During the week I always eat my breakfast on-the-go. With the mornings being so chilly, I’ve foregone my a.m. smoothies for a warmer, hearty option- oatmeal! Growing up I loved oatmeal…of the pre-packaged dump-in-a-bowl-with-water-super-sweet variety… but now I’m going for a grown-up healthy version using steel-cut oats. The best part? I can make it ahead the night before so it’s ready to go in the morning!
Steel-cut oats are different from rolled oats in that they are whole grain oats that have been cut into small pieces on a steel mill. There’s not too much of a health difference between the two, (as long as the oats don’t have added sugars, flavors and preservatives) but I like how the steel-cut oats hold up when cooked, not so pastey, and taste.
This recipe is so, so easy! I suggest using a crock pot liner to make cleaning even easier. This is great for on-the-go (I take mine to work and eat it at my desk) and especially great to get the kids fed during the morning rush. I usually make the banana-nut version below but feel free to experiment with your favorite fruits and nuts! Here’s a few other flavor suggestions:
Apple-Cinnamon: Use the below recipe substituting chopped apple in place of the mashed banana.
Blueberry-Almond: Use chopped almonds (or slivers) and top your bowl with fresh blueberries.
Strawberry-Banana: Use below base recipe (minus cinnamon & nutmeg) and add fresh strawberries to your bowl.
Have another amazing flavor combination? Share in the comments below!
Overnight Slow-Cooker Banana-Nut Steel-Cut Oats
Ingredients:
1 cup Steel-Cut Oats
2 cups Water
2 cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
2 tbsp. Honey
1 Ripe Banana (2 if bananas are small)
½ cup Chopped Walnuts
1 tbsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Banana slices and chopped walnuts to add to top
Peel banana(s) and place in a bowl, mashing with a fork until smooth. Add all ingredients (except the banana slices and reserved walnuts for garnish) to crock pot; stir to combine. Set crock-pot on low for up 8 hours overnight. In the morning, stir to make sure everything is combined and you are ready to serve. Spoon into a bowl, top with sliced bananas and chopped walnuts… maybe an extra drizzle of honey for added sweetness… and you are good to go!
Makes about 4-5 servings, leftovers should be refrigerated. To heat, put in microwave safe bowl and nuke for about a 1:30 minutes, adding more almond milk or water to reconstitute. Eat up!
Leave a Reply