Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats are an easy way to get a healthy start to the day. Your pressure cooker makes quick work of this great recipe!

Bowl of Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats topped with sliced banana and blueberries, spoon for eating. - 4

I love using my instant pot for grains, like my Instant Pot rice recipe . It’s so simple to set it up and then I can work on other things while it is cooking. The same can be said for this Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Recipe. It’s a great way to get breakfast going while you focus on getting ready for the day.

Overhead view of ingredients on countertop for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe. - 5

How to Make Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot

This recipe only takes 30 minutes, with about eight minutes of hands-on time. Setting your pressure cooker for 10 minutes, you let it do most of the work! For the full recipe and instructions, head to the bottom of the post.

Toast the Oats

Place the butter in the bottom of your Instant Pot and melt it using the sauté feature. Add the oats to the melted butter and stir constantly to ensure they do not burn. Toast until the oats begin to darken slightly and start to smell nutty, about three minutes.

Overhead view of instant pot with butter for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe - 6

Cook the Oats

Pour in the water and stir in the salt. Put on the lid, select High Pressure, and 10 minutes for the cook time.

Overhead view of instant pot used for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe - 7

Let the Pressure Release

When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for five minutes, then stir the oats. They will thicken as they sit.

Close up view of Instant Pot valve shown for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe - 8

Overhead view of an instant pot with ingredients for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe, wooden spoon beside. - 9

Tips and Tricks

Benefits of steel cut oats: Steel cut oats are low on the glycemic index, meaning that they spike your blood sugar less than traditional oats. They also have five grams of protein per 1/4 cup of dry oats. They’re also gluten free.
Swapping the water for milk. If you want your oats with an even creamier texture, you can swap the water for milk.
Topping ideas for steel cut oats: These oats can be enjoyed as is, or topped with peanut butter or almond butter, fresh fruit like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, sliced bananas or apples, maple syrup, honey, nuts like pecans or walnuts, or coconut flakes.
Skip the butter. If you want to skip the sauteeing butter step, this recipe will still be delicious.
Add cinnamon. For a little boost of flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon when you add the water.
Add brown sugar. For a simple topping that adds just the right amount of sweetness, add some brown sugar.
Leave out the salt. If you are following a low sodium diet, you can easily omit the salt.

Overhead view of a bowl of Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats topped with sliced banana and blueberries, spoons beside. - 10

Storing Leftovers

Store any leftover steel cut oats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the portion you plan to eat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of milk or water as needed. As always, use your best discretion with leftovers.

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

With your Instant Pot set to “Saute,” melt the butter in the base. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Add in the oats. Stir constantly to ensure they do not burn. Toast until the oats begin to darken slightly and start to smell nutty, about 3 minutes. 1 cup steel cut oats
Pour in the water and stir in the salt. 3 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Put the lid on and lock it in place. Make sure that the pressure release valve is turned to the sealed position. Turn it off (or hit cancel) and then select High Pressure and 10 minutes for the cook time. (The pressure cooker will take about 9 minutes to come to pressure and then will begin to count down the 10 minutes.)
When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes (in other words, after you turn it off, do nothing for 5 minutes). Then, turn the pressure release valve to venting. When the valve drops, carefully open the lid and stir the oats. They will thicken as they sit.
Serve with fresh fruit, brown sugar, or nuts.

Notes

For a creamier texture, replace the water with milk. Oat milk or soy milk will also work great here.
To cut back on calories, omit the butter and skip the step of toasting the oats.
To add a bit more flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon of cinnamon with the water.
Toss in some sweetness by stirring in 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar at the end.

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