Pumpkin pie steel cut oats made in the slow cooker are perfect for fall (or any time of year) and couldn’t be easier to make. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a hot breakfast?
Do you know what is better than waking up to a breakfast that is already made?
NOTHING.
Nothing is better than that. Maybe it’s because I’m still nursing N, but I wake up STARVING (and usually nauseous too, as if 9 months of that weren’t enough). Having breakfast already made starts my day right away and puts a smile on my face.
Even better — a healthy and filling breakfast that isn’t going to have me hungry again at 6AM. Because N gets up for the day at 5AM. So my day starts at 5AM, whether I like it or not. Having a hot breakfast waiting for me makes it slightly more tolerable. Not to mention his adorable dimples. They help a lot too.
Should we take it one step further and talk about what’s even better than a hot breakfast waiting for you?
Well duh, a breakfast that tastes like PIE but doesn’t have the calories of pie.
All good things going on here!
Not only that, but this pumpkin pie steel cut oats recipe could not possibly be easier to make. Throw everything in the slow cooker, stir, cook over night, stir again. All that’s left to do after that is eat.
This recipe is twist on my traditional slow cooker steel cut oats, but is perfect for the time of falling leaves, crisp cool air, and pumpkin obsession. Not crazy about pumpkin? Try carrot cake slow cooker oats. In a hurry? Make Instant Pot steel cut oats.
Don’t forget to have fun with toppings before you eat it. I like a little brown sugar, milk, and some toasted nuts — either pecans or walnuts. Pepitas would be perfect too, keeping with the pumpkin theme. Or maybe you’re craving something a little more indulgent? Go ahead, grab that whipped cream and use it to top your pumpkin pie steel cut oats.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups steel cut oats (don't substitute old fashioned rolled or quick oats!)
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (see note)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Optional toppings: milk, brown sugar, extra pumpkin pie spice, toasted pecans
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 4 to 6-quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray or rub with coconut oil or butter.
- Mix all ingredients in slow cooker.
- Cook on Low, covered, for 7 to 8 hours (overnight is perfect!) or on high for 4 hours, until the oats are tender and the water is absorbed.
- Serve warm with toppings.
Notes
- Canned pumpkin puree is fine. Don't substitute canned pumpkin pie filling which has added sugar and spices.
- Nutrition information does not include optional toppings.
- Leftover oatmeal can be stored in the refrigerator 4 or 6 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or larger amounts on the stove.
- Recipe revised 2/2/2023.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Verdict: Loved this. It makes a humungous batch, so be prepared to eat this all week (extra bonus!).
Husband’s take: He loves eating this before he leaves for work.
Changes I would make: None are necessary!
Difficulty: SO easy.
Followed recipe to a T and still woke up with steel cut soup :( stirred like crazy and now cranking it up to low hoping it thickens.
Sorry it didn’t turn out for you! We love this recipe.
It will thicken after cooking and I found I like a lot more spice in it. I haven’t found the right amount of spice, yet, so I’ve been adding cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to each bowl as I eat it, along with a little brown sugar and dried cranberries. I love it. Since the batch is so big, I freeze a bunch of it for later.
I just tried this last night, followed the recipe exactly, woke up this morning to steel cut oat soup. It tastes awful and is so runny. Why did this not work? I’m so disappointed!
Did you stir it well, scraping the edges? It also thickens a lot as it cools.
Someone suggested to spray the pot with cooking spray so that your ingredients won’t stick to the sides. I don’t like using cooking sprays so I’m going to try something else…
You could easily just rub the sides with butter or any type of non-flavored oil that you prefer. :)
Awesome – thank you!
I cooked on low, since I don’t have warm. It looked goopy at first, but I gave it a good stir and it set up well. There’s a little browned bits on the crock, but the recipe makes so much I don’t care!! Delicious!!
I just made this for my work breakfast, and people are raving about it and asking for your recipe. What a nice change from the typical bagels and danish that people bring in!
Oh that makes me so happy! Thanks for letting me know that it was a hit! :)
Darn. Never mind. I just discovered that most of the oatmeal is stuck to the sides of the crockpot, somewhat browned and all gooped up. My crock pot must have been too hot even though I had it on low…
Hmm — I had that problem originally too when cooking on low but I was able to stir it in and it still tasted great. Does your slow cooker have a “warm” setting? I actually use that for this recipe.
Ugh. I was so excited about this recipe when I put it into my slow cooker last night and I’m sorry to say that this morning, it is oatmeal SOUP. I followed the recipe exactly, but it appears that 9 cups of liquid to 2 cups of oatmeal just isn’t the right ratio. Now to try to salvage it by adding more oatmeal…
This sounds great! My slow cooker only has setting of low or high. Do you think I could get away with cooking them on low for a shorting time – say maybe 6 hours? Can’t wait to smell the house when this is cooking!!
There is a can of steel cut oats in my pantry just begging for me to use in this recipe. The pumpkin is perfectly seasonal, and you can’t go wrong with brown sugar on top (at least not in my house!). Thanks for sharing, Rachel.