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Home Recipe Index

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats: 5 Amazing Recipes

★★★★★ 5 /5 Updated: 7/26/22
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This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Making steel cut oatmeal in the Instant Pot is a breeze. Learn all about steel cut oats and use our top 5 recipes to make your own! You can even freeze individual portions for later.

Instant Pot steel cut oats in a white bowl
Contents hide
What Are Steel Cut Oats?
Are Steel Cut Oats Healthier?
How to Cook Steel Cut Oats in Instant Pot
Can You Freeze Steel Cut Oatmeal?
How to Freeze Steel Cut Oatmeal
5 Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Recipes
Brown Sugar & Cinnamon
Peanut Butter Cup
Apple Cinnamon
Chocolate Coconut
Peaches and Cream
Want More Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas?
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
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What Are Steel Cut Oats?

When you think of oatmeal, your mind probably brings up images of classic rolled oats like the kind we use in our baked oatmeals, overnight oats, and granola.

Steel cut oats are similar but processed differently and have more benefits. Check this out…

Overhead shot of uncooked steel cut oats

Steel cut oats come from the same plant as rolled oats. The difference is how they are processed. Steel cut oats are never cooked and start from the whole grain that is then passed through slender blades that cut the oat kernel into thin slices.

Keeping them in this form helps them retain more fiber and protein.

Image Credit: Kristine Duncan/Eating Rules

Are Steel Cut Oats Healthier?

Yes! However, it’s important to note that all oats are an excellent source of fiber, and the variation in fiber content between steel cut, rolled and quick oats is slight.

Here are some of the ways steel cut oats are a touch healthier:

  • Steel cut oats are higher in fiber. The fiber found in steel-cut oats is beneficial for digestive health, fueling the good bacteria in the intestines, and promoting regular bowel movements. Cue the 11-year-old boy jokes…
  • Steel cut oats are lower on the glycemic index. That means the body digests and absorbs them more slowly, leading to a slower rise in blood sugar.
a spoon scooping instant pot steel cut oatmeal out of a bowl

How to Cook Steel Cut Oats in Instant Pot

There are a variety of ways to cook steel cut oats. This post is focused on cooking steel cut oats in the Instant Pot. Because we have an entire cookbook filled with Instant Pot recipes, we feel confident that our method is the best!

Melt Butter

I highly recommend giving your steel cut oats a toast before pressure cooking them. To do this, set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and add the butter.

If you avoid dairy, you can use vegan butter, coconut oil, or a neutral cooking oil like avocado oil for this step.

butter being melted in an the instant pot

Toast the Oats

When the butter has melted, add the oats and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Press “Cancel.”

Toasted steel cut oats in an instant pot

Stir in Liquid and Add-Ins

Stir in water or milk and any seasoning (like cinnamon and salt) or add-ins (like sweetener, chopped fruit, nuts).

Pressure Cook the Oats

Lock and seal the lid. Set the cooking time for 12 minutes at high pressure. After cooking, let the oats naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Move the pressure release valve to venting to release any remaining steam.

Stir & Enjoy

When you first remove the lid and see your Instant Pot Oatmeal, you’ll notice a lot of liquid on the top. Fear not! Just give it a stir and the liquid will incorporate very easily.

A spoon stirring steel cut oats in the instant pot

Serve warm with your favorite toppings. Or, after it cools, you can freeze the oatmeal in individual servings using directions below.

Can You Freeze Steel Cut Oatmeal?

As you may (or may not) know, we are big fans of freezer meals. When you can prep a meal ahead of time you save your future self time, sanity, and money!

When we discovered how easy it was to freeze cooked Instant Pot steel cut oatmeal, we were pumped. It’s a great make-ahead breakfast that reheats quickly on busy mornings.

Side by side image of freezing steel cut oatmeal

How to Freeze Steel Cut Oatmeal

Freeze for Later: Fully cook the oatmeal as directed. Let the oatmeal cool, then divide it evenly among two 6-cup jumbo muffin tins that have been greased (or 12 jumbo silicone muffin liners) to create single-serving portions. Freeze until frozen solid, then pop out the oatmeal portions and transfer them to a gallon-size freezer bag or container. Seal and freeze.

Prepare from Frozen: Place a serving of frozen oatmeal in a microwave-safe bowl. Add about 1/3 cup milk and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through.

