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Did you know you can cook oats overnight? Wake up to the most delicious Slow Cooker Porridge! Ridiculously easy to make and perfect to have breakfast ready on a busy morning.
Is there a warmer way to start the day than with a bowl of piping hot porridge?
I love a hearty, hot breakfast, and starting the day with oats is always a surefire way to more energy, staying full and sending the kids off to school with their tummies full of goodness.
I’ve taken this favourite breakfast and found a way to cook it overnight while you’re asleep.
Meet my Slow Cooker Porridge (or Slow Cooker Oatmeal if you prefer).
Why you’ll love this Slow Cooker Porridge recipe
⭐️ Nutritious and filling
⭐️ Inexpensive and ready for all your favourite toppings
⭐️ Ready the moment you wake up!
How we came up with this recipe
The only issue with hot porridge on a cold morning (or even a not-so-cold one!) is it involves precious time and making a slight mess of the kitchen – and these things are NOT an option for busy midweek days.
So in order to solve this, I wanted to create a recipe using our trusty slow cookers that allowed us to avoid processed breakfasts, but was still super speedy for those rushed mornings.
This is where Slow Cooker Porridge comes into its own.
After lots of testing, I’ve come up with some foolproof hints and tips for the best technique. I hope you love this breakfast as much as we do ❤️
Slow Cooker Porridge Ingredients Notes
- Oats – I strongly recommend using jumbo oats as these will keep more of their texture when cooked for a long period
- Milk – I’ve tried this with cow’s milk, oat and almond milk and also just water. All of them work well. I think almond milk is my favourite in this recipe, but it’s down to personal choice
- Salt – This is optional but it really does finish off the porridge well and adds flavour, so I recommend adding it
- Toppings – Customise these with whatever you prefer. There are some ideas below – choose your favourite or mix and match!
Topping suggestions
➡️ Fruit – Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, raspberries, cherries, peaches, blackberries, pears, apples
➡️ Dried snacks – Dates, raisins, coconut, chia seeds, nuts
➡️ Flavouring – Cocoa powder, nutmeg, ginger, honey, cinnamon, nut butters, vanilla, maple syrup
How to make Slow Cooker Porridge
- Mix all ingredients in the slow cooker. Put the lid on.
- Set your timer to start cooking 3 hours before your breakfast time.
- Stir well, serve and add your chosen toppings.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully before serving or eat cold. You may need to loosen up again with a little extra liquid when reheating.
In the freezer I wouldn’t recommend freezing cooked porridge. It will go mushy and not very appetising when defrosted again.
Top tip
How to stop your porridge becoming too smooth and slimy
If this happens, it’s probably been cooked for too long (or if you use rolled oats).
I’d really recommend buying a timer for your slow cooker. I love this one: Tp Link Tapo Smart Plug.
You can program it from an app on your phone. Set it to switch your slow cooker on in the early hours and it’ll be perfectly timed to be ready in time for breakfast. SO GOOD!
This recipe really only needs 3 hours, so if you leave it for much longer it won’t have the best results.
More breakfast recipes with oats…
FAQs
The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew Slow Cooker is my all-time favourite because you can use it for initial browning on the hob and it’s really light.
I wrote up a whole slow cooker review though, where you might find another one to suit your needs. Have a read here.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Slow Cooker Porridge {Easy Recipe!}
Ingredients
- 80 grams Jumbo oats, See notes
- 950 ml Milk, See notes
- 1/2 tsp Salt, Optional
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in the slow cooker. Put the lid on.
- Set your timer to start cooking 3 hours before your breakfast time.
- Mix well, serve and add your choice of toppings.
Notes
Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, raspberries, cherries, peaches, blackberries, pears, apples ➡️ Dried snacks
Dates, raisins, coconut, chia seeds, nuts ➡️ Flavouring
Cocoa powder, nutmeg, ginger, honey, cinnamon, nut butters, vanilla, maple syrup
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi Sarah. This recipe has been life changing for us! Thanks so much and for the smart plug tip. We wake up to porridge 2-3 times a week and the portion feeds all three of us. We can all add what we like but it really keeps you going all morning.
Have you ever used the stock pot bags that you put inside? I’m considering them to avoid the scrubbing when washing up 😂
I don’t know if this helps or not, but we put the oats and milk in a bowl inside the slow cooker, so we can just put that in to soak/in the dishwasher instead.
I’m sure the liners would work too though ☺️