Carrot Cake Slow Cooker Oatmeal
Posted: 12/08/2013
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This carrot cake slow cooker oatmeal tastes indulgent but it is a nutritious, fun, and filling way to start your day.
Slow cooker oatmeal is one of my favorite things. It just doesn’t get much better than throwing a bunch of stuff in the slow cooker before you go to bed (takes only a few minutes!) and waking up to a hot breakfast. Ready and waiting for you.
This recipe makes a lot! You can refrigerate any leftovers and reheat for breakfast the next day.
I’ve done a plain (versatile!) version of slow cooker steel-cut oats and a pumpkin pie slow cooker oatmeal but this version might just be my favorite. It has all the familiar flavors of carrot cake: Carrots (duh), coconut, raisins and warm spices. I’m completely obsessed with the way the golden raisins puff up and turn back into mini grapes. Or something like that.
Loaded with nutritious ingredients like steel cut oats, carrots, and milk, a bowl of carrot cake oatmeal is a satisfying and healthy breakfast option. Just a note: Only use steel cut oats to make this recipe. Don’t use regular rolled oats or quick oats because the long slow cooking will turn them to mush.
Carrot cake slow cooker oatmeal is great for special occasion breakfasts, or as part of your regular breakfast rotation. You’ll love it!
Oatmeal is such a nutritious breakfast!
If the slow cooker isn’t your thing, try making it in your Instant Pot, or bake it. Here’s some recipes to get you started:
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Pan Seared Oatmeal with Fresh Fruit and Yogurt
- Heart Shaped Strawberry Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Easy Granola Recipe (the crunchy way to eat your oats)
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
cups
This carrot cake slow cooker oatmeal tastes indulgent but it is a nutritious, fun, and filling way to start your day.
Ingredients
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 1 cup shredded or julienned carrots
- 1 cup small diced carrots
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut (shredded or flake)
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- toasted walnuts for topping, optional
- brown sugar for topping, optional
- milk for topping, optional
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, combine oats, carrots, raisins, coconut, water, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set on “warm” and cook for 8 hours.
- Serve with brown sugar and toasted walnuts if desired.
Notes
- I use a 6 quart slow cooker and it is nearly full with this recipe. If you have a smaller sized slow cooker (or aren’t feeding an army), you may want to cut the recipe in half.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1cup, Calories: 225kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 99mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 12g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Chanin says
After reading other comments, I halved the recipe & used the recommenced amount of liquid on the back of the steel cut oats container. (according to my container, this recipe (as written), has an additional 3.5-4 cups of liquid that is not needed. (3 cups water/milk to every cup of oats) I also set the timer for 4 hours on low, and it was still very warm when I had breakfast the next morning. Great consistency & flavor. I did use regular raisins & also sweetened coconut.
I will defiantly make again, with my changes.
Rachel Gurk says
I’m glad you liked it! Thanks for leaving a comment with your adaptations!
Anonymous says
I followed the recipe as written and my batch also came out soupy. My slow cooker has ‘low’, ‘warm’ and ‘high’ settings but after reading the owners manual, i discovered the ‘warm’ setting isn’t actually suppose to be used for more than 4 hours. It is a setting to keep the food in the pot warm until being served. Not sure if those of you using the warm setting have a similar crock pot to mine?
I added a cup of quick oats and left it on high for 30 more minutes and it did get a little thicker. Sad to say I was disappointed.
Rachel Gurk says
Sorry to hear that! It works for me every time.
Carmen Koch says
I just hsd the ssme result…watery soupy uncooked. Not syre why the rdcipe has so much water….I just turned it to high.
Rachel Gurk says
It may be a variation in your slow cooker, some are hotter than others. Sorry it didn’t work out for you, we love this recipe!
Ashley says
I made this recipe to have for breakfast this morning and upon going to serve it after the prescribed 8 hours on “warm” it was still like soup. The oats were still quite crunchy and the carrots weren’t cooked. I’ve now turned the heat up to “high” to try cooking everything and getting some of the liquid off…not sure how it will turn out. Not sure why it didn’t turn out when I followed the recipe exactly.
Rachel Gurk says
Oh no! It always works for me but I know every slow cooker is different. Any luck salvaging it?
Alison @ Ingredientsinc.net says
fabulous looking. I pinned, i tweeted I shared on my Facebook page!
Denise says
Yummy
Heather @TheSoulfulSpoon says
Oh my gosh! What a great food blog! I just subscribed and I love your style and photos! Your recipes are also incredible:) I love meeting other bloggers like yourself:) I entered the contest through another website where I found you, so thank you for being a part of such a generous giveaway!:)
Rachel Gurk says
Wow, thank you so much!!!
Julie says
I left a question over with the recipe, but basically, I need to know what to use if your slow cooker doesn’t have a “warm” setting, and just high and low. I’m thinking we need this for these cold, cold mornings (I’m planning on halving the recipe, since there is just the two of us). It looks yummy!
Rachel Gurk says
What size slow cooker do you have? I have a 6qt and even with the double batch it tends to get a bit browned around the edges when I cook it on low instead of warm. If you have a smaller crockpot it might work. I’ve done it both ways and I just stir the browned thick stuff into the soupier part in the middle and it still tastes great. Hope that helps! And I hope it turns out great! :)
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
This looks so good! I have yet to make oatmeal in the slow cooker!
Stephie says
Oh girl, this oatmeal looks just stellar!! Seriously, I can’t wait to make this one.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
I love that we’re on the same page this week!! I seriously will be making slow cooker oatmeal religiously in the coming months!!
Rachel Gurk says
It’s the best thing ever. :)
Julia says
I agree that his would be a great Christmas morning breakfast… or a great breakfast any morning!
Rachel Gurk says
Yes! I agree too. Obviously. ;)