What could be better than waking up to a hot, cooked breakfast? Waking up to a hot, cooked breakfast that tastes like pumpkin pie!
Well, not quite... it is still oatmeal after all. But it is delicious, nutritious, requires very little prep, and cooks overnight while you sleep.
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 can (14 oz) full-fat coconut milk
- 6 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla (make your own*)
- 1½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Brown sugar to taste (added to each person's bowl)
Coat a 2.5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray or line your slow cooker with a BPA-free liner.
In a large bowl, stir together all the ingredients except brown sugar until well blended; pour into slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 6 hours. (If you don't have a timer on your slow cooker and would like more than 6 hours of sleep, just cook it during the day and store all of it in the refrigerator to use during the week.)
Serve hot topped with brown sugar. It makes a pretty large batch and it is a very hearty breakfast. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week — I put mine into single-serving glass dishes (with airtight lids), so I can just reheat in the microwave as needed.
* I've been making my own vanilla for a few years now and I am never going back to store-bought. Not only is it less expensive, but it has a richer flavor and aroma too. I was amazed at how easy it is to make and now I make a batch every year around this time to give as Christmas gifts to friends, neighbors, and teachers.
