Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal with Almond Butter and Honey ~ wake up to this healthy, protein rich breakfast, no slaving over a hot stove in your pajamas necessary!
I’m essentially a very lazy cook. I’m always looking for shortcuts, and the shorter the better as far as I’m concerned. I’m at my most lazy when it comes to breakfast, but I never want to sacrifice a fantastic meal just to cut corners, so when I find a recipe that satisfies me on both counts, I’m ecstatic.
Oatmeal is one of those things that I love to eat, but hate to cook. I don’t want to haul out the pan and measuring cups, I don’t want to stand there and stir, not at 7 in the morning. But I’ve had trouble in the past with overnight oatmeal recipes. I find that they’re often too dense, not creamy enough, and worst of all, sometimes they get an unappealing crust on them. I made this overnight steel cut oatmeal in the crock pot several times during the week and they turned out perfectly every time. They now have a permanent spot on our short list of family favorites.
Breakfast doesn’t get any better, or healthier, than this. Honestly, I’m not into downing a cold green smoothie first thing on an icy February morning. A warm bowl of steel cut oatmeal is much more like it. These steel cut oats are thick and creamy, the almond butter and honey give it great flavor and, if you use chunky almond butter, you’ll get a little extra texture, too.
My husband likes his with dried fruit and nuts. Since I cook the oats in individual cups, everyone can customize their own.
The key to the perfect creamy quality of this overnight steel cut oatmeal is that you don’t cook it directly in the crock pot, you cook it in separate containers in a water bath in the crock pot. That gives the perfect amount of gentle heat that results in perfectly cooked oats by morning. You can even switch the controls from low to warm if you’re not ready to eat right when you wake up.
Almond butter and honey is a combination I never thought of, but it’s wonderful, and if you really want to be decadent, scrape the seeds of a vanilla bean into the oats before you pop them in the slow cooker. You won’t believe your good fortune when you lift off the lid the next morning and are met with a blast of vanilla scented steam and the creamiest oatmeal you’ve ever eaten.
Have any of you tried this method? It really is the perfect solution to a hearty, healthy and warm breakfast that’s miraculously waiting for you when you wake up. Sometimes I want to marry my slow cooker…just sayin’.
UPDATE: Since posting this recipe I’ve discovered another overnight oats method that I love just as much ~ you can find it with the recipe for OVERNIGHT STEEL CUT OATS WITH WHISKEY BUTTER. My equally delicious DATE NUT OVERNIGHT OATS recipe uses the same method, no slow-cooker required!
Reader Rave ~
“Just finished eating this and it’s fabulous! Comes out perfect! I doubled the recipe and put into two mason jar pints so I could store them easily and eat them without mess. I also used crunchy almond butter and I think it really added a nice texture! Would be delicious topped with banana too! Thank you for the great technique!” ~ Desirae
Note: recipe just slightly adapted from food52.
Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal with Almond Butter and Honey ~ wake up to this healthy, protein rich breakfast, no slaving over a hot stove in your pajamas necessary!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked steel cut oats
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- a pinch of salt
- optional: seeds of 1 vanilla bean
- 2-4 Tbsp almond butter
- honey to taste
Instructions
- You can make this in one container, or in two individual containers. I used two glasses that had 1 2/3 cup capacity each.
- Put 1/4 cup oats, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 cup milk in each container. Add a small pinch of salt to each and stir to combine.
- Set the containers in the slow cooker and add water to come about halfway up the glasses.
- Set the crock pot on low, and leave it until morning (about 10 hours.)
- Give each serving a stir, and then swirl in the almond butter and top with honey just before serving.
Notes
This recipe preps in 10 minutes, then cooks in the slow cooker overnight, while you sleep.
Don’t forget to pin this Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal with Almond Butter and Honey!
40 Comments
Ronel
April 16, 2018 at 7:42 pmWill this recipe work for large flake oats?
Sue
April 16, 2018 at 8:03 pmYes, you can use regular rolled oats.
Jackie
February 6, 2018 at 9:03 pmHi Sue! Just wondering if you covered the glasses in the crockpot with lids? Or just use the lid to the crockpot? Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try this (:
Sue
February 6, 2018 at 10:00 pmI left them uncovered and just used the crock pot lid, Jackie.
Jackie
February 7, 2018 at 2:37 pmThank you Sue! Trying this tonight(:
suzanne
January 20, 2016 at 3:59 pmI am making this in my crockpot right now. I did it in a pyrex glass pitcher and put in a few extras. I used unsweetened almond milk in place of the regular milk. I also added some cinnamon and some PB Fit powder. Come morning, I will probably add a sweetener packet to mine and my husband will probably add some fresh maple syrup to his. Thanks for the recipe and I will let you know how it turns out.
Sue
January 20, 2016 at 4:36 pmSince posting this recipe I’ve discovered a new overnight oats method that I love just as much, Suzanne, it’s here — http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/overnight-steel-cut-oats-with-whiskey-butter/
Enjoy!
Desirae
January 6, 2016 at 8:55 amJust finished eating this and it’s fabulous! Comes out perfect! I doubled the recipe and put into two mason jar pints so I could store them easily and eat them without mess. I also used crunchy almond butter and I think it really added a nice texture! Would be delicious topped with banana too! Thank you for the great technique!
Sue
January 6, 2016 at 9:29 amDesirae I also discovered another method for overnight oats that I like even better – here’s the link: http://theviewfromgreatisland.com/overnight-steel-cut-oats-with-whiskey-butter/ In this method you just bring the water and oats to a boil, turn off, cover, and leave overnight. It works like magic!
