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Slow Cooker Chunky Monkey Oatmeal and Quinoa is a super simple, set-and-forget breakfast that your whole family will love! Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana perfectly flavor hearty steel cut oats and protein-packed quinoa for a warm, creamy, and satisfying start to your day. If you love easy set-and-forget meals like this, be sure to check out more of my slow cooker recipes.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Super easy and hands-off — just set it in the slow cooker overnight!
- High protein and high fiber grains keep you full until lunch.
- Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana combine for a deliciously indulgent yet healthy breakfast.
- Perfect for meal prep — make a big batch and enjoy for a few days.
- Customizable toppings — add extra chocolate, peanut butter, peanuts, or bananas for more fun!
I have a little confession. Sometimes I sneak a few bites of my kids’ breakfast, even when it’s not my favorite. This morning, I grabbed a spoonful of this oatmeal and quinoa and couldn’t stop. I ended up eating a full bowl myself! Says the girl who usually only eats eggs for breakfast.
This breakfast is not just delicious…it’s ridiculously EASY. Way easier than pouring a bowl of cereal and way more nutritious. Steel cut oats and quinoa are both high in protein and fiber, perfect for keeping you full. Add peanut butter for healthy fats, bananas and cacao powder for taste and nutrients, and BOOM. Healthy and good.
I sprinkled on some dark chocolate chunks, cinnamon, and a little extra peanut butter just because. This might have been the selling point for the kids. Whatever. I’m just happy we have plenty for a few days!
How to Make It
This recipe is simple enough that kids can even make on their own! Just measure out almond milk or milk of your choice, add the grains, mix in cacao powder, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla, and let the slow cooker do the work overnight. In the morning, you’ll have a hot, creamy bowl ready to enjoy!
Top with extra milk, peanut butter, mashed bananas, chocolate chunks, or peanuts. Optional, but I think it should be required 🙂 Yummy yummy, get in my tummy!!
Important Tips
- DO NOT use regular rolled oats. Steel cut oats are essential for the right texture.
- Slow cookers vary. If yours runs hot, you may wake up to a bowl of mush. I cook mine 4 hours low and 4 hours warm for perfect results.
Slow Cooker Chunky Monkey Oatmeal and Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups steel cut oats
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 5 cups almond milk* + more for garnish
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cacao powder*
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup peanut butter + more for garnish
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- Garnish:
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
- banana slices
- peanuts
- cinnamon
Instructions
- At night before going to bed, place oats, quinoa, almond milk, salt, maple syrup, cacao powder, and vanilla extract in slow cooker. Mix ingredients, and cover. Set your slow cooker to 4 hours low, followed by 4 hours warm (if possible). Alternatively, set slow cooker for 6-8 hours.
- In the morning, mix in peanut butter and mashed bananas. You may need to add in more almond milk if oatmeal is too sticky.
- Serve immediately and top with dark chocolate chips, peanuts or additional peanut butter, cinnamon, and sliced bananas. You may also want to pour more milk on top of each bowl of oatmeal.
Notes
**Cacao powder is a more nutritious alternative to regular cocoa powder. But, cocoa powder or dark chocolate cocoa powder also works well in this recipe!
What a beautiful and tasty breakfast! I love all things pb, chocolate and bandanna, especially for breakfast!