Name: Overnight Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 600 min
Total time: 603 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 2/3 cup Oatmeal (I use a mix of pinhead and rolled oats); 2/3 cup Milk; 2 tsp Raisins; 2 tsp Dried apricots - chopped; 1 small Carrot (grated); 1 tsp Mixed Spice - ground

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This creamy spiced carrot cake overnight oatmeal gently cooks in the slow cooker in a jar. Ready when you are in the morning to grab and go!

However much I am trying to deny it, it is now officially autumn. There is only so much burying one’s head in the sand you can do about the changing seasons, so in a surrender to the speed at which the year is passing, my wardrobe has been rearranged, tees and short sleeved tops relegated to the top shelf and warmer long sleeved tops and roll necks are within easy reach.

The summer duvet has taken its annual trip to the dry cleaners and at night time we are snuggled under a warmer one topped with a quilt. It is not quite time for the super thick and snuggly duvet and the electric blanket, but I am sure it will only be a couple of weeks. Talking of electric blankets, we are treating ourselves to a dual control model so we can both be in charge and be as warm, or as cool as we like! I am really rather looking forward to this, Ed runs warmer than I do, so we’ll both have our half of the bed at the perfect temperature and hopefully have a more restful night.

As it gets cooler I am switching from my usual smoothie to a hot breakfast and my current favourite is a slow cooker overnight oatmeal cooked in a jar. They take about two minutes to prep the night before, then will gently cook all night, resulting in thick, creamy, comforting oatmeal which is like a hug in a morning. Clean up is a breeze too – the jars go through the dishwasher, and the slow cooker bowl needs a quick rinse and its done.

The jars are perfect for a grab and go fuss free breakfast – either decant into a small flask or insulated coffee mug, or wrap in a tea towel for children to have in the car on the school run.

This version is carrot cake flavoured, and in an effort to make these just a little bit healthier each portion contains half a small carrot and a little dried fruit – I try and go easy on the dried fruit as it contains so much sugar – the long slow cooking makes them plump and tender with them sweetening all of the porridge, so you really need a tiny amount.

The first couple of times you make this you are going to have to check how your slow cooker behaves, mine is a 160-190Watt model and holds a steady temperature of just over 60C on the warm setting, others will be hotter or cooler. If yours runs hotter then try filling it with cold water and add a little more milk to the porridge. If your slow cooker is cooler then use the low mode and experiment with starting with cold water rather than hot. With just a little experimentation you will find the perfect setting for your porridge.

5 from 4 votes

Overnight Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Prep Time

3 mins

Cook Time

10 hrs

Total Time

10 hrs 3 mins

This creamy spiced carrot cake overnight oatmeal gently cooks in the slow cooker in a jar. Ready when you are in the morning to grab and go!

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: British

Servings: 2

Calories: 141 kcal

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Ingredients

2/3 cup Oatmeal I use a mix of pinhead and rolled oats
2/3 cup Milk
2 tsp Raisins
2 tsp Dried apricots - chopped
1 small Carrot (grated)
1 tsp Mixed Spice - ground

Instructions

Add 1/3 cup oat mix and 1/3 cup of milk to each jar, top up with a half cup of water.
Add the carrot, dried fruit and spice, stir well then firmly screw the lids on.
Cook overnight for about 10 hours in the slow cooker or crockpot set to low. Make sure that the lids of the jars are above the water level in the pot.

Nutrition Facts

Overnight Slow Cooker Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Amount Per Serving

Calories 141 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3g 5%

Saturated Fat 1g 5%

Cholesterol 8mg 3%

Sodium 57mg 2%

Potassium 339mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 22g 7%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 8g

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin A 89.7%

Vitamin C 1.8%

Calcium 10.7%

Iron 5.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I used a2 milk for my porridge, which is ideal for many people who cannot tolerate the A1 protein in regular milk. I’ve written about the A1 and A2 protein in milk before, but to summarise there are two types of beta-casein protein, A1 and A2. Historically cows only produced the A2 protein, but as they were domesticated the A1 protein, which some people are intolerant to, appeared. a2 milk is made from cows who naturally only produce the A2 protein and many people who have problems digesting regular milk find they can drink a2 milk with no problems.

Really interestingly a new study shows that if you drink milk with the A2 protein, so a2 milk there is a significant increase in the natural production of antioxidant glutathione, which is important in the regeneration if immune cells, and has to be produced by the body rather than taken as a supplement. The results also showed that consuming any type of cows milk raised the levels, but the level was approximately twice as high for those who consumed the a2 milk. (Read more in this paper from Nutrition Journal).

a2 milk – new packaging

a2 milk now has new packaging – so look for the purple labels on the shelf!

To learn more about a2 milk visit their website here. Please also consult your GP for advice if you are concerned about food allergies or intolerances. I am not a medical professional and this post does not contain medical advice.

For some delicious ideas using a2 milk you may like: –