Molly
December 20, 2015 at 6:07 pmDo you leave the cover off?
Sue
December 20, 2015 at 7:48 pmNo, leave it covered Molly.
Tony
August 23, 2015 at 10:13 pmThis might be naughty, but I switched out the almond butter for Trader Joe’s cookie butter. SO GOOD!
Glenda Margaret
March 18, 2015 at 1:04 amWould this method work if you used coconut milk/cream or almond milk?
It sounds delicious and I am dying for the colder weather so I can try it out. Too hot here in Sydney, Australia at the moment.
Sue
March 18, 2015 at 7:25 amAbsolutely, but I would just make sure that whatever liquid you use isn’t too thick, like coconut cream can be. I would think either coconut milk or any other nut milk would work great!
Louise
February 24, 2015 at 4:50 amI love this recipe and make it every week. Over time I have made 2 adjustments. I like to make a few days worth of oatmeal at a time so I make double the recipe and make it one large pyrex that fits in my crockpot. When done I just cover it and put it in the frig for the rest of the week. Also, I found cooking it over night on low made it a bit lit porridge – lost the crunch of steel cut oats. So, I start it on low and reduce to warm before I go to bed. It turns out just right. I also play around with what I add. Usually a little cinnamon, cloves and cut up apples. Yumm…… Love the idea of cooking it in the crockpot
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
February 9, 2015 at 10:49 pmI’m not a green smoothie girl either but a cozy bowl of oats I can definitely embrace! Love the almond butter and honey combo!
Angie@Angie's+Recipes
February 8, 2015 at 11:35 amWhat a nutritious and delicious breakfast!
Barbara
February 8, 2015 at 4:13 amGreat idea…sometimes I make oatmeal the night before and refrigerate (I’m lazier than you!)….but waking up to fresh oatmeal sounds great to me. The water bath is genius. I posted a farro porridge last week, think I’d have to cook the farro first though.
Sue
February 8, 2015 at 7:14 amI am definitely going to try with other grains, farro porridge sounds great.
Velva
February 7, 2015 at 4:05 pmThis sounds wonderful. I have been tempted a few times to make the overnight refrigerated oatmeal. Not now. This is the only way to go!
Velva
Sue
February 7, 2015 at 4:09 pmI have to agree Velva … the other methods just don’t give me the result I’m look for!
Cecilia
February 7, 2015 at 10:13 amHi Sue, I love oatmeal, and your recipe sounds so delicious and easy, I have to make it. Thanks for the recipe.
Doreen Ifkovits
February 7, 2015 at 8:37 amDo you think rolled oats would work?
Sue
February 7, 2015 at 11:21 amSure Doreen, you can use regular rolled oats, but the texture will not be quite the same. And I would not use any of the quick cooking varieties.
Maria | Pink Patisserie
February 6, 2015 at 1:36 pmI’m so with you on the cold smoothie on a cold morning thing.. Not going to happen. This however definitely needs to. Sounds divine!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks
February 6, 2015 at 11:35 amI recently tried overnight oatmeal for the first time and I must say I love how it makes mornings so much easier!!
Tricia
February 6, 2015 at 11:17 amMy husband would love this – printing to share!
Susan
February 6, 2015 at 11:07 amThis is a wonderful idea for working people and families on the go! I would have never thought to put nut butter in oatmeal but I love the idea. It looks delicious, Sue.
Sue
February 6, 2015 at 11:55 amThanks Susan!
Choclette
February 6, 2015 at 8:39 amOoh, I like the idea of almond butter, I can honestly say I’ve never tried that in porridge before. I bet your method is a good one. The best porridge I’ve ever eaten is my mother’s which cooks at a very gently heat in the bottom of the age overnight.
Sue
February 6, 2015 at 9:37 amI had never put nut butter in oatmeal before either, it was a great surprise! And I think the very slow gentle cooking must be the secret to the creaminess. I can’t claim to beat your mother’s, but maybe this will come close :)
Rebecca @ Bring Back Delicious
February 6, 2015 at 7:34 amI actually thought of asking for vanilla beans for my birthday just to have around for recipes like this. They make such a big difference!
Sue
February 6, 2015 at 7:36 amI can totally get that, if they weren’t so expensive I’d put them in everything!
georgeann
February 6, 2015 at 5:59 amWhen do you add the fruit and nuts?
Sue
February 6, 2015 at 6:50 amYou add those after the oatmeal has cooked, Georgeann, just like with the almond butter.
Monique
February 6, 2015 at 5:36 amSo I love oats..in muffins ..cookies..bars..etc..I just can’t stand it warm and wet .Jacques loves it..I have tried..the steel cut oats I bought at Costco..I think I have enough for 100 yrs..and made it in the morning..Like you..I hate doing that when I first get up..I am ready to bake and cook soon after breakfast ..not before..so it’s all bran..green tea..a yogurt..etc..Anyways..I have made it..Jacques eats it..I can’t look at it.Maybe this would work for me:) Genius.
grace
February 6, 2015 at 5:22 ami had some fantastic oatmeal the other day and i can’t stop thinking about it. it was my first taste of steel cut oats, and i’m hooked!
Linda@There and Back Again
February 6, 2015 at 4:39 amWhat a great idea! I’m like you about cooking first thing in the morning…not going to happen. But I can see the appeal of setting up this recipe at the same time I get the coffee pot ready the night before. Can’t wait to try it!
Christy
February 6, 2015 at 3:45 amCan you use almond milk in place of milk?
Sue
February 6, 2015 at 6:53 amabsolutely!