Overnight Steel Cut Oats Recipe made with steel-cut oatmeal and quinoa in the slow cooker. Top with fresh berries and a splash of milk for a breakfast the whole family will love.
author’s note
Wake Up to the Best Overnight Steel Cut Oats!
A few years ago, I tried to make oatmeal overnight in my slow cooker and woke up to a pot of mush. After some trial and error (and many early mornings of testing), I finally cracked the code.
This Overnight Steel Cut Oats Recipe is the result of all that experimenting. Similar to overnight oats, it’s creamy but not soggy, hearty but not heavy, and the quinoa gives it the best nutty texture. I love that I can toss everything into the slow cooker at night and wake up to a warm breakfast the whole family devours with no morning rush required.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No morning prep. Toss it together in under 10 minutes at night.
- Perfect texture. Creamy without turning mushy.
- Customizable. So many topping options!
- Feeds a crowd. Great for family breakfasts or meal prep.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | What It Does | Swaps & Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Steel-Cut Oats | Holds up overnight cooking, stays chewy instead of mushy | Don’t use rolled or quick oats—they’ll turn to paste |
| Quinoa | Adds protein, texture, and nutty flavor | Rinse well to avoid bitterness; no real swap recommended |
| Almond Milk | Creamy, slightly sweet, doesn’t curdle overnight | Oat milk or cashew milk work well; avoid cow’s milk (curdles) |
| Sweetener | Adds balance and depth of flavor | Use maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar; adjust to taste |
| Spices | Cinnamon and vanilla warm up the flavor | Add nutmeg or cardamom for variety |
Toppings
The toppings are where this overnight steel cut oats recipe really shines.
- Banana Nut: Sliced bananas, cinnamon, nut butter
- Berry Burst: Fresh or frozen berries, splash of milk, almond butter
- Apple Cinnamon: Diced apples, cinnamon, drizzle of maple syrup
- Strawberries & Cream: Fresh strawberries, splash of cream, nut butter
- Nut & Seed Crunch: Chopped nuts, pumpkin seeds, dried fruit
Overnight Steel Cut Oats Recipe Cooking Options
- Overnight (Regular Steel-Cut Oats): Cook on low for 1 hour, then switch to warm for 8–9 hours.
- Overnight (Quick-Cooking Steel-Cut Oats): Cook on low for 30 minutes, then switch to warm for 6–7 hours.
- Morning Brunch: Cook on low for 2½–4 hours.
More Delicious Breakfast Ideas
Desserts
Cinnamon Roll Cake Recipe
Breakfast
French Toast
Breakfast
Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Breakfast
Dutch Baby Recipe (German Pancakes)
Overnight Steel Cut Oats Recipe
Overnight Steel Cut Oats Recipe, made with oatmeal and quinoa in the slow cooker, is a healthy, hands-off breakfast. Just add fresh berries and a splash of milk to serve!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups steel-cut oatmeal see note 1
- 1/2 cup white quinoa
- 5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk or water; I prefer almond milk!
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Toppings as desired see note 2
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker generously with cooking spray or line with a slow cooker liner. In a mesh strainer, rinse quinoa under cold water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Let dry.
- Combine steel-cut oats, rinsed quinoa, almond milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon (if desired) in the slow cooker.
- Stir everything together, place the lid on the slow cooker, and set it to low for 1 hour. Then, without opening the slow cooker or disturbing it (otherwise heat escapes!), switch the dial to the warm setting. Allow to cook overnight for 8–9 hours (longer than that and it becomes mushy; see note 3).
- Once you wake up, immediately turn it off and stir in the oats. They may still have some liquid, but it continues to soak in as they are served (I like them better with extra liquid rather than dry and mushy/gummy!) These oats are intended to be creamy.
- Check the post above for more serving suggestions, but add your favorite toppings such as fresh fruit, an extra splash of milk, additional brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup, and a big scoop of nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter, etc.).
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Do not use regular old-fashioned, rolled, or quick oats—they won’t work. If you use instant or quick-cooking steel-cut oats, (Be sure to check the package—sometimes it’s hard to tell if they are instant steel-cut oats), it will be done in about 6–8 hours. For best results, I recommend regular steel-cut oatmeal.
Note 2: Optional toppings: 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, fresh berries, a splash of milk, and additional sugar for topping.
Note 3: Different cooking options:
- For morning brunch: Cook on low for 2-1/2 to 4 hours. I don’t recommend cooking overnight steel-cut oats on the high setting.
- Overnight—with quick-cooking steel-cut oats: Cook on low for 30 minutes, then turn to warm for 6–7 hours.
- Overnight—with regular steel-cut oats: Cook on low for 1 hour, then turn to warm for 8–9 hours.
