Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

These Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats are an easy and fail-proof way to make steel cut oats for breakfast with only 4 ingredients. Learn how to make steel cut oats in the Instant Pot pressure cooker with this simple method that turns out perfect each time!

For another delicious recipe that uses these oats be sure and try my Steel Cut Oatmeal Energy Bites. 

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Recipe

If you haven’t woken up craving a bowl of hearty steel cut oats, then you’ve been making them wrong! This fail-proof, super easy Instant Pot method for making steel cut oats yields perfect oats each time. 

Not too much liquid and not too dry, they are perfection. I love serving these cooked oats alongside different topping ideas like fresh fruit, sliced bananas, honey, brown sugar, almond slices, and vanilla honey Greek Yogurt. 

Ingredients You Need

• Steel Cut Oats – These are the whole, traditional steel cut oats and not the quick 1-minute cook steel cut oats. This recipe will not work with the quick steel cut oats. 
• Water – For the best taste make sure you use filtered water. 
• Vanilla Extract
• Sea Salt or Kosher Salt

How To Make Steel Cut Oats In The Instant Pot

Follow these easy, step-by-step directions for how to make steel cut oats in the Instant Pot at home. 

– Step 1 : Place the steel cut oats, water, vanilla extract, and salt into the insert of the Instant Pot. I use a 6QT Instant Pot for this recipe. Stir everything together well. 

– Step 2 : Close the instant pot and set the valve to the ‘sealing’ position.

– Step 3 : Set the cook time using the Pressure Cooker/Manual function to HIGH pressure for 4 minutes. When the cook time is done, allow the Instant Pot to do a natural release of the pressure (meaning don’t touch it or quick release the pressure) for 20 minutes. 

– Step 4 : When the natural release is done, move the valve to the ‘venting’ position to make sure that all of the steam and pressure has released. Open the Instant Pot and stir the oats together well. 

– Step 5 : Serve a scoop of steel cut oats inside a bowl and top with your favorite toppings. 

Steel Cut Oats FAQ’s

• What Do I Top Steel Cut Oats With?

  • Fresh Blueberries
  • Yogurt of Choice (I love the Greek Gods Vanilla Honey Greek Yogurt)
  • Sliced Bananas
  • Honey
  • Pure Maple Syrup
  • Slivered Almonds or Almond Slices
  • Chopped Strawberries
  • Raspberries
  • Blackberries
  • Brown Sugar
  • Peanut Butter/Almond Butter
  • Agave 
  • Sugar Substitutes

• How To Store Leftovers

  • Leftovers keep well in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 5 days. 

• How Do I Reheat Leftover Steel Cut Oats?

  • You can either reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stove top inside a saucepan. 
  • I put leftovers inside a microwave-safe bowl along with some almond milk and heat for 1-2 minutes. If using the stove top, set the heat to medium-low and add some additional liquid (milk of choice or water) to moisten things back up for serving. 

• Can I Make Any Changes To This Recipe?

  • Almond Milk : You can use half almond milk (or other choice of milk) + half water for the liquid. 
  • Extra Flavor : Try adding some ground cinnamon, pure maple syrup, brown sugar into the Instant Pot with the steel cut oats. 
  • Double The Recipe : If you are serving more people try doubling the recipe. A 6QT Instant Pot still works for a double recipe of this. 

Expert Tips

Here are a few of my tips so that you can have success recreating this recipe in your own kitchen

• Cooked Steel Cut Oats Tip : When you first open the Instant Pot it might seem like the oats have too much liquid but as you stir it together really well, the oats will thicken and the liquid gets combined into the oats. If you see a small pool of water on top of the steel cut oats after the cook time, that is perfectly normal. Just give it a good stir. 
• Use The Correct Ingredient : Make sure you are using traditional, whole steel cut oats and not the quick 1-minute cook steel cut oats. 
• Toppings : The steel cut oats themselves are not sweetened at all. So be sure to top each serving of oats with whatever toppings you want. Here are some topping ideas; blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries, blackberries, yogurt of choice, sliced bananas, honey, pure maple syrup, agave, sugar substitutes, peanut butter, almond butter, almond slices, slivered almonds, pecans, walnuts, brown sugar.

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