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Slow Cooker Oatmeal in bowls with sliced oranges on top
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4.84 from 6 votes

Slow Cooker Oatmeal with Winter Fruit

This vegan-friendly Slow Cooker Oatmeal with Winter Fruit uses heart-healthy steel-cut oats, cranberries, and oranges for a healthy and hearty breakfast. 
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 5 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 214kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup steel cut oats Use gluten-free oats if needed
  • 1 ¼ cups water
  • 1 ¼ cups milk OR milk subsitute
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (*See Recipe Notes)
  • ¼ cup sugar, or more (to taste) Or substitute molasses, agave syrup, or honey
  • 2 oranges, blood oranges, clementines, or mandarins
  • To serve: more milk or milk-substitute (optional)

Instructions

  • Spray or brush oil into slow cooker basin.  DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!!
  • Add oats, water, milk, and cranberries to the slow cooker basin. Stir and cook on low 6-8 hours.
  • Sometimes oats will stick to the side while cooking. To help with this, stir the oats about an hour into cooking. If you're doing this overnight, don't worry about it.
  • Add sugar to taste, stirring to incorporate into the oats.
  • Peel and slice the oranges, and add extra milk if desired.  Serve oats with toppings while hot.
  • Cleaning Tip: After you scoop all the oats out of the slow cooker basin, clean immediately or pour hot soapy water inside above the oatmeal line.

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. 
Recipe Variations: 
  • Dried Cranberries: Use ½ cup dried cranberries instead.  Stir these in after the oatmeal is done cooking.
  • Change the fruit: Swap the cranberries for diced apple.
  • Fresh Fruit Only: Skip the cranberries, and add extra fruit to the oats after cooking.  Kiwi or banana slices would be perfect.
  • Pumpkin Oats: Skip the cranberries, and add ½ cup pumpkin purée instead.  Add 1 tsp each: ground cinnamon and clove.  Sweeten with brown sugar.  Top with bananas and/or walnuts.
Leftovers: These oats are best when eaten right away.  If you've got leftovers, eat them within a day, and add a little extra milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 214kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 240mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 285IU | Vitamin C: 38.2mg | Calcium: 122mg | Iron: 1mg