Recipe for Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Chrysta Wilson is a baker famous for her bundt cakes. But this chef also knows her way around a good breakfast. (Check out her Pumpkin Spice Pancake recipe.) This Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipe is her answer to a breakfast on the run.
Making slow cooker overnight oats is like cooking in your sleep
This really is cooking in your sleep! By preparing the oats at night and letting them cook in a slow cooker, she creates a dish that’s ready to go on those mornings when time is short.
Some surprising facts about oatmeal and health
Best of all, eating that bowl of oatmeal can benefit your sexual health. It surprises most people to learn that oats are aphrodisiac. But this ancient grain offers a surprising number of nutrients beneficial to your sex life. In fact, we even included oats in our list of 10 Best Food for Men.
RELATED: Oats are aphrodisiac
Understanding the different types of oats
There is some confusion when it comes to oatmeal. Not all oats offer the same nutritional benefits. Of the three types of oats commonly sold, quick oats, rolled and steel cut oats, the steel cut lead the pack for nutrition.
What are steel cut oats?
Steel cut oats, also called Irish oats, are made by chopping oat groats into pieces. (The groats are the whole, unbroken grains.) They look very different from the other two types of oats. In fact, they more resemble chopped up pieces of brown rice than what most of us think of as oats. Once they’re cooked using Chrysta’s method, the resulting overnight oatmeal has a bit of a chewy texture and a more nutty flavor than what you could expect from an oatmeal made with rolled oats.
TO TRY: Want a great recipe for rolled oats? Try this Six Spice Oatmeal Cookies
To make vegan overnight oats
It is possible to make a vegan version of this rolled oats recipe. It just takes a couple of modifications. First, you’ll need to use your favorite non-dairy milk in place of the skim. And then you’ll need to make sure that your brown sugar is vegan. Most brown sugar is made with bone char, which means it isn’t vegan. Vegan brown sugar can be hard to find but look for brands like Now Foods and Zulka, both of which make vegan sugars.
RELATED: Want more great breakfast ideas? Check out our whole collection of breakfast recipes.

Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup skim milk
- 2 1/2 cups purified water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 5 6-oz ramekins or small heat-safe bowls
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the cream, milk, water, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Place ramekins or small bowls into the bottom of your slow cooker.
- In the bottom of each ramekin, add 2 tablespoons steel cut oats.
- Add ½ cup of the liquid mixture into each ramekin. Stir.
- Slowly add water to the base of your slow cooker, being sure not to get any water into the ramekins. The amount of water will vary by the size of your slow-cookers, but you basically want the ramekins sitting in at least 3 inches of water. (For most slow cookers, water will come up to the middle of your bottom ramekin.)
- Place the lid on the slow cooker, and cook for 8 hours.
- When you wake up, simply remove the oats, grab a spoon, and enjoy. Cover any remaining ramekins and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
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