Need an excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast? This hearty gluten-free & vegetarian recipe for Crock-Pot Hot Chocolate Oatmeal hit the spot on a chilly day!

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate Oatmeal
The last few weeks it has been in the 30’s here in Wyoming. This is actually been considered a “warm” winter here with very little snow on the ground this year compared to past years.
When it is cold I love a hearty hot breakfast to warm me up from the inside out. This hot chocolate steel cut oatmeal breakfast is like combining the best of cold weather foods and drinks. A big bowl of hot oatmeal combined with hot chocolate!
I personally like to eat this oatmeal plain right out of the slow cooker. But my kids LOVE to stir in some additional chocolate chips and mini-marshmallows into their bowls.
I tend to make this recipe on Sunday. I get up early and get this cooking in the slow cooker. We head off the church at about 9:30 and by the time we get home we have a late breakfast.
But if you want to eat this yummy hot cocoa oatmeal on the weekday. You can cook it ahead of time in your slow cooker. Portion it out into meal prep bowls and reheat the oatmeal in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

Equipment Needed For Crock-Pot Hot Chocolate Oatmeal Recipe:
- 5 Quart, 5.5 Quart, 6 Quart, 6.5 Quart Or 7 Quart Slow Cooker
- Dry Measuring Cups And Spoons
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Wooden Spoon
- Non-Stick Cooking Spray OR Crock-Pot Liner (Optional)

More Tasty Oatmeal Recipes!
- Crock-Pot Banana Bread Oatmeal
- Slow Cooker Spiced Peaches & Cream Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Crock-Pot Express Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
- Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Crock-Pot Overnight Apple Oatmeal
Recipe Collections:
Oatmeal Recipes | Steel Cut Oats Recipes |
Breakfast Recipes | Chocolate Recipes |
Kid Friendly Recipes | 5 Ingredients Or Less Recipes |
Rating |
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Servings | 4Servings |
Prep Time | 5Minutes |
Cook Time | 6Hours |
- 1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
- 5 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/3 Cup Hot Chocolate Mix
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Ingredients
Servings: Servings
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- Add the steel cut oats and water to a 5 quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours, or until the oats are cooked and the water is absorbed.
- Remove lid and stir in the brown sugar, chocolate chips, hot chocolate mix and salt. Stir until everything is mixed in and the chocolate chips are melted.
- Serve, topped with additional chocolate chips and mini-marshmallows (if desired) and enjoy!
Non-Stick Note: To make clean up easier you may wish to either line your slow cooker with a slow cooker liner or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Topping Note: This recipe may be topped with additional semi-sweet chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows (as pictured) right before serving. However, the nutritional information has been calculated without these two optional ingredients. If you are counting calories and other nutritional information you will need to take into account the additions if you decide to use them.
Gluten Free Note: We have marked this recipe as being Gluten-Free because the brands of steel cut oats and hot chocolate mix we used are gluten-free. That being said, if you are on a gluten-free diet it is always a good idea to read all labels of the ingredients you use to make sure that they are indeed gluten-free and meet your dietary needs.


sorry for the slightly basic question, but what if I don’t have steel cut oats? would I use the same amount of regular oats?
Hi D. This recipe really works best with steel cut oats because these oats require a longer and slower cooking time. If you use regular old-fashioned oats the cooking time will be much shorter.