Crock-pot Quinoa Oatmeal

There is something so comforting and soothing about a bowl of oatmeal. It’s warm, filling and is one of my favorite things to eat when starting my day. Oatmeal is amazing for your heart and blood pressure, but these benefits can easily be tossed out the door by hidden sugars in traditional oatmeal packets.

Instant oatmeal seems to lack the simple, hearty consistency that only homemade oats can provide. As much as I would like to make a fresh breakfast every morning, I realize I need to be honest with myself and prepare food ahead of time if I want to make healthy lifestyle choices. This is where the crock-pot comes into play.

Even though I really like cooking, I NEVER look forward to spending hours in the kitchen. Whether you enjoy cooking or not, I think most of us can agree that there is something so fulfilling about eating food you made with your own hands. Crock-pot meals allow you to just dump in all the ingredients, sit back and let the crock-pot do all the work. The best part is it provides you the same satisfaction of preparing your own meal, but you never have to wait by the stove or worry about it burning in the oven. This recipe is built on the basics: steel cut oats, quinoa, water, honey, salt and vanilla extract. Add these ingredients into the crock-pot right before you go to bed and when you wake up you will have warm, delicious and healthy oatmeal for the entire week.

This is a basic oatmeal recipe so please use whatever caters to your needs. I personally like to add blueberries and slivered almonds, but you could add things like cinnamon, pecans, chopped apples or chocolate chips (treat yoself). I usually make a batch of this on the weekend and put it in a thermos for T and I to eat with our smoothies during the week. T was skeptical at first and didn’t think the oatmeal was going to hold him over until lunch. It took a lot for him to acknowledge I was right (like always) and he finally admitted the oatmeal filled him up the first day he had it for breakfast.

This recipe packs a complete protein (quinoa) in it, which provides your body with a healthy and powerful source of nutrients at the beginning of the day. I’ve recently started to add flaxseed and hempseed into the mix for an extra kick of healthy fats and protein. If you’re looking for a nutritious breakfast but don’t have the time to cook every morning, this recipe is for you. When I make this recipe, we usually enjoy it throughout the week. But when I make it ahead of time, I scoop about a half a cup into a standard sized muffin tin and then put them in the freezer until frozen. I then take them out and store them in individual portions to enjoy later. If you all are more interested in how I food prep this recipe, leave a comment below and I will do a separate post on it! Enjoy!

Crockpot Quinoa Oatmeal

Ingredients

3/4 cup quinoa
3/4 cup steel cut oats
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups water

Toppings (these are what I use when I make it)
slivered almonds
blueberries
flaxseed

Directions

Spray crock-pot with coconut oil (to prevent oatmeal from sticking to the sides) and rinse quinoa. Combine quinoa, oats, honey, vanilla extract, salt, and water in slow cooker (I use a 2 1/2 quart size). Stir to combine. Cover and turn slow cooker on low. Let sit for 6-8 hours. When finished cooking, stir in slivered almonds and blueberries. Will keep in fridge in air tight container for five days.

Pin It Now and Save For Later!