Slow cooker Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal

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Slow cooker strawberries and cream oatmeal is just as decadent and lovely as its name implies. Fresh strawberries are slow cooked together with steel-cut oats to a creamy and lush consistency. The ultimate breakfast treat.

Steel cut oats are practically made for slow cookers. They can cook low and slow all night and allow you to wake up to a warm and wonderful breakfast.

Since oatmeal is so versatile, you can flavor it just about any way you like. Around the holidays, it is great to wake up to the smell of gingerbread oatmeal wafting through your kitchen. But in the warmer months, strawberries and cream overnight oats are the perfect morning greeting.

This is particularly true during strawberry season! We love to pick them but tend to pick way more than we can eat. I am always on the hunt for great recipes to use the strawberries that are just about to turn. Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast is another delicious breakfast option.

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To make this easy strawberry oatmeal recipe you will need:

• Strawberries
• Steel-cut oats
• Milk of choice
• Vanilla extract
• Maple syrup (optional)
• Non-stick cooking spray

🥣Assembly

Start by cleaning and cutting your strawberries. Set these aside and spray your slow cooker with a non-stick cooking spray of your choice.

Place steel-cut oatmeal, followed by syrup (if using), vanilla, and about ¾ of the strawberries in your slow cooker. Add in your milk and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (overnight) or on high for 3-4 hours. The longer you cook your crock pot oatmeal, the creamier it will become.

🍽Serving suggestions

When you are ready to serve your strawberry oats, scoop some into a bowl. Top with reserved chopped strawberries as garnish and your healthy breakfast is ready to serve.

This easy recipe is not super sweet as is. If you prefer it sweeter (as I do!), you can add in your sweetener of choice. My favorite way to sweeten this dish is by stirring in some mashed up bananas.

🔁Substitutions

There are a lot of different ways to personalize your creamy oats. Some favorites include:

• topping with a drizzle of honey and some freshly sliced bananas.
• stirring in some brown sugar and a few dashes of cinnamon
• mixing in some chia seeds for extra crunch and protein
• swapping maple syrup with strawberry syrup for extra strawberry flavor
• substituting almond extract for vanilla extract
• mixing in some Greek yogurt for extra protein and creaminess
• stirring in some peanut butter or almond butter for a totally different flavor and protein boost.

Note about milk:

You can use any type of milk you like for this recipe. We prefer non-dairy milk, so almond milk, cashew milk, and soy milk are my top choices. If you choose dairy milk, using whole milk will give your bowl of oatmeal a softer texture. But it is just as delicious (and a bit healthier) with fat-free.

Storing crock-pot oatmeal

This overnight slow cooker oatmeal recipe makes way more than we could possibly eat in one morning. However, leftovers are awesome and make for an easy weekday breakfast. Added bonus: strawberry oatmeal is amazing served warm or cold so leftovers are perfect for grab-and-go mornings.

Store strawberry oats leftovers in airtight containers. They will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. Storing in individual serving sized containers or jars is the perfect way to serve breakfast on subsequent busy weekday mornings.

😉Hints and hacks

1. Oatmeal becomes thicker as it sits. If you would like to lose yours up a bit, stir in additional milk.
2. If you choose to freeze oatmeal, one space saving option is to freeze in muffin or cupcake tins. Once fully frozen, you can remove from tins and easily store in the freezer in zipper-top bags.
3. The easiest way to reheat frozen or refrigerated oatmeal is in the microwave.
4. Looking for some different hot oatmeal options? Try peanut butter and jelly oatmeal or chocolate chip cookie dough oatmeal.
5. In the market for a new slow cooker? Here is the one I am currently lusting after.
6. While cooking, strawberry oats can sometimes form a skin or even a crust on top. If this happens, just stir it thoroughly and it will dissolve right back in.
7. I always recommend a slow cooker liner for easy clean-up. This is, of course, an optional step.
8. This recipe calls for steel cut oatmeal. I would not recommend any other type of oats.

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