Name: Easy Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cup steel cut oats; 2 ½ cup milk almond milk or full fat coconut milk or other milk of your choice; 2 ¼ cup water; 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey; Fresh fruits; Dried fruits; Fresh berries; Nuts; Nut butter

Instant pot steel cut oats gives you perfectly cooked oats that will be ready in a jiffy . One of the easiest and quickest ways to cook oatmeal with hands-free cooking is by using an instant pot to cook it. Simply dump everything into the pot and set the timer!

instant pot steel cut oats served with fruits and berries in ceramic bowls

Benefits of Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Recipe

Without a doubt the simplest, healthiest and budget-friendly breakfast that is loved by millions all around the world.
Minimal ingredients needed. Basic staple ingredients which are most probably in your pantry already!
If you aren’t a fan of gluggy, mushy, bland bowl of oatmeal, YOU MUST try steel cut oats. Oatmeal made of steel cut oats are nothing mushy or bland. It’s chewy, creamy, nutty flavored and very pleasant to eat!
Creamy, warm, comforting and flavorful bowl of oatmeal first thing in the morning is the best way to start the day. A good day! It’s rich in fiber and packed with nutrients and does not spikes you blood sugar levels.
Making oatmeal in instant pot is one of the easiest and quickest way to cook. It’s completely hand-free cooking. No more baby-sitting the pot. Simply dump everything into the instant pot, set the timer and walk away to complete other chores.
Did you know you can use the delay start feature to set the time you want the pot to cook and wake up to warm creamy oatmeal ready!?
Warm, perfectly cooked oatmeal is just a couple of minutes away.
This oatmeal is make-ahead friendly. Make a big batch as these are great for meal preps and stores well in freezer, Reheats beautifully too.
A bowl of oatmeal is a blank open canvas to add all your favorite toppings! Easy to customize it with your favorite toppings! You can go wild with the toppings. From fresh fruits to fresh berries, chocolate chips to nuts, and even bacon bits on top goes well on oatmeal.
Did you know you? You can make savory oatmeal as well using steel cut oats in instant pot! Along with steel cut oats and milk+water combination, onion and garlic sautéed in olive oil and add spices like curry powder, turmeric powder.

Ingredients Needed

Below pic shows all ingredients needed for the base of basic oatmeal recipe:

all ingredients shown for instant pot steel cut oats

You can add any toppings of your choice to the bowl of oatmeal. Toppings aren’t shown in the pic.

Milk – you get better results with almond milk or full fat unsweetened coconut milk. Your oatmeal will turn richer and creamier.

Honey/Maple Syrup – for flavor and sweetener best option is to use maple syrup. If you don’t have maple syrup feel free to use organic honey.

How To Cook Steel Cut Oats In Instant Pot (With Step by Step Pictorial Instructions)?

Pour milk, water into the instant pot. Add steel cut oats along with pinch of salt and cinnamon powder and maple syrup (or honey) into the pot.
Using a spatula mix everything until well combined.
Secure the lid of instant pot. Ensure the pressure knob is in SEALING POSITION.
Select HIGH PRESSURE option and adjust timer to 5 minutes for creamy slightly chewy oats or set timer to 8 minutes for soft creamier oats. Note: consider extra time instant pot takes to come to pressure. Instant pot takes around 12 minutes to come to pressure and the timer starts. Also note you need the pot to release all it’s pressure naturally without forcing it, that is another 20-25 minutes. But even with all these extra time (which is not exactly 5 minutes), it’s still worth it as its effortless and cook perfectly. You don’t have to baby sit near the stove. Once cooking time is complete, allow pot to release all it’s pressure naturally. May take approximately 25 minutes.
Open the lid. Stir well. Jo’s Tip: don’t worry if oatmeal is soupy, it will turn creamier and thicker as it cools. And don’t worry if oatmeal is too thick, you can adjust the consistency by adding extra water or milk to loosen it out.
Scoop it out into serving bowls, add your favorite toppings. ENJOY!

instant pot steel cut oats step by step pictures collage

Toppings And Serving Suggestions

Literally there are more than a dozen ways to serve oatmeal topped with your favorites. Some of them are:

Fresh fruits – banana slices, mango cubes, pomegranate, pineapple, pear, apple slices

Frozen fruits – frozen strawberry or raspberries would be delicious

Dried Fruits – raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots

Fresh berries – blueberry, blackberry, strawberry slices, raspberry

Nuts – almonds, walnuts, pecans

Super foods – stir chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp seeds

Nut Butter – peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter

Pumpkin puree – stir in some pumpkin puree along with rest of the ingredients before cooking

Chocolate – choco chips, Nutella

Sprinkle cinnamon brown sugar

Just before serving you can stir in yogurt, extra milk (almond or full fat coconut milk).

