By starting this hearty oatmeal the night before, all I have to do is put some vanilla-spiced oatmeal into a bowl. Even I can handle that in the morning. When I wake up, my house is perfumed with vanilla and spice. It is a very nice way to start the day.
I am not much of a breakfast eater. I really wish that I were, but I struggle to find things that are quick, healthy, and filling. But if I am being completely honest, the problem is that I am incredibly lazy first thing in the morning. I just cannot muster the energy to actually make something that is little more grabbing a handful of dry cereal as I am cleaning up my kid’s breakfast dishes. Sad, but true. But recently, I have begun training for a half marathon, and I need to be more thoughtful about what I put into my body and think of food as fuel.
By starting this hearty oatmeal the night before, all I have to do is put some oatmeal into a bowl. Even I can handle that in the morning. When I wake up, my house is perfumed with vanilla and spice. It is a very nice way to start the day. I like to add fresh berries and some almond slices for a little crunch. I do not drink milk, so I use almond milk, but you could add a drizzle of cream if you like.
If I were having house guests or having a brunch, I think that this would be a great thing to serve. You could get the oatmeal started the night before and set up bowls of toppings. Berries, nuts, dried fruits, maple syrup, honey, chocolate chips, coconut, anything you like would be delicious on top of this oatmeal. In the morning, you will have steaming hot oatmeal and all you have to do is grab your toppings and wait for the coffee to brew.
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 vanilla bean split and seeded
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- 1 to 2 cups almond milk
- 3 1/2 cups water
- raspberries
- blueberries
- blackberries
How to Make Almond Breeze Slow Cooker Vanilla Spiced Oatmeal
Step 1: Spray the insert of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Add oats, brown sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
Step 2: Add 3 1/2 cups water.
Step 3: Cook on LOW for 8 hours.
Step 4: After 8 hours, add 1 cup almond milk to thin out the oatmeal. Add more to get the consistency that you like. If you enjoy runnier oatmeal add more almond milk.
Step 5: Spoon oatmeal into a bowl.
Step 6: Add raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Sprinkle with almond flakes and additional brown sugar if desired. I like to add an extra splash of almond milk before I serve it.
Step 7: Serve with a steaming cup of coffee and enjoy the rest of your day. This recipe is adapted from Pure Vanilla (which happens to be a great cookbook and one worth having if you love vanilla like I do).
Overnight Slow Cooker Oatmeal
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1 vanilla bean split and seeded
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- 1 to 2 cups almond milk
- 3 1/2 cups water
- raspberries
- blueberries
- blackberries
Instructions
- Spray the insert of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Add oats, brown sugar, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
- Add 3 1/2 cups water.
- Cook on LOW for 8 hours.
- After 8 hours, add 1 cup almond milk to thin out the oatmeal. Add more to get the consistency that you like. If you enjoy runnier oatmeal add more almond milk.
- Spoon oatmeal into a bowl.
- Add raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Sprinkle with almond flakes and additional brown sugar if desired. I like to add an extra splash of almond milk before I serve it.
- Serve with a steaming cup of coffee and enjoy the rest of your day. This recipe is adapted from Pure Vanilla (which happens to be a great cookbook and one worth having if you love vanilla like I do).