Looking for a bone-warming fall breakfast recipes that’s as easy as it is tasty? These Crockpot Steel Cut Oats with Butternut Squash is your answer, filling your house with the warm aroma of autumn and cooking into creamy perfection while you sleep!
Hello, from past Sarah! Current Sarah is (attempting to) get offline in the first-ever Sarah + tulip-man vacation! We’re in Greece recharging our batteries and eating all the feta cheese (probably), so past Sarah is getting ahead of the ball and writing this before she goes. Because this butternut oatmeal recipe was ready for your kitchens, and she couldn’t deprive you of something this cozy and autumnal.
Ok, third person over. Hi. Let’s talk oatmeal. My slow cooker is a staple appliance this time of year. Something about the cold weather combined with an increasingly long to-do list has me relying on my Crockpot to cook for me.
Usually the meal of choice for cooking in the Crockpot is dinner, but I recently started using it to cook my oatmeal overnight and have fallen in love with the result. I wake up to a house filled with the cozy aroma of grains and spices, and of course, a warm meal ready to go when I roll out of bed!
With it being prime pumpkin and squash season, today we’re doing a deliciously healthy take on my favorite overnight steel cut oats, throwing in some cubed butternut!
What’s the difference between steel cut oats and regular?
Steel cut oats are less processed than regular (or old-fashioned) oats. Steel cut oats have been cut up rather than rolled, giving them an almost rice-like appearance. Because the pieces are larger, they take the longest to cook and have a chewy texture. Regular oats, on the other hand, have been steamed and flattened, helping them to cook faster.
How do you cook steel cut oats?
While you can boil steel cut oats, my favorite way of cooking them is in a slow cooker. Add them to the slow cooker with water (1 cup of oats to every 3 cups of water) and cook overnight into soft and creamy perfection!
Ingredients
- ½ medium butternut squash about 2 cups diced
- 1 cup steel cut oats 150 g
- ¼ cup maple syrup 60 mL
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 3 cups water 720 mL
- To serve: pecans, brown sugar, milk
Instructions
- Prep: Peel, deseed, and roughly chop butternut. Add butternut and all other ingredients to a slow cooker and stir.
- Cook: Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 5 to 7, until oats are soft and butternut is fork-tender.
- Serve: Use a potato masher or large spatula to roughly mash butternut. Stir to evenly incorporate. Serve warm, optionally topped with pecans, brown sugar, and milk ( I love using rich canned coconut milk).
Nutrition Information
This recipe first appeared over on Amanda’s Cookin’, where I’m a contributor.
Carlene says
I made this recipe for my family and it was a huge hit with my toddlers. I was shocked when my husband, who normally dislikes oatmeal, set aside a container of leftovers for himself for tomorrow! I have a question for you, though – have you ever experienced a lot of the oats sticking to the sides of your crockpot? I doubled the recipe and cooked for 8 hours on low and I’d estimate that about one serving ended up stuck to the sides. Any suggestions?
Sarah says
Hi Carlene! I’m so happy to hear everyone liked it!! 😀 I did have a little build up on the sides too, but found that it was less when I used a slow cooker liner (plus it makes clean up SO much easier). Thanks for pointing that out!
Sue Miller says
I just tried this overnight and it was delicious! I left out the maple syrup, and it was still sweet because of the butternut squash. Thank you for such an easy and tasty breakfast! Great with vanilla unsweetened almond milk, too. I even fed some to my hens this morning since it’s so cold here in Vermont today:)
Sarah says
So happy you (and the hens) liked it!! We’re thinking of getting backyard chickens here as well, now I know a breakfast for them 😀
Hilary says
I have a question. Do you think frozen squash would be okay? Thank you very much. I can’t wait to make this.
Sarah says
Yep that should be fine with this recipe! 😀
Niki says
Wow, this looks and sounds extraordinary! Love the idea of using the crockpot for “breaky” and finding new ways to use up all the butternut squash😜 Also, nice to know what to do with the couple cans of coconut milk that have been sitting in the pantry for awhile..thank you!!
Sarah says
It’s the BEST way to wake up! 😀 Enjoy!
Val says
This is such a hearty, delicious breakfast! The combination of the squash and maple syrup create the perfect level of sweetness and the spices add a nice depth and warmth. Will be making this all winter.