Slow Cooker Maple Spiced Steel Cut Oats and Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c steel cut oats (do not use old fashioned or quick cook oats)
- 1/2 c quinoa rinsed (or purchase pre-rinsed)
- 3-4 c water depending on how thick you want your oatmeal to be
- 2 c milk
- 2 Tbs chia seeds
- 2 Tbs ground flaxseed
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 2 Tbs maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbs cinammon
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp allspice
Garnishes
- Sliced almonds
- Dried cranberries
- Additional brown sugar
- Chopped apples
- Additional cinnamon nutmeg, or allspice
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Rinse quinoa well, using a fine mesh sieve. (Skip this step if you bought pre-rinsed quinoa)
- Combine all ingredients except garnishes in slow cooker, stir well to combine.
- Set on high for 2-3 hours, stirring after an hour and a half so you know how much longer to cook it. This will depend on how hot your slow cooker gets. (See note below.)
- Oats are finished when they reach the consistency you desire - I like mine to still be slightly chewy, so I cooked mine for just over 2 hours.
- Turn off heat and serve topped with dried cranberries, sliced almonds, extra brown sugar, or whatever you like!
Notes
The recipe I adapted this from said to cook it on low for 7 hours or high for 4, but mine would have been burnt to a crisp if I let it go that long. Use your best judgement depending on how quickly your particular slow cooker operates.
If you want to make this recipe to save for later, use a muffin tin to divide the remaining cooked oats and quinoa. Let cool completely on the counter, then place in the freezer for a few hours. Remove oats from muffin tin once frozen, store in a freezer safe ziplock bag, and keep in freezer until ready to eat. Reheat in microwave, top with garnishes, and enjoy!