Slow Cooker Fabulous! Chocolate Steel-Cut Oats

Following my success of making steel-cut oats in the slow cooker overnight, I decided to give it a whirl with the ultimate comfort breakfast, chocolate. 

Inspiration

My own recipes of cranberry-orange steel-cut oats and ginger-pear-apple steel-cut oats

Ingredients

5 servings, 152 calories

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 3 1/3 cups water
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Heavy shake cinnamon

Directions

Put all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low overnight (6-8 hours). 

Before cooking.

In the morning you'll have thick, tasty, hearty chocolate steel-cut oats.

The next morning.

Verdict

I sometimes make chocolate oats as a single bowl, but I've never made a whole batch like this. I was a little afraid that I wouldn't have enough ideas for what to mix in and I'd get bored with the flavor, but I totally loved it.  My favorite mix-in was raisins, it like a bowl full of Raisinets candy!  The pear was a little overwhelmed by the powerful chocolate flavor, so next time I'll stick with raisins and maybe some diced apple and peanut butter.  Banana would also be good.  I also love spicy Mayan oatmeal, with a dash or two of cayenne and a heavy dash of cinnamon.

I think steel-cut oats in the slow cooker is going to be my go-to oatmeal/porridge recipe for the fall and winter.  Making a large batch for several days and waking up to the scent of breakfast is so comforting.