5 Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Recipes

Here are 5 well-tested, delicious Instant Pot Oatmeal recipes to start with…

Brown Sugar & Cinnamon

We’ve included this recipe below but we have an entire post for it as well. It’s simple and delicious!

See the Recipe
Instant Pot steel cut oatmeal topped with banana, peanut butter and chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Cup

Peanut Butter Cup Oatmeal is a fun twist on steel cut oatmeal and even works beautifully to prep ahead for the freezer.

See the Recipe

Apple Cinnamon

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal delivers classic fall flavors into every bite. We love a recipe that makes both adults and kids happy.

See the Recipe

Chocolate Coconut

This combination has a base of creamy chocolate oats (thanks to cacao and coconut milk) and then is topped with toasted coconut chips and chocolate chips. It’s just divine!

See the Recipe

Peaches and Cream

This creamy and easy recipe to make Peaches and Cream Steel Cut Oats will help you start your day off right!

See the Recipe
fully cooked ham and egg cups in a freezer bag

Want More Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas?

Foolproof make-ahead breakfast recipes that will help you start the morning the right way.

See Top 10 Make Ahead Breakfasts

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Making steel cut oatmeal in the Instant Pot is a breeze. This easy breakfast idea will quickly make its way into your rotation!

Yield: 6 servings 1x
Prep: 5 minutesCook: 22 minutesTotal: 27 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 2–3 tablespoons butter (sub: ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil)
  • 1 1/2 cups steel cut oats
  • 4 1/2 cups water (or milk or almond milk)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (can easily cut this half and add more at the end)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

Make It Now:

  1. Select the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and melt the butter. Add the oats and sauté, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Cancel the Saute function.
  2. Stir in the water, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Make sure all the oats are submerged in the liquid.
  3. Lock and seal the lid. Set the cooking time for 12 minutes at high pressure. After cooking, let the oats naturally release pressure for 10 minutes. Move the pressure release valve to venting to release any remaining steam.
  4. When you open the pot you’ll notice there is excess liquid. Give it a stir to incorporate. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
  5. Serve warm. Top with any additional toppings you might want (i.e. milk, fresh fruit, more sugar or cinnamon, etc.).

 

Freeze For Later:

After the oatmeal has fully cooked and cooled slightly, portion it out into jumbo muffin tins (or smaller tins will work). Place in the freezer until frozen solid (about an hour). Pop the individual portions out into a gallon-sized freezer bag and seal tightly.

Prepare From Frozen:

Place one frozen serving of oatmeal in a microwave-safe bowl. Add about 1/3 cup milk and microwave in 45-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. Add more milk to reach desired consistency.

Equipment

Instant Pot

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Notes/Tips

To Make in the Slow Cooker: Add 6 cups of liquid (instead of 4 1/2) and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

© Author: Polly
Cuisine: American Method: Instant Pot

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Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

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Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

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  1. AvatarLis says

    Posted on 9/25/22 at 10:09 am

    Fave steel cut oats recipe for the instant pot EVER!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla FletcherCarla Fletcher says

      Posted on 9/25/22 at 1:25 pm

      Yay! Glad to hear that Lis. Thank you for leaving a review!

      Reply
  2. AvatarElizabeth Morse says

    Posted on 9/7/22 at 5:13 am

    Is it possible to do these in a slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 9/7/22 at 9:59 am

      Yes. Add all the ingredients to the crockpot, make sure the oats are submerged in the liquid, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

      Reply
  3. AvatarFrances says

    Posted on 1/23/22 at 8:44 pm

    The recipe does not indicate when to add the brown sugar and cinnamon – is it before or after cooking?

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 1/24/22 at 8:21 am

      Sorry about that! I’ll update the recipe right now, but add the brown sugar and cinnamon before cooking.

      Reply
  4. Avatarjill says

    Posted on 7/8/18 at 1:09 pm

    Has anyone tried a double recipe in a 6qt pot? We go through a single batch so quickly, but I’ve seen oatmeal make a huge mess spurting out when releasing the rest of the pressure.

    Reply
  5. AvatarAndrea says

    Posted on 3/22/18 at 7:36 am

    Can the time on this be adjusted for a slow cooker?

    Reply

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