Can I Make Steel Cut Oats In Instant Pot Ahead of Time?

Steel cut oats is so perfect for meal prep, you can make a big batch ahead and store it away in fridge or freezer. Storing it for few days refrigerated or few months in freezer won’t make the oats loose it’s chewiness. It’s stays the same ever after few days.

To store steel cut oatmeal:

Portion of into meal prep boxes and store it away in fridge for 4 to 5 days.

Divide oatmeal into individual portions, pack it up in freezer friendly zip lock bags and store it away for months.

To reheat frozen steel cut oats:

Take out portions of frozen oatmeal you want to use and thaw it completely in the fridge over night.

Then transfer oatmeal into microwavable bowls and reheat it with splash of milk until it’s hot.

Stir in your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Do I Need To Soak Steel Cut Oats Before Cooking?

Ideally you don’t have to soak steel cut oats before cooking. Though soaking steel cut oats for 20 minutes will cut down the cooking time. I might rather have longer cooking time without soaking instead of waiting for 20 minutes before cooking, because it really doesn’t reduce the over-all time.

Soaking steel cut oats would make oatmeal cook softer. If you like chewy oatmeal, don’t bother soaking.

Do I Need To Toast Steel Cut Oats?

Toasting steel cut oats in coconut oil or butter has it’s own benefits but you sure can skip the toasting and simply adapt to dump-everything-all-at-once cooking method.

Toasting it for few minutes before adding in rest of the ingredients will give you nuttier enhanced flavors. It may take 5 minutes of your extra time, but I usually find myself skipping the toasting step and I still get delicious nutty chewy oatmeal.

You can choose to toast your oats or be a lazy bum and skip it.

Liquid Ratio For Cooking Steel Cut Oats in Instant Pot

Thumb rule I follow for liquid to oats ratio is 1:4. For every one cup oats, use 4 cups liquid. Liquid can be just water, or a mix of water and milk.

Remember you will have to wait for all the pressure in the instant pot to release naturally before opening the lid.

Tips To Remember For Making Best Steel Cut Oats in Instant Pot

Steel cut oats are grainy, hearty and more flavorful alternative to your regular rolled oats. They have a chewy texture and take more time to cook. They are low on glycemic index, meaning the body will digest and turn into sugar more slowly.
Remember instant pot will take extra time to build up the pressure. Once cooking time is complete, you have to let the pot release all it’s pressure completely. Over all the total time to for the oatmeal to be ready is around 30 to 40 minutes.
For every one cup oats, use 4 cups liquid. Liquid can be just water, or a mix of water and milk.
Allow instant pot to release all it’s pressure naturally. Oatmeal will be creamy but with slight chewiness. To make softer creamy oatmeal (no chewiness) increase time on the instant pot by 3 minutes more.
You can ‘delay start’ function in your instant pot by adding all ingredients into the pot and set the time it has to begin to cook. Do NOT use ‘keep warm’ function for oatmeal as it will overcook it and will turn the oatmeal into a mush.
Don’t worry if oatmeal is soupy, it will turn creamier and thicker as it cools. And don’t worry if oatmeal is too thick; you can adjust the consistency by adding extra water or milk to loosen it out.
Toasting oats for few minutes in butter or coconut oil before adding in rest of the ingredients will give you deeper nuttier flavors.
To soak or not to soak oats before cooking is your choice. Soaking for 20 minutes will reduce the cooking time and make softer oatmeal. Theoretically the overall total time taken will be the same, as you have to wait before cooking.
You can add all of your favorite toppings, the options are limitless. Check Toppings and Servings section.

Here’s more breakfast ideas:

Egg Frittata

Cinnamon French Toast Sticks

Nutella Strawberry French Toast Roll Ups

Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole

Chia Seed Vanilla Pudding {5 Ways}

Instant Pot Rice Pudding

Flavored Greek Yogurt

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Easy Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats