Do you love oatmeal as much as I do? If so, you might be like me – wanting to make Steel Cut (or Irish) Oats more often but hating the hassle, the attention they take, and the dreaded pan cleanup. My Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal is the answer to all that hot mess!
Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal – in a jar to tote to work.
The Instant Pot is the answer to Set it and Forget it Steel Cut Oats, whether you want to set it the night before and wake up to your piping hot oats or just dump your steel cut oats in the pot and come back to it 25 to 30 minutes or up to two hours later.
About Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal:
Yeah, you heard me right! Set it and forget it. It’s kind of a teeny little morning miracle and in this day and age with all the problems, all the issues, all the weirdness, it’s kinda nice to have your own little bit of magic to depend on whether you have a busy weekday morning or a lazy weekend brunch kind of morning. Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal is a game-changer. And there’s no doubt they’re going to up your morning game. They’re creamy, rich, delish, and the perfect texture with just a bit of chew.
I love how versatile any oatmeal is. You basically have a blank palate to add milk and touch of sugar to if you want or you can go all out and choose any number of flavors. That’s limited only by your imagination. These days, 
you can go sweet or savory. Since it’s full-on fall (40 degrees last night – that snuck up fast!) I went with thinly sliced apple, chopped pecans, and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. But that brings me to another point: if you have time, set up an Oatmeal Bar. Raid the fridge, counter, and pantry and give everyone a few choices.
Even if you’re cooking for one or two, don’t be afraid to make up a batch of Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal. It’s great for food prep. Pack it in jars or maybe a glass container that has a space for your add-ins so everything isn’t mixed together until you are ready to eat it or tote it. Just reheat your oatmeal slowly for a minute in the microwave, then stir in a little water or milk and heat a touch longer.
Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal. with about 1/2 cup milk stirred in at the end. This is my perfect texture
Making Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal & Leftovers:
While Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal is super simple, sometimes it’s the simplest things that can give us the most angst, right? I tried a couple of recipes and wasn’t completely happy, then I took an afternoon and made steel cut oatmeal several ways until I was happy. More time, less time, soaking, not soaking, more water, less water, water plus other ingredients. Well, you get the idea!
Bonus, coming soon, Leftover Oatmeal Cookies, Leftover Oatmeal Muffins, and maybe even a couple of other leftover oatmeal recipes. (Update. I didn’t care for the cookies so I didn’t post them.) I have posted the Leftover Oatmeal Muffins. They are a little denser than a normal muffin but very tasty.) I have oatmeal coming out the ears! I froze a bit, too, for a quick breakfast option.
See, the standard ratios for Steel Cut Oatmeal and liquid won’t work in the Instant Pot since it’s such a moist environment and there’s no evaporation during the cooking process. I found my perfect ratio is an odd one: 1 cup of oatmeal to 2 3/4’s cup of liquid.
Don’t be freaked when you open up that lid and see what looks like a mess of oatmeal and liquid – it’s supposed to be that way. Just give it a gentle stir and it comes together and will actually be rather thick. It turns out that adding more liquid, initially, really won’t make it any creamier (the oats just absorb more water and get softer and mushier) but what does make the oatmeal beautifully creamy is pouring in about a half a cup more water or milk when the oatmeal is finished. It does the trick.
I usually make my oatmeal with water and do that final stir with milk, but your oatmeal can be made with 1/2 water and 1/2 milk or 1/2 almond milk, or if you’re feeling a bit out of the box, 1/2 water, and 1/2 apple juice or cider or all green tea.
Don’t go full on with any liquid other than water or green tea – milk or anything else with sugars really has to be cut with water or you’re risking scorching. In the IP that means you’ll get the dreaded burn notice which shuts the pot off, then you’ll have to remove the oatmeal, clean off the bottom of the pan, and re-start the cooking process with more water. The bummer is you’ll just have to guess how much time to pressure cook that second round of cooking.
More About Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal:
Here are some of my top hints for buying steel cut oats and coconut milk at a reasonable price.
oatmeal:
- At the grocery, Steel Cut Oatmeal is an item you’ll seldom see on sale. It does tend to be a bit lower in price in late summer and fall when the warehouses are full but you’ll generally see the price rises over the winter. Do check the bulk bins at the store and compare them to the boxes in the organic and/or cereal areas if your store offers these options.
- I have seen it at Costco but haven’t priced it, I haven’t bought it at Aldi but Lidl has great pricing and as far as I could tell, the steel cut oats looked identical to what I had bought at the grocery in the past.
- Give your oatmeal a sniff when you buy it – the fat content means that Steel Cut oats can go rancid. Store in an airtight container at home for up to two to three months or freeze.
What Are Steel Cut Oats:
If you’re not all that familiar with Steel Cut Oats as opposed to other oats, you’re not alone. I’ve seen a lot of strange answers to that question out there on the net! I’m sending you over to the experts, a site I’ve spent time at over the years, Old Ways Whole Grain Council.
Many people are surprised that the basic oats we have available, steel cut, Scottish, rolled, and instant oats are all made from the groats (the kernel with the inedible husk removed) and all have very close to the same nutritional values per serving. That includes calories, fiber, fat, and protein as well as most vitamins and minerals.
Here’s a quick low down as to the varieties of oats we can commonly find at the store, and they all start with groats:
- Steel Cut Oats are groats cut with steel blades into two or three pieces so they cook faster. Sometimes steel cut oatmeal is called Irish Oatmeal, pinhead oatmeal, or course oatmeal.
- Scottish Oats are very similar. In this case, the groats are usually stone ground rather than cut. These may be harder to find than steel cut oats.
- Rolled Oats are made by steaming and pressing the groats with rollers so they will cook faster.
- Instant Oats are made from groats as well, but they are steamed longer and rolled thinner.
Not only do I love oatmeal, but I also love all the nutritional benefits oats offer, and unlike some superfoods, humble oatmeal has stood the test of time as a healthy option in many diets. As far as those benefits? There are way too many to list on this page whichis already too long! Check out what Healthline has to say about Oats.
Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal – Apple, Pecan & Cinnamon Sugar
Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Breakfast or Brunch
- Method: Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup water or green tea or a mix of water and milk, almond milk or apple juice or cider (use half water and half of other liquid)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- an additional 1/2 cup water or milk, optional
- Fruit or dried fruit of choice, optional
- Nuts of choice, optional
- Cinnamon sugar (here’s my homemade) or other sweetener, optional
- Milk for serving, optional
Instructions
Add the 2 3/4 cups of liquid to the Instant Pot. Add salt to taste. Slowly sprinkle oats over water. Do not mix. Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure, 4 minutes. When finished allow to go to Keep Warm function for 20 minutes and up to two hours.
When finished, open lid, gently stir and then add an addition 1/2 cup of milk or water for creamier oatmeal. Garnish with fruit, dried fruit, nuts, sweetener, and additional milk, if desired.
To set for an overnight delay, only use water or green tea as your liquid: Select Manual (pressure cooking) and set to high pressure, 4 minute cooking time. Within 10 seconds, press the timer button. Use the +/- keys to set your delay time.
Notes:
- Use your judgment on the salt. Steel Cut Oats can be very dull without a bit of salt.
- Delayed Cooking works with my Instant Pot Duo60. Your Instant Pot may vary.
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I’ll be sharing Best Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal at Fiesta Friday #244, co-hosted this week by Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju.com and Debanita @ Canvassed Recipes
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