Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats are easy to meal prep a hearty, creamy jar of oats for the week! Plus a special addition gives them a filling protein boost!
Hello, beautiful!
You asked (if you filled out the survey in December) for more slow cooker recipes and sadly, at the time I didn’t even have one. Somehow I ended up with TWO slow cookers over the holiday season.
Well, I know how I asked my mom for one and then TOTALLY forgot I asked her and bought my own. WHOOPS! So, instead of returning one, I’m giving one to you guys. Not only that but I’m giving you the nicer one with the programmable settings because I love you guys! Enter the giveaway at the end of this post!
So the best part about this recipe is it’s made with all ingredients you should keep in your kitchen (see healthy eating pantry staples)! Cleary I’ve been shopping at Trader Joe’s a lot because it’s about .5 seconds from my house (see my Trader Joe favorites).
Soon it won’t be the main place I shop anymore though because they are building a Sprouts .25 seconds from my house. It’s basically a Dietitian’s dream come true! Anyways, steel cut oats are really my favorite way to eat oats.
In fact, I used to HATE oatmeal and it was steel cut oats that changed my mind. They have a wonderful thick chewy texture and a slightly nutty flavor, serve me up a big bowl anytime!
The problem is they take FOREVER to cook. Enter the crockpot, my favorite way to make preparing them super easy. Just throw them in the slow cooker with milk, water, and sugar.
Then, let the slow cooker do its thing! Once it’s ready you can add you healthy fat (almond butter or any other nut/seed butter) and protein (collagen or protein powder) to make a balanced meal! (here is why I use collagen.)
Just a heads up, when I added the almond butter and collagen the mixture thinned out a little bit, so if you are like me and like your oats a little thicker reduce the water by 1/2 cup.
What are steel cut oats? They are oat groats that have been cut into thirds, so very little processing has been done to them. This is why they take so much longer to cook!
Rolled oats, on the other hand, have been steamed and rolled so that they have kind of been “precooked” so when you cook them they cook faster. Just your fun facts for the day because you know I totally geek out over that stuff.
As far as nutrition content goes, there isn’t much difference when comparing them side by side. They have similar calories, protein, carbohydrate, and fat amounts per serving.
However, steel cut oats have a slightly lower glycemic index. Glycemic Index is a way to measure the blood sugar response.
It basically means although you are getting the same amount of carbohydrate in both steel cut oats and rolled oats, the spike in blood sugar is lower and more sustained with steel cut oats. This is why you may find them more filling or feel fuller for longer with steel cut oats! Either way, if you’ve never tried them you definitely need too!
Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats
[clickToTweet tweet=”Slow Cooker Steel Cut #Oats are easy to #mealprep for a hearty, creamy jar of oats for the week! ” quote=”Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats are easy to meal prep for a hearty, creamy jar of oats for the week! “]
Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats (with Collagen)
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups steel cut oats - not quick cooking or gluten-free steel cut oats
- 4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk or other nondairy milk
- 3 cups water
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup almond butter
- 10-12 scoops collagen or 6 scoops protein powder of choice
- 1 tbsp cinnamon optional
- 2 cups berries
Instructions
- Add oats, almond milk, water, and coconut sugar in the crockpot.
- Cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. Mine needed an extra cup of liquid at the two-hour mark, but this depends on how you like your oats. If you like them runny or chewier it's up to you! Do note though when you add the rest of the ingredients they will become a bit runnier. The oats are done when they are pleasantly plump and chewy.
- Once oats are cooked to your liking add the almond butter and collagen (or protein powder.)
- Divide oats among 8 mason jar containers top with berries. Store for up to a week in the refrigerator!
Nutrition
Similar recipes below or check out my high protein make ahead breakfast ebook!
Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apple Steel Cut Oats
Thanks for the video tutorial your oats cooking recipe looking so yummm.
http://www.misrii.com/
I loveee steel cut oats – so creamy! Great idea adding almond butter. Sorry to hear about your instagram!
thanks Sarah!
Sorry about your Instagram, that is really crummy. This oatmeal looks great though and I have all the ingredients, can’t wait to give it a try!
UGH it totally sucks! but life goes on ha ha
Ok first of all I’m so sorry to hear about your instagram, following the new account. And I LOVE steel cut oats and always make them in the crockpot for us for the week. I usually add egg whites the last hour to thicken them a bit. Oh and I love the idea of storing them in mason jars with berries for meal prep, I’ve never thought of that!
I like the idea of stirring in egg whites for protein! In the past I’ve tried microwave egg white oats and haven’t been a huge fan, maybe stirring them in steel cut oats would change my mind!
Yum! Think this would work with quick oats?
This sounds so good. I need to get back to eating my oats.