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This Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal in the Slow Cooker brings all the best fall flavors straight to your bowl—think pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and a drizzle of maple syrup. It’s a hands-off, make-ahead breakfast that’ll keep the whole family happy and satisfied. The best part? It takes just minutes to prep the night before! Great for busy fall mornings!
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- Effortless Mornings: There’s nothing better than a slow cooker recipe! Simply toss everything in before bed, and wake up to the smell of pumpkin spice perfection. This is one of my favorite low-effort breakfasts.
- Packed with Fall Flavor: This recipe is similar to my Slow Cooker Oatmeal recipe, but packed with fall flavors like pumpkin puree, warm spices, and a touch of maple syrup. It’s the ultimate autumn breakfast.
- Healthy and Filling: Oats, pumpkin, and just the right amount of sweetness make this a healthy start to your day. Plus, you can customize with more nutritious toppings!
- Kid-Friendly: This slow cooker oatmeal is like having pumpkin pie for breakfast… but healthy! Your kids will be obsessed just like mine.
- Pumpkin Perfection: We love all things pumpkin especially during the fall. If we’re not making this recipe we’re making Pumpkin Pear Bread, Flourless Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins or these adorable Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts.
The Ingredients
- Steel-cut oats: For slow cooker oatmeal, I recommend using steel cut-oats as they are the heartiest oats and perfect for slow cooking.
- Milk of choice and Water: A combination of water and your milk of choice creates the perfect texture for this oatmeal. Store-bought or homemade almond milk or oat milk all work great here for extra creaminess.
- Pumpkin puree: Adds richness and that irresistible pumpkin flavor. It’s simple to use canned from the store, or you can make your own pumpkin puree!
- Pumpkin pie spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, use a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves to bring out all the fall vibes.
- Maple Syrup (optional): You can add maple syrup to taste before cooking or let everyone customize their bowl by drizzling as much or as little as they want it on top after.
How to Make Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal in the Slow Cooker
Step 1: Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir to combine.
Step 2: Cover and cook on low for 4-8 hours (note that the cooking time can vary depending on your crock pot. Crock pots without non-stick surfaces tend to get hotter, so you’ll want to stick closer to a 5 hour cooking time).
Tips and Tricks
- Overnight Oats Made Easy: This is a great make ahead breakfast. Set the slow cooker to low before you go to bed, and by morning, you’ll have a warm, hearty meal waiting for everyone.
- Type of Oats: Use steel cut oats for this recipe. They hold up better than rolled oats when it comes to slow cooking.
- The Cook Time: Keep in mind that the cooking time can vary depending on your crock pot. Crock pots without non-stick surfaces tend to get hotter, so you’ll want to stick closer to a 5 hour cooking time.
- Custom Toppings: Stir in some dried cranberries, raisins, chopped apples, walnuts, or pecans, or a handful of chocolate chips right before serving for an extra treat.
- Storing Leftovers: If you have any leftover oatmeal (although it’s so good, you might not!), store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of milk to loosen it up.
More Irresistible Oatmeal Recipes
There’s nothing better than pumpkin recipes, especially in the fall! This oatmeal is one of our go-to’s! It’s simple to make, delicious and kids absolutely love it! Be sure to let me know in the comments how it turned out!
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Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal in the Crock Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups milk of choice
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 1 cup steel cut oats
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-8 hours (note that the cooking time can vary depending on your crock pot. Crock pots without non-stick surfaces tend to get hotter, so you’ll want to stick closer to a 5 hour cooking time).
Notes
- You can also use oat, almond, rice or any plant based milk if you want to make the oatmeal vegan.
I made this recipe and substituted coconut milk. My .daughter couldn’t get enough of it. It is in crockpot again tonight. I put it on warm all night and it turned out great. Thanks for all of your great recipes! I have shared your website with all of friends!
I made the pumpkin oatmeal and both my husband and I loved it. I bet in winter states it would be even awesomer!
Since you and some of your readers have a Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker, I have also made something similar in the rice cooker on porridge/prewashed setting. I mix up the following in the rice cooker pot the night before:
– 1 c steel cut oats
– 19oz (just shy of 2.5c) water
– 12 oz pumpkin puree
– about 1 tsp of pumpkin spice (or equivalent spices)
– raisins or other dried fruit, nuts like almonds (optional)
In the rice cooker with timer.. so easy and easy clean up with the no-stick rice pot.
My < 2y.o. son used to like the oatmeal with dried fruit, but he LOVES the pumpkin variation.
I tried this it tasted great but it stuck to the side of my crockpot so bad!
Oatmeal soup?! Do you mean that the oatmeal didn’t absorb the liquid? Did the oatmeal cook? Maybe try cooking it on the stove with the lid off to help the liquid absorb and evaporate!
I ended up with a huge pot of oatmeal soup. Do you have any suggestion of what can be done with this ruined pot?
Yes! Oat groats, steel cut oats, Irish oats, all names for the same thing! 🙂
Would oat groats work for this recipe as well? Just use a 1 to 1 ratio?
Will def try this out! I always make my oatmeal in the crockpot by placing the ingredients in a greased bowl, then setting the bowl in the crock pot. I don’t do the water bath. I love combining steel cut oats with ground flaxseed and pearl barley. yummmm!
If I add ground flaxseed to this, do I need to add more milk?
I have to try this! Usually I cook my oatmeal in a container that is set inside my crockpot (I don’t do the water bath). I like to add barley (pearl) and ground flaxseed as well. Mine cooks for approx 9 hours, and it’s never dry or sticky
That sounds delicious!
This was amazing! I’d love to try this using mashed banana in place of pumpkin and cinnamon instead of pumpkin pie spice to just have another tasty option. Has anyone ever tried this??
Try adding vinegar to your soaking water. I am bad for not cleaning my pans right away, which leads to food cement in the worst way. The vinegar cuts my soaking time down significantly. I usually use white vinegar, and just pour a good dose in,
This oatmeal is delicious, especially when you add other mix-ins. I made a double batch over the weekend and have been re-heating it all week with a little water to get it to the consistency that I prefer. I have been adding pecans, pure maple syrup, and raisins. My toddler loves this stuff and has been asking for additional helpings. For the past three days he has had two whole bowls for breakfast!
I cooked the double batch overnight and I must admit, that as other reviewers have noted, it does stick to the pot quite badly. I let the pot soak for the past two days scrubbing it every once in awhile and I finally was able to get it clean. With that being said, I do not mind the mess at all given how much my toddler loves this oatmeal, It is worth every bit of elbow grease to see him ask me for “moh!” I will be making this again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yum! I made this today in my Deep Covered Baker and everyone loved it! Thanks!!