This creamy slow cooker pumpkin steel-cut oats recipe is thick and creamy and tastes like fall. It has sweet pumpkin and gluten free steel cut oats with hints of vanilla bean, cinnamon, and coconut sugar flavors. They are just the perfect amount of sweetness to start your day. It is an easy breakfast to feed a crowd. Top it with your favorite mix-ins like raisins and nuts!
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Chilly days mean pumpkin everything! Granted, you can eat pumpkin any time of year, but it just seems to taste the best when the hot summer has gone away. Basically, it’s sweaters, fall decorations, and pumpkins as soon as the feel of autumn hits the air.
If you love breakfast as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my gluten free breakfast recipes!
Why this gluten free slow cooker steel-cut oats is so good:
- One of the things I love most about this slow cooker pumpkin oats recipe is how easy it is to make.
- There is no pre-cooking needed. Dump all of the ingredients into your slow cooker. A few hours later, you have a ready-made breakfast.
- You can freeze the extras, so you have an easy breakfast any time!
- The aroma of fall flavors makes your house smell like fall!
Steel-cut oats are chopped oat groats with a coarse, chewy texture. They take a long time to cook on a stovetop, which is one reason I love making them in my slow cooker. They have a nutty flavor with slightly higher fiber content and lower glycemic index. In comparison, rolled oats are steamed and flattened, have a soft, smooth texture, and cook quickly, often in 5-10 minutes. Rolled oats also have a smoother, less crunchy flavor.
A note on oats and cross-contamination:
If you are gluten free, it is critical to make sure your oats are gluten free!! Oats are naturally gluten free, but they are usually grown near wheat fields. Oats can get cross-contaminated all along with processing.
Some of my favorite brands are Quaker Gluten-Free Oats and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions:
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker.
Step 2: Turn the slow cooker on high for 3 hours or low for 5 hours.
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When the oats are ready, add milk and stir it up to make them nice and creamy! (Sorry, this photo isn’t great, the steam from the heat made getting a photo tough!)
Stovetop Directions:
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add in all of the ingredients.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer with the pot covered for 15-20 minutes.
- Stir frequently.
Try these tasty toppings!
While I topped my steel-cut oats with almonds and pumpkin seeds, you can actually use several other ingredients in this versatile recipe. Try some of these ideas out:
- Nuts – I love the flavor combination of almonds and oats, but you can actually use any kind of nut you like. Walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts are just a few ideas.
- Chocolate Chips – Pumpkin and chocolate go hand in hand together, so it makes sense that a few chocolate chips would taste great in this recipe.
- Raisins – They add a delightful sweetness without adding refined sugar. Try it out!
- Bananas – Slice a few bananas and toss them on the cooked oats. Tastes amazing and fills you up.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I think a 4 to 1 ratio is best. I did 2 cups of oats to 8 cups of liquid in this recipe.
Steel-cut oats are oats that have been less processed than rolled oats. Even though steel-cut and rolled oats start as the same thing, you can tell right away that they have a huge difference in taste and texture.
If you love the texture of your breakfast, steel-cut oats usually remain firm after cooking and will give you a lovely nutty taste. If you want to cook a bowl of steel-cut oats for breakfast, you will find that they take a lot longer than minute oats to cook! They are full of nutrients and a fantastic addition to your diet.
No, this is why steel-cut oats are my very favorite! When you make these slow-cooker pumpkin steel-cut oats, they will not be slimy at all!! Leaving them in the slow cooker all night might lead you to believe they will overcook, but they will be perfect.
That is why using steel-cut oats instead of old-fashioned ones is essential. They are intended to be much more firm when you eat them.
These oats will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container or up to 4 months in the freezer.
More Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipes:
Here are some of my go-to recipes for you to try out. I have a lot of gluten free pumpkin recipes because I love pumpkin all year long!
- Everyone loves this Easy Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread recipe.
- This is truly The Perfect Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe
- If you have leftover candy, make this easy Halloween Candy Gluten Free Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe.
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If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
Slow Cooker Gluten Free Pumpkin Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free steel cut oats
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 8 cups water
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Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to your slow cooker.
- Cover with the lid and cook on low for 4 hours.
Notes
- It is critical to use certified gluten free oats if you are Celiac. Cross-contamination runs high in regular oats.
- This oatmeal will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
If you have leftovers, can you refrigerate and reheat?
Hi Karena, Yes…we refrigerate and then reheat this often.