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Wondering how to cook steel cut oats in the Instant Pot? The pressure cooker will make your mornings easier because you can press a button and walk away while your breakfast cooks to perfection.
Why use the Instant Pot? Instead of waiting for a pot of water to come to a boil on the stovetop, and then watching it to make sure the oats don’t burn to the bottom of the pan, you can get more accomplished around the house while your oats cook with this hands-off method.
It will make your mornings feel productive, plus you’ll get to enjoy a hearty bowl of oats when you’re done!
Make a large batch as part of your meal prep routine this week, or serve this steel-cut oats recipe as an easy weekend brunch for your family with various toppings. Everyone loves an oatmeal bar where they can customize their bowls.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need 2 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of steel cut oats when you cook them in the Instant Pot. Feel free to add a pinch of salt or a dash of cinnamon when you cook these, too!
It’s best to leave sweeteners and milk for AFTER the oats are done cooking, however. Dairy milk can trigger a burn error during the cooking process, and that will interrupt your easy morning.
No one wants to scrape a burnt crust off the bottom of their pots, so don’t use milk for cooking.
Detoxinista Tip
Almond milk and other non-dairy milk options are mostly made of water, so if you’re determined to use a different liquid for cooking, you can replace 1 cup of water with 1 cup of your favorite non-dairy milk. If you’d like to add dairy milk, save it for AFTER the oats have cooked to loosen the texture and add creaminess.
How to Cook Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot
In the bottom of a 6-quart Instant Pot, add 2 cups of steel-cut oats and 5 cups of water. You can also add a pinch of salt or a splash of vanilla extract if you’d like.
Secure the lid on your pressure cooker and move the steam release valve to the “Sealing” position.
Use the Manual or Pressure Cook button on your machine to cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. It will take roughly 10 minutes for the pot to pressurize, so the machine will read ON until then.
Once the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for at least 15 minutes. This means you don’t have to touch the Instant Pot until the screen reads L0:15.
It’s okay if you let it sit longer, too.
(The Instant Pot is fantastic for distracted or busy cooks.)
The floating valve in the lid should drop when your natural pressure release is done. If it hasn’t, move the steam release valve to the “Venting” position to ensure all of the pressure is released from the pot.
Safety Tip
Oats tend to create foam and starchy water as they cook, so never perform a quick release after cooking them. Hot starchy water could shoot out of the valve if the pot still contains a lot of pressure, so that’s why the natural release is important. Plus, it gives the oats a chance to finish cooking without burning to the bottom of your pot.
Once the floating valve in the lid has dropped, it’s safe to remove the lid. You may see some water sitting on top of the cooked oats, but once you give it a stir the water will incorporate with the oats and give them a creamy texture.
As the oats cool, they will thicken up slightly. Loosen the texture by adding a splash of almond milk or water. This will help them cool down faster for eating, too!
Serve these Instant Pot steel-cut oats warm with your favorite toppings.
Drizzle them with peanut butter, almond butter, or any other nut butter you love. Add a little maple syrup or honey for sweetness, or top with fresh fruit like sliced banana, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries.
You can add chia seeds, pecans, or walnuts for crunch, or stir in some ground flax seeds to make your breakfast more filling. If you want to add a pinch of ground cinnamon, flaked coconut, or chocolate chips, the topping ideas are endless!
Storage Tip
Cooked steel-cut oats can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. They make an easy gluten-free breakfast idea that you can enjoy warm or cold.
Oatmeal tends to firm up when chilled, so you may need to add an extra splash of milk to them in the morning to help loosen the texture again. They can be quickly reheated in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stovetop.
Looking for more Instant Pot recipes? Try juicy Instant Pot Chicken Breasts, Instant Pot Quinoa, or Instant Pot Lentil Soup for more ideas.
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats (Fool-Proof Method!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups steel cut oats (certified gluten-free, if necessary)
- 5 cups water
- pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the steel-cut oats and water in the bowl of a 6-quart Instant Pot and give them a stir. (If using a different size machine, please see the notes for modifications.) Secure the lid and turn the steam release valve at the top to "Sealing."
- Press the Manual or Pressure Cook button to cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. The Instant Pot will read "ON" as it comes to pressure, which may take about 10 minutes. When the floating valve in the lid pops up, you'll know the pot is pressurized and the countdown will begin.
- When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 15 minutes. (The timer on the Instant Pot will remain on after the cooking cycle to let you know how long it's been kept warm unless you press the OFF button. I like to keep it on for the timer function.) It's okay if you let them sit in the pot longer, too!
- Once 15 minutes have passed, turn the steam release valve to "venting" to release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid and stir the oats to incorporate any water that has risen to the top. The oats will thicken as they cool; feel free to add extra water or your favorite milk to loosen the texture.
- Serve warm with your favorite toppings. Leftover oats can be stored in individual containers in the fridge for up to a week, for a fast breakfast on the go.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Instant Pot steel-cut oats recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it.
I halved the recipe for my 3-qt Instant pot and got the burn warning just before the end of the cooking phase. I turned it off and set a 20-minute timer. It was a little overcooked on the bottom, but easy to mix in, not really burned.
The button hadn’t dropped by 20 minutes, but I think it was just stuck from the oatmeal starch. It fell down when I lightly pressed on it. I actually think less than 20 minutes would have been better as it was no longer piping hot. Maybe advise shorter release time for smaller pots?
I have a question: I’m still new with the IP and I want to know how to make this for 2 or 3 servings, if possible. I’m also using a 6 qt, but I’m only 1 person and don’t want to eat this every day for 8 days. If I just change the ratio using 3 cups of water (the minimum) I would use 1.2 cups of oats (more than I want, but I could live with that). If this is the correct way to reduce it, how does this affect the speed of cooking? My other worry about Instant pot is that the liquid ratios don’t seem to change whether it’s a food that absorbs very little liquid or a food that absorbs all or most.
Came out as described
Mistakenly put steel oats and water in the mail part of the instant pot. Is there anyway to clean it or is it history.
So easy with excellent results! I made this breakfast topped with fresh berries for overnight guests and they thought it was wonderful – even the self-proclaimed oatmeal hater went for a second bowl! Thank you for the easiest way to perfect steel cut oats. 🙂
This actually takes longer than just making the oatmeal on a stovetop, while adding extra steps and complexity. Why bother? The instant pot is supposed to save you time.
Absolutely perfect! Texture spot on and super easy. Thