15 Slow Cooker Oatmeal Recipes That Practically Make Themselves

Warm and comforting breakfasts are always in season. And if you're often in a hurry in the morning, slow cooker oatmeal is perfect for making ahead of time so all you have to do is reheat it when you're ready to eat.

Slow cookers like the Crock-Pot are reliable kitchen tools best known for their ability to create flavorful batches of soups and stews with the simple push of a button. But, the handy appliance can also help you batch cook a week's worth of breakfasts that will keep you fueled until lunch.

If you've never thought about giving Crock-Pot oatmeal a try, let these 15 slow cooker oatmeal recipes inspire you to rethink how you prepare the breakfast classic.

This slow cooker oatmeal tastes like fall in a bowl thanks to ingredients like apples, fresh cranberries, maple syrup and aromatic spices like cinnamon and cardamom.

It's the perfect slow cooker breakfast recipe to make in a big batch that's full of sweet, comforting flavor and high in fiber and other important nutrients.

You can keep your leftover oats in the fridge and add a splash of your favorite milk or water when you reheat in the morning.

Start your day with a sweet treat with this slow cooker oatmeal recipe. When you don't have time to stand at the stove stirring oatmeal in the morning, this recipe is a great go-to.

Simply combine nutritious ingredients like flax seeds, chia seeds, almond butter and tart cherries in your slow cooker before bed, and you'll wake up to a warm and filling breakfast. You can store any leftover oats in mason jars and have breakfast ready to go for the rest of the week!

Strawberries and cream is a classic oatmeal flavor combination and this Crock-Pot version only takes a few minutes of prep for a tasty payoff.

Throw some fresh or frozen strawberries, steel-cut oats, yogurt and milk along with a bit of vanilla and cinnamon into your slow cooker and you'll end up with a bowl of oatmeal that's delightfully creamy and just a little sweet.

You can make this recipe dairy-free by using your favorite dairy-free milk and yogurt, instead.

If you already love topping your oatmeal with bananas, this is the Crock-Pot oatmeal recipe for you.

For this dish, you'll use simple, delicious spices like brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. It's also the perfect opportunity to put any brown, overripe bananas you have hanging around to good use.

Baked oatmeal is a new way to enjoy the breakfast staple in a crunchier, heartier form. The best news is, you can now "bake" your oatmeal in your slow cooker — yes, you read that right.

This recipe from Crock-Pot Ladies makes a great base for toppings like fresh fruit, maple syrup or honey. It's similar to a granola bar and can be a lovely alternative if you're not a fan of mushy oatmeal, but still want to add a sweet dose of fiber to your morning meal.

Pumpkin pie isn't just for Thanksgiving. With this decadent slow cooker oatmeal recipe, you can satisfy your pumpkin cravings during any season.

The method is simple: Just fill your slow cooker with steel-cut oats, your favorite milk and store-bought or homemade pumpkin puree, and add a dash of pumpkin pie spice for the magic touch.

Top off the pumpkin-y goodness with chopped pecans and maple syrup, and there you have it — dessert for breakfast.

Apples and cinnamon are a reliable, flavorful pair. Soft apples, cinnamon and steel-cut oats come together in this recipe to give you a high-fiber breakfast that also has a good amount of satiating protein.

This apple cinnamon oatmeal can also be customized with your favorite non-dairy milk (this recipe calls for almond milk) and your favorite sweetener. You can swap out the maple syrup for agave or honey.

Too enjoy this oatmeal a few days in a row, simply reheat it in the microwave or on the stove with a splash of milk or water.

This gingerbread-inspired Crock-Pot oatmeal will remind you of freshly-baked gingerbread cookies. It takes just 10 minutes of prep time and combines steel-cut oats with a plethora of warm, decadent spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.

Top off your gingerbread oatmeal with your favorite nuts, candied ginger and raisins.

Steel-cut oats are perfect in the slow cooker. They don't get mushy and are high in fiber and protein. And this slow cooker version of steel-cut oats teams up with another nutrient-dense kitchen staple — quinoa.

When you cook the steel-cut oats and quinoa with almond milk, the end result is creamy and sweet, thanks to the added brown sugar and maple syrup.

And while you can certainly enjoy your steel-cut oatmeal plain, you can make it even tastier by adding your favorite nut butter, fresh berries or seeds or even a drizzle of honey for more sweetness.

This chocolatey oatmeal will make you feel like you're having dessert for breakfast. It's rich, creamy and a great option for those mornings you prefer a sweeter breakfast, but still want to get in some important nutrients.

Pecans, shredded coconut, cocoa and and coconut milk give this oatmeal a unique flavor that's a nice change from your usual oatmeal toppings.

If you love the taste of caramel apples, you'll love this delicious bowl of oatmeal. And if you're not a fan of apples, feel free to swap them out for peaches, cherries or berries.

But if you do love apples, you can make them as caramelized as you want in this oatmeal, which can also be made gluten-free by using gluten-free oats. The most time-consuming part is dicing up the apples (or the fruit of your choice).

Cranberries and almonds make your slow cooker oatmeal sweeter and heartier, and it's a slightly different experience from stovetop or instant oatmeal.

As the rolled oats cook in the slow cooker along with the milk, the nuts soften and the overall texture becomes similar to warm muesli cereal.

You can cook this oatmeal longer if you want it to absorb most of the milk, or less if you want to drizzle some of the sweet warm milk on top. Yum.

Let your favorite pie inspire your next bowl of oatmeal! Oatmeal is truly a blank canvas for so many flavors and this recipe is proof. It's brimming with decadent maple flavor, brown sugar and pecans.

This comforting bowl of oatmeal will remind you of pecan pie and also keep you full, as it offers 10 grams of satiating protein.

You can top your oatmeal with all your favorite fixings like berries, bananas and pecans. This simple recipe is a great way to use up any bananas or berries you have at home before they go bad.

Just toss your milk, oats, berries, bananas, brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans into the slow cooker, and after 1 to 2 hours you can enjoy a warm bowl and pack away leftovers for the rest of the week.

This carrot-cake-inspired slow cooker oatmeal is a great way to get your favorite dessert flavors in a more nutritious way.

This recipe uses both almond and coconut milk for a deliciously creamy texture, plus it offers an extra dose of nutrients thanks to the addition of real grated carrots.

Raisins and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg make a bowl of this oatmeal almost better than a slice of carrot cake.