Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal

Slow cooker pumpkin oatmeal is a wholesome healthy recipe perfect for fall mornings! Made with warm spices and tender pears for a naturally sweet taste. Cook overnight and wake up to a hot nutritious breakfast waiting for you in the kitchen. Plus, your house will smell like freshly baked pastries!

Let’s add a fall flavor to the most important meal of the day. This pumpkin slow cooker steel cut oatmeal has all of the right ingredients for a warm and cozy, effortless meal. I’m going to show you how to take simple ingredients and transform them in your slow cooker for your new morning go-to recipe.

Each bowl is bursting with warm spices, tenderly cooked pears, naturally sweet pumpkin puree, and nutritious oats. Grab your trusty slow cooker and let’s get to it! Each bowl of this breakfast is gently cooked to ensure the steel cut oats thicken into creamy oatmeal with a little bit of chew. It’s delicious!

The slow cooking process unlocks and infuses the wonderful flavors of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, all of the lovely notes you would want in a classic pumpkin pie, but so much healthier for you!

The health benefits of Steel Cut Oats

There are many great nutritional benefits of eating steel cuts oats! They come from the same plant as rolled and instant oats, but the difference is in how they are processed. Steel cut oats come from the whole grain, in which the kernel is cut into very thin slices, which helps it retain more protein and fiber.

In just ¼ cup of dried oats, you get 5 grams of fiber, 2 grams coming from insoluble fiber. This is unique because some studies have shown d-beta-glucan contained in insoluble fiber, is associated with improved blood sugar levels in diabetes and improved cholesterol levels.

It also contains complete protein containing all the essential amino acids, providing 7 grams of protein per ¼ cup serving. The whole grain oats also provide natural sources of B vitamins and iron. There are also gluten free steel cut oats available in the market for any individual dietary needs.

The biggest surprise when you lift the lid after HOURS of anticipation is that the pears all float to the top! Each piece of simmered pear is super tender, adding extra layers of flavor and juicy fruit to each spoonful. It’s pretty amazing 🙂

Let’s talk about toppings for a minute, and this is where you get to have a little fun! Even though there are lots of spices already in the oatmeal, I like to add a sprinkle of extra cinnamon to make those spices POP.

If you like a like crunch and sweetness, grab some of your favorite dried or fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds. I added diced pear, cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds and a little bit of granola I had in my pantry.

A little drizzle of maple syrup and honey would be a nice touch too. I’ve also been using a lot of liquid stevia to naturally sweeten my meals without adding extra calories. The pumpkin is a super food that contains beta-carotene which converts to vitamin A, essential for eye health, and just one cup contains seven grams of fiber and three grams of protein, and we’ve got TWO cups in this recipe, boom!

This pumpkin slow cooker steel cut oat recipe is the easiest way to meal prep so that you can reheat on demand. No excuses for not getting a wholesome breakfast, especially when it’s got so many nutritional benefits to energize you at the start of your day!

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Slow Cooker Pumpkin Oatmeal

Healthy oatmeal breakfast recipe perfect for fall mornings. Made with warm spices and tender pears for a naturally sweet taste.

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4.59 from 77 votes

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time4 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups steel cut oats
• ▢ 15 ounces pumpkin puree
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ginger, ground
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon cloves, ground
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 3 cups pears, ¼-inch dice, Bosc or Barlett, skin on, about 2 pears
• ▢ 6 cups water
• ▢ 2 cups milk

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Add all of the ingredients into a 6 quart sized slow cooker. Stir to combine.
• Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on high heat for 4 hours, or on low heat for 8 hours. Oats can be cooked overnight. Oats are ready when thickened and tender.
• Add toppings if desired.

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Notes

• Topping Suggestions: Pecans, diced fruit, dried fruit, seeds, maple syrup, honey or stevia.
• Milk Substitutes: unsweetened cashew, almond, soy, coconut or other dairy.
• You can substitute apples for pears.
• You can make the oatmeal with 8 cups of water and then top with milk when serving instead.
• I don't add sweetener to the oats when cooking because I think it has a nice natural sweetness already. Also, this allows you to add sweetener later as desired. If you do want to add some additional sweetness, try ¼ cup maple syrup or honey added to the slow cooker during cooking.
• Cooked oats last one week refrigerated in a tightly sealed container. You can portion the oats in individual servings and refrigerate or freeze for a meal prep option.

Nutrition Facts

Serves: 8 servings

Calories 217kcal (11%)Carbohydrates 38g (13%)Protein 8g (16%)Fat 4g (6%)Saturated Fat 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat 1gSodium 198mg (8%)Potassium 143mg (4%)Fiber 7g (28%)Sugar 4g (4%)Vitamin A 8300IU (166%)Vitamin C 33.8mg (41%)Calcium 160mg (16%)Iron 2.7mg (15%)

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.