Slow Cooker Berry Oatmeal

This slow cooker berry oatmeal is an easy, nourishing breakfast that practically makes itself. Creamy oats slow cooks with your favorite berries, coconut milk, and a touch of sweetness, creating a hearty yet comforting breakfast that’s both wholesome and tasty. This overnight oatmeal is ideal for busy mornings, meal prep, or cozy weekends when you want something warm and filling without standing over the stove. Instructions to make this creamy berry oatmeal in less in than 5 minutes in the Instant Pot are also included.

Ingredients For Berry Oatmeal

• Steel-Cut Oats
• Fresh or Frozen Berries
• Canned Full-Fat Coconut Milk
• Maple Syrup: Feel free to use your preferred sweetener whether it be maple syrup, brown sugar, honey, etc. 
• Milk Of Your Choice: I like to use refrigerated coconut milk or nut milk like almond milk. 
• Vanilla

How To Make Berry Oatmeal In The Slow Cooker

1. Spray slow cooker generously with cooking spray.
2. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
3. Cook HIGH 3-4 hours, LOW 6-8.

Instant Pot

1. Spray the Instant Pot generously with cooking spray.
2. Add all the ingredients. Stir gently to mix well. Select manual setting.  Set high pressure for 4 minutes. When cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release.
3. Stir before serving.

FAQs & Tips

What is oatmeal?

Oatmeal is a term used to describe a porridge made from ground, steel cut, or rolled oats. Each of these terms just means that the oat has been removed from a husk and is ready to cook! Oatmeal may also be called hot cereal, which also covers cream of wheat and grits, but we are just going to focus on making oatmeal today. 

What type of berries should you use?

I’m keeping it generic and just saying ‘berries’ because your taste buds are most likely different than mine. I used a combination of fresh blueberries and raspberries. I encourage you to use your preferred berry or combination of berries. 

Can you use frozen berries?

Yup. If you use frozen berries, no need to thaw them first, add them frozen. 

What type of oats should you use?

This slow cooker berry oatmeal is best made with steel-cut oats but rolled oats will work too. If you use rolled oats, you will need to make adjustments. For the slow cooker, the cook time will be 1-2 hours on high or 2-4 hours on low. For the Instant Pot, the cook time remains the same but you have to change the oat/liquid ratio (see below). This recipe does not work with instant oatmeal.

Liquid/Oatmeal ratio:
Steel cut – 3 cups liquid to 1 cup oats
Rolled – 2 cups liquid to 1 cup oats

Will the oatmeal stick to the appliance?

Spray the slow cooker or Instant Pot with cooking spray to help keep the oatmeal from sticking. The oatmeal will still probably stick to the sides a bit but it won’t be nearly as bad as it would if you didn’t spray.

What if the oatmeal is too thick or thin?

Oatmeal is one of those recipes that can be tailored to your taste buds. If you like your oatmeal sweet, use more sweetener. Do you like your oatmeal thick or thin? If thin, add more liquid. If thick, use less. Please note that the oatmeal will thicken as it cools.

Can you double this recipe?

Need to cook oatmeal for a larger crowd? You can double or triple the recipe without having to make adjustments to the cook time. The oatmeal will still cook for 6-8 hours or 4 minutes (slow cooker vs Instant Pot) but you will just need a larger appliance.

How do you serve this?

Top your oatmeal with your preferred toppings. Suggestions include fresh fruit, shredded coconut, more sweetener, chopped nuts, granola, etc.

How do you adjust the sweetness?

The key to this recipe is using very ripe, sweet berries. If you have ripe berries then you don’t need a lot of sweetener. If you like a bit of tart, try using cranberries.

How do you store leftovers?

Store leftover slow cooker berry oatmeal in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  To reheat the oatmeal, add some milk or water before heating in the microwave or stove-top.

What size slow cooker did you use?

I used a 3.5 quart slow cooker  or a 6-quart Instant Pot.

Oatmeal Recipes

• Traditional Oatmeal 

• Pumpkin Oatmeal (Vegan)

• Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (Vegan)

• Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oats

Slow Cooker Berry Oatmeal

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This slow cooker berry oatmeal is an easy, nourishing breakfast that practically makes itself. Creamy oats slow cooks with your favorite berries, coconut milk, and a touch of sweetness, creating a hearty yet comforting breakfast that’s both wholesome and tasty. This overnight oatmeal is ideal for busy mornings, meal prep, or cozy weekends when you want something warm and filling without standing over the stove. Instructions to make this creamy berry oatmeal in less in than 5 minutes in the Instant Pot are also included.

• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 15 ounces coconut milk
• 1 1/4 cup milk of your choice
• 8 ounces fresh or frozen berries
• 2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup, honey, or another sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

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Instructions

Slow Cooker

1. Spray slow cooker generously with cooking spray.
2. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker. Stir to mix well.
3. Cook HIGH 3-4 hours, LOW 6-8.

Instant Pot

1. Spray the Instant Pot generously with cooking spray.
2. Add all the ingredients. Stir gently to mix well. Select manual setting.  Set high pressure for 4 minutes. When cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release.
3. Stir before serving.

Notes

Your oatmeal will thicken slightly as it cools.

Cook time calculated using slow cooker.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 199
• Sugar: 12 g
• Fat: 5.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 29.9 g
• Fiber: 3.1 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg

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