- Note that not all slow cookers cook the same. If your slow cooker has a tendency to cook quicker, it may be done sooner than the times indicated. If it is left in the slow cooker too long, it will likely become mushy and gummy. If your slow cooker cooks slower and oats/quinoa aren’t tender, turn the slow cooker back on to low for 30 or so minutes in the morning.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Calcium: 291mg | Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Overnight Steel Cut Oats Recipe Tips
- Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Smaller ones haven’t been tested.
- Grease or line well. Makes cleanup easier.
- Keep the lid on. Don’t peek or it won’t cook right.
- Use only steel-cut oats. Rolled or quick oats turn mushy.
- Choose almond milk. Adds creaminess and won’t curdle overnight. Water works in a pinch, but skip cow’s milk.
I hope it was enjoyed! 🙂
Crock pot liners will help manage the clean up on this task
Yes for sure! 🙂
Loved this. Much better than recipes with just Steel Cut Oats. Didn’t stick to slow-cooker and was very fluffy and moist. The recipe indicates 6 servings. Can you tell me the serving size as it seems like it is more than a cup serving size.
That is SO great to hear! 🙂 Thank you so much for your comment and trying out this recipe! 🙂 I’m not sure the exact serving size, but essentially divide everything made into 6 equal parts and each part will be 1 serving 🙂
I only have a 1.5 qt slow cooker – if I cut the recipe proportionately, would I also cut the cook time? I assume the recipe uses a 5-6 qt size. Any insight would be great.
I’m not sure since I’ve never used a 1.5 slow cooker but I definitely think the cook time would be a lot shorter. Wish I could be of more help!
I’ve made this twice now and my whole family loves it (even my quinoa-hater hubby). My two-year-old asks for it all the time now, which is okay because it actually makes great leftovers! I just store it in a big ziplock in the fridge, dump out the portions into bowls, add a little milk, microwave, and ta-da! This recipe has been a lifesaver!!!
By the way, I use an outlet timer (ya know, the kind you plug into the wall and plug your Christmas light in) to tell my crockpot when to come on, and it works perfectly!
I totally gave it 5 stars, but it kept changing it to 3! Weird!
Haha no worries! Sometimes the ratings do that, I have no idea why?! Ha! Thank you!
That is so great to hear! 🙂 Thank you so much Kristin! 🙂 And what a genius thing to use an outlet timer — so smart! And I love how you reheat the leftovers — that’s perfect!!
Can I just use one of the slow cooker liners instead of spraying and make it easier to clean up?
Absolutely! 🙂
To avoid having a messy slow cooker bowl to deal with: put all your ingredients in a heat proof bowl that fits inside your slow cooker bowl. Place the bowl in the slow cooker bowl and pour just boiled water into the slow cooker until it reaches the same level as the porridge ingredients. Then turn slow cooker on. It’s like a double boiler and works wonderfully. I use a Pyrex bowl that I leave the porridge in and put it in the fridge after its cooled & just reheat what I want every day. The bowl doesn’t get too messy and I put it in the dishwasher anyway. And the slow cooker doesn’t even really need a clean. I’ve done many batches like this and it works perfectly. But I do on high for a couple of hours while I’m at home rather than overnight. I’ve done oats & quinoa this way but was looking for a combination when I found your website. This method will make your experiments much easier – I know it has for me. So much I bought another Pyrex bowl!
Thank you so much for your tips Alison!!
Reynolds Wrap has a product called a Slowcooker Liner. It is a disposable BPA Free plastic liner that you put in your slow cooker, and when the food is cooked and you’ve ladled it out, you throw the liner away and your crockpot is spotless.
Steel cut oats in the slowcooker, is awesome to use a liner for. I make one batch per week, eat it fresh one day, and then put it in individual containers and just heat in the microwave.
Great, great tips!! Thanks so much for sharing with everyone DonCam! 🙂 Love that you have breakfast for the whole week!!
I did not see it on here; or I overlooked it. But how long is it good for once it is cooked? I want to do some breakfast meal prep and was hoping this would be good for a few days after it was cooked?
I think it’s best the day it’s made. After that it becomes a bit mushy…
Hello there!
This looks so amazing and am going to try it asap – I just wondered could I add chia seeds (& maybe some flaxseeds too) in the slow cooker too? Or do they have to be added at the end? I love adding chia seeds to breakfast, but with oatmeal, prefer not to have crunchy chia seeds!
Thank you so much for a lovely recipe! 😃
Thanks Kellie! I’d add them at the end or soak them separately and add at the end!
has anyone tried 2 cups almond milk and 2 cups water for 4 cups total liquid? I made the recipe with just almond milk and it was to die for but just curious