked overnight half cup of oats (2 servings) with water and chopped banana, later added milk, raisins, frozen thawed blueberries and walnuts. Was delicious. I have read a similar recipe with chopped apples and raisins, but not tried.
On stove top, the steel cut oats wouldn’t get cooked well.
Thanks for the feedback, Mala!
Absolutely love this!!! So glad I stumbled across your page. Hubby and I have a new breakfast go to!!!
Thank you so much, Christie!
Thankyou. Can the milk be substituted with water?
Hi Susanna, you can yes. It will take away some of that creamy texture you get from the milk, but should still work. Enjoy!
Hi, Erin!
This year, alone, I was diagnosed with a hiatus hernia and, now, very little fatty liver disease–or what’s known as “Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease” (NAFLD). I’ve always loved *regular* oatmeal, but on a whim, I bought some steel-cut oats last week & then surfed the internet to find slow cooker recipes for them. I mean, who wants to stand over a stove for 30 minutes, right?!
I came across your yummy-sounding recipe and made this last night. I had 3 overripe bananas, where 2 went into the crockpot & the 3rd was added onto the oatmeal this morning. Not only did I love this recipe, my husband–who, years ago, said he didn’t like steel cuts oats’ texture & would *never* eat them again!–loved a big bowl of it too!
Just one question, though: I followed your instructions and added everything (except the toppings) directly into the pot. But how do you mix in the cinnamon and nutmeg properly? This morning, there was a lovely film of cinnamon-brown on top of the oatmeal. It’s like the film on top of milk when you’re heating it for homemade hot chocolate: a little bit hard & chewy. Of course, I mixed it into the oats, but is there a way to mix it before this happens? Maybe I should mix the spices in with the liquid *before* I dump the milk & water into the pot? What do you think? Other than that, the oats are perfect. I’m now going to try your recipe for Pumpkin Steel-Cut Oats. I might try this recipe with chopped-up apple instead of banana, for a change too. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide!
Hi Anne, so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Maybe try whisking the spices into the milk before pouring it into the slow cooker to see if that helps. Hope this helps!
Wow, that was speedy! Again, thanks very much for replying.
Can you add collagen to this recipe?
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried it myself but it might work similar to how the protein powder is added in this recipe: https://www.wellplated.com/protein-oatmeal/ If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
The video did NOT show how it looks when you first take the lid off. Mine had a dark skin on top where the spices settled then cooked. Very unappetising. You clearly edited that out.
Hannah, it’s been years since I shot this video so I honestly don’t remember doing that! It sounds like the spices came to the top. Did you stir afterwards and was that OK?
No one in my family liked this. We used maple syrup as a topping because this recipe is not sweet. I also was surprised by how brown it looked in the morning. I stirred it but it still didn’t look very appetizing. I’ll have to keep searching for an overnight recipe.
I’m sorry to hear the recipe wasn’t to your taste, Anna. I know it’s disappointing to try a new recipe and not enjoy it. I (and many other readers) have enjoyed it, so I really wish they would’ve been a hit for you too!
I just made this and it smells so good! The whole house smells amazing – can’t wait to have some tomorrow!
Hope you all love it, thank you!
This is perfect – thanks so much. I’m glad a made a rather big batch as it’s a satisfying breakfast which will get me through the next few days.
I added some raisins to the slow cooker for more sweetness and iron, and also peanut butter at serving time. I used soya milk as I’m trying to increase protein in my diet.
Very kind of you to share the recipe and thanks again for this healthy start to my day. I will look out for your other recipes!!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Sushma! Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe..I added 2 tsp Lacuma.
You’re welcome, Michelle!