Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats (AND How to Freeze Oatmeal!)

Meal prepping doesn’t have to be just for dinner, make Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats and then FREEZE it for speedy weekday breakfasts! The ultimate in grab and go breakfasts.

We made it to the end of the week!  It’s finally Friday and I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend catching up on some much needed sleep. But like everyone else, Sunday’s are usually filled with prepping for the week ahead so I really only have one day or rest. Isn’t that just the limit?

Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

One of the things that I MUST have during the week is my morning steel cut oats.  They take forever to boil on the stovetop but for years I was committed to the ritualistic stirring of the pot for 30 minutes to avoid the pot boiling over leaving an oatmeal mess on the range.

Then, I tried making Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal and found it so liberating that I began making gigantic batches of  Crock Pot Oatmeal to freeze in individual portions for easy breakfasts at the office. It was a game changer, really. And one that I can’t really take credit for since I was inspired by the Trader Joe’s Steel Cut Oatmeal you can find in the freezer section.

But it was so pricey that I knew I could make my own Freezer oatmeal recipe at home using my overnight oatmeal recipe! We shared this method several times on Fox 29 and it’s always such a hit I thought I’d share it here for the rest of the world NOT in the Philadelphia area.

Benefits of Steel Cut Oatmeal

Steel cut oats are considered a super food (in my book, anyway) because they are an excellent source of protein, soluble and insoluble fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals. The benefits of steel cut oats exceed the benefits of rolled oats because of the way they are processed.

Because steel cut oats are minimally processed, and because they contain more fiber and density than other oat varieties, steel cut oats are one of the healthiest grains available to eat. This alone makes Steel Cut Oats a much better choice than quick oats or rolled oats.

How to Make It

Making oatmeal in the slow cooker is incredibly easy to do. Just two ingredients, oats and water, are all you need to get started.

1. Combine the water and oats in a small slow cooker. Add a pinch of salt, if desired.
2. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Stir in cream and brown sugar, if desired.
4. Serve immediately or freeze for later.

How to Freeze It

To freeze steel cut oatmeal:

1. Using a ladle, pour your cooked oatmeal into the wells of a jumbo muffin tin.
2. Top with desired toppings like blueberries, brown sugar, nuts, chocolate, sprinkles or dried fruit.
3. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and freeze until firm.
4. Remove the oatmeal from the muffin tins and transfer to individual zip top bags.
5. Label the bags with the name and date. Return to the freezer.

How to Reheat Frozen Oatmeal

To reheat your oatmeal, remove the oatmeal “muffin” from the freezer bag and place in a microwave safe bowl.

Heat on high power for 2 minutes.

Stir in a bit of milk or cream (or a non dairy alternative) and heat for an additional 20 seconds.

Serve immediately.

I LOVE to play around with my steel cut oatmeal, too, creating new and improved variations for easy weekday morning breakfasts like this Spiced Coconut Steel Cut Oatmeal.  It’s so great as a base for so many amazing toppings like these candied walnuts.

And this fall inspired Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oatmeal is my absolute favorite up until I’ve overdone the Pumpkin Spice which is approximately around the start of December. After that….this Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal is on repeat for the remainder of the year.

Whatever you’re craving in the morning, I’ve got you covered with all the oatmeal recipes.  This Bananas Foster Baked Oatmeal is also a huge hit all year long.

If you to see what else we’re cooking up be sure to follow us over on Instagram!