In the morning, I’m all about simplicity. I could eat eggs topped with melted cheese or a fresh fruit smoothie every day.
I totally dig a warm bowl of oats topped with fresh fruit and nut butter too, but I typically don’t have the time that it takes to make a hearty bowl. And I’m not an instant oat type of girl. Gag!
Steel cut oats are the real deal. I think mostly because they seem so special in our house, we eat them on rare occasions or the weekend when I have some extra time. But who has extra time, really?
When steel cut oats met the slow cooker, it was love at first bite. I no longer have to stir my morning away when I have a hankering for oatmeal. Toss them in the slow cooker the night before and forget it!
Note: When making oats in the slow cooker, don’t forget to coat the pot with cooking spray or else you’ll spend more time cleaning up the sticky mess than it takes to make them the old-fashioned way. Rookie mistake.
Cherry Almond Steel Cut Oats made in Slow Cooker
Recipe by Kristina LaRue
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups vanilla almond milk
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Toppings: almond butter, chia seeds, golden flax seeds, sliced almonds, fresh sliced cherries
Instructions
- Coat slow cooker with cooking spray or butter. Place all ingredients (except toppings) in slow cooker, cover, and cook on low heat for 8 hours.
- Spoon warm oatmeal into 4 mason jars. Top with a spoonful of almond butter, chia seeds, golden flax seeds, sliced almonds, and sliced cherries.