Start your day off with this creamy, cozy hot chocolate oatmeal! Stir everything together the night before and wake up to a delicious, warming breakfast.
This is actually an updated post from way back in the day (2012 to be exact!).
That’s the year I started The Fork. 🙂
This makes a great breakfast if you have hectic mornings like we do.
Jade and Nat are in second grade and kindergarten, respectively, and they are at two different schools. We are up and at ’em by 6:30am most mornings, and out the door about an hour later.
This gives everyone just enough time to groom and eat, so it can be nice to have a meal that’s ready to go.
This recipe fits the bill perfectly! It’s also filling, energizing, and healthy.
A couple of problems I’ve come across with slow cooker oatmeal:
1) Major stickage, and
2) Crusty, overcooked oats.
The remedy for number one, I’ve found, is to oil or butter your crock before adding everything in. You’ll still get some normal oatmeal goo, but a little elbow grease and Dawn takes care of it.
For number two, I’ve found the method outlined below to be the best.
Being the grandma that I am, I head to bed around 9pm, and if I rise at 6am, that leaves nine hours of slow cook time. If the oats are on LOW that entire time, I’ve found they get that crusty top layer indicative of being cooked too long.
My solution is to add the ingredients into the pot around 7pm, leave it on LOW for two hours, and turn it to KEEP WARM before retiring.
We then wake up to a scrumptious breakfast that tastes like hot chocolate in oatmeal form!
These steel-cut oats cook slowly overnight and yield a chocolat-y bowl of deliciousness in the morning!
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (see Notes)
- 1 Tbsp sweetener (coconut sugar, maple syrup, etc.)
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 8 drops stevia (see Notes)
Blend or mix the water, milk, cocoa, sweetener, vanilla, salt, and stevia.
Stir in the oats.
Oil the inside of your crock pot (this prevents the oatmeal from sticking).
- Pour in the above mixture.
Set your crock pot to LOW for 1-2 hours before you go to bed, and turn it to KEEP WARM before retiring to bed.
Top as desired with a few chocolate chips, milk of your choice, and/or a bit more sweetener.
Enjoy!
Nutrition facts are based on using maple syrup. WW SmartPoints: 9
Notes:
I like to use my Homemade Coconut Milk in this recipe.
This is my favorite stevia (and the most natural brand I have found).
This is the slow cooker I’m working with.
Thiiiiiick and creamy…
Agness of Run Agness Run says
Wow! Such a delightful breakfast recipe! Can’t wait to prepare it, Lauren!
Saguren Redyrs says
Delicious idea! This is going to be great for winter (bookmarked).
Stephanie | The Foodie and The Fix says
I’ve never tried making oatmeal in my slow-cooker before! I know my kids would love this, and what a perfect make-ahead breakfast for a school morning!
Celina says
Hi, there! Just recently found your food blog, and I am quite enamored with it! Doing what I can do make my food healthier, fresher, and “cleaner,” so your tips have been very helpful. Tried this recipe last night. Because of what I had on hand, I used soymilk and a combo of regular white sugar with Stevia. Although I worried about leaving it on low all night (this particular slow-cooker doesn’t have a “Keep Warm” option, only Low and High), it came out wonderfully! Thanks for the recipes – you’ve definitely got a new follower! ♥
Lauren says
Thank you Celina, I’m happy you enjoyed the oatmeal! 🙂
Heather @ The Soulful Spoon says
This is brilliant! I’ve always wanted to know how to cook oats overnight in the slow cooker without a timer! THANK YOU! I love this technique, and it’s so smart! I could definitely do 1-2 hours and then turn to warm. That makes perfect sense- thank you Lauren!:)
Lauren says
Thanks Heather! I haven’t made this recipe in a while, but it has definitely been a past favorite (especially for hectic mornings). 🙂
Eric Wood says
Thanks for the recipe, Lauren! Don’t knock super-ripe bananas. According to Japanese Scientific Research, full ripe banana with dark patches on yellow skin produces a substance called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which has the ability to combat abnormal cells. The more darker patches it has the higher will be its immunity enhancement quality; Hence, the riper the banana the better the anti-cancer quality. Yellow skin banana with dark spots on it is 8x more effective in enhancing the property of white blood cells than green skin version!
Melissa B in IL says
How would you make this on the stove top? Any suggestions to cooking time? thanks
Lauren says
I think steel-cut oats take around 20-30 minutes to cook, but you may have to alter the amount of liquid used in this recipe.
Peggy says
Chocolate and oatmeal! Yum!
Michelle @ Eat Move Balance says
Very interesting about the bananas . . . too bad I don’t really like them when they’re too green. Also, I’ve heard that because digestion of the banana is different when it’s not ripe, that some people experience discomfort as a result. So I’m not sure where the balance is . . .
Lauren says
They don’t have to be super green, you should just see some green on the peel. I’ve actually read the opposite about digestion…perhaps it depends on what you’re sensitive to?…
Gabby @ the veggie nook says
This looks amazing, like I’m drooling!
Interesting about the bananas! I’ve heard before that green bananas are more acid-forming that the ripe ones. I wonder if the benefits you listed outweigh that? Either way, so cool about the resistant starch!
Lauren says
Hahaha, thanks Gabby! I’m sure there are some negatives with anything, but I just wanted to mention this in relation to candida and carbs/calories in particular.
Foods For Beauty says
Can’t wait to see your new place! You must be exhausted. Your oats look scrumptious.
<3
Nicole
Lauren says
Thank you Nicole! 🙂
Natalie @ freshlifefindings says
I’m so glad your move went well Lauren! Excited to see pics of your new place 🙂 this oatmeal looks delicious! I have never made chocolate oatmeal so this must happen ASAP!
Lauren says
Thanks Nat! I hope your move went well also! And yes, you need chocolate oatmeal in your life!
jessielovestorun says
Mmm, sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe hunnie xo