Name: Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: Cooking spray or olive oil; 2 cups (160g) steel cut oats; 2 cups (475 ml) almond milk (or soya or other non-dairy milk of your choice); 1 cup (240 ml) water; 1 tsp olive oil (optional, but helps prevent oats from sticking); 1 tsp ground cinnamon or vanilla essence (optional); 1 tbsp maple syrup or sweetener of your choice (optional)

overhead view of bowl of instant pot steel cut oats in white bowl with blueberries and almonds

Guys, I have got the perfect comfort food recipe for you today. Warm, creamy, nutty, flavourful Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats. The perfect vehicle for allllll the good toppings (think berries, nuts, chocolate chips, bacon – yeap, really). You’ve got the goods right here.

This Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe is so easy and fast, and you can even use the ‘delay start’ feature on your Instant Pot to wake up to delicious steel cut oatmeal in the morning. (Yes please.)

No Instant Pot yet? Get one here: Instant Pot DUO Plus 9-in-1 Multi- Use Programmable Pressure Cooker (you can get a 3 qt, 6 qt, or 9 qt at that link — I use the 9 qt).

What is Steel Cut Oatmeal?

Wondering ‘what is steel cut oatmeal?’ I know I was – because here in the UK we call it ‘coarse oatmeal.’ Steel cut oats have many names, I learned… they’re also referred to as ‘Irish oats’ and ‘pinhead oats.’

Steel cut oatmeal is made from the ‘groats’ of whole oats that have been cut into 2 or 3 pieces. Groats are the inner piece (kernel) with the inedible covering (hull) removed. The name ‘steel cut oats’ comes from the large steel blade that is used to chop them into pieces.

What do steel cut oats taste like? They have a nuttier flavour than regular oats. They also have a chewier texture and take longer to cook.

I think steel cut oats are a hearty, flavourful alternative to traditional oats. And by cooking them in the Instant Pot, that whole ‘take longer to cook’ thing is not a problem at all.

How to Make Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats in 5 Easy Steps

Step 1. To keep oats from sticking to the Instant Pot inner pot, coat the inside of the pot with cooking spray or olive oil.

Step 2. Add ingredients to Instant Pot. Mix well.

Step 3. Cover the pot. Set the valve to ‘seal,’ select ‘manual’ function (at high pressure) and set the timer. 10 mins for chewy oats, 14 mins for creamier oats.

Step 4. Let the pressure come down naturally (10-15 mins) before opening.

Step 5. Stir well before serving to help the Instant Pot steel cut oats thicken. Top with desired toppings.

Make Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Overnight

Make overnight Instant Pot steel cut oats by using the ‘delay start’ function. If you haven’t used the delay start function on your Instant Pot, you are sooooo missing out. It’s a great way to save time and wake up to breakfast.

Press the ‘manual’ button, set the timer, and within 10 sec, press the ‘timer’ button. You can then adjust the start time delay, up to 24 hrs. (Make sure to select a time so that it is cooked at least 10 mins before you want it.)

Tips for Making Perfect Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Don’t use the ‘keep warm’ function for steel cut oats. The keep warm function is another amazing feature of the Instant Pot, but you will overcook your steel cut oatmeal if you use it (the oats will keep cooking even after the pressure has gone down if you don’t remove them from the pot immediately).
Coat Instant Pot inner pot with cooking spray or olive oil before cooking. This prevents the Instant Pot steel cut oats from sticking to the inner pot.
Instant Pot recommends using non-dairy milk. The folks at Instant Pot say to use non-dairy milk (almond, soya, oat, etc.) because ‘dairy tends to scorch.’
Double or triple this recipe to feed a crowd. To feed a crowd, just remember this ratio for steel cut Instant Pot oats: 160g (1 cup) oats to 700ml (3 cups) liquid.
The cook time will depend on your desired texture. Set the time under pressure for 10 mins for chewy oats, 14 mins for creamier oats.

Health Benefits of Steel Cut Oats

If you are wondering if there are any health benefits to steel cut oatmeal, the answer is yes. Steel cut oats contain healthy fibre, including the valuable ‘d-beta-glucan’ which is believe to help the immune system and help lower cholesterol levels.

Compared to regular oats, steel cut oats register lower on the glycemic index and have slightly fewer calories per serving.

Ways to Flavour Your Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Instant Pot steel cut oats are a beautiful foodie blank canvas. I love mine seasoned with simple vanilla essence, cinnamon and maple syrup. Sometimes blueberries and almonds end up on top too. The kiddoes loooove it when I add chocolate chips to theirs (‘dessert for breakfast,’ they say).

A few ideas for you:

Cocoa powder, your sweetener of choice and peanut butter
Tahini, chopped almonds and honey (Tahini Porridge Oatmeal)
Blueberries, pistachio kernels and cinnamon (Blueberry Pistachio Porridge)
Bacon and a fried egg (yeap, this is a thing)
Carrots, maple syrup, cinnamon, spice – ‘carrot cake oats’ (Carrot Cake Oats)

Sooo many ideas. How do you like your steel cut oatmeal?

Weight Watchers Points in Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

There are 5 Freestyle Points in a serving of Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats.

How to Make Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats

No Instant Pot? Here is how to make Instant Pot steel cut oats in a slow cooker:

Use ration of 4 liquid to 1 steel cut oats
Coat slow cooker crock in oil or cooking spray
Cook on high for 4 hrs or 8 hrs on low

Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes

For more Instant Pot breakfast recipes, check out my list of 75 Easy Instant Pot Recipes.

Instant Pot steel cut oats are so easy to make and so versatile, so why not cook up a warm and comforting batch to enjoy?

The Ultimate Guide to the Instant Pot

To learn everything you need to know about the Instant Pot, check out this post: Instant Pot Review – The Ultimate Guide to the Instant Pot.

Here is how to make this Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe. Please do try it and if you do make it then please do tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter so that I can pop over and have a look. It is really, really awesome for me when you make any one of my recipes. You can also share it on my Facebook page.

Thank you for reading my Instant Pot breakfast recipes post. And please come visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans and much more for you.

Don't forget to tag #recipesfromapantry on Instagram or Twitter if you try Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats! It is really, really awesome for me when you make one of my recipes and I'd love to see it. You can also share it on my Facebook page. Please pin this recipe to Pinterest too! Thank you for reading Recipes from a Pantry.

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5 from 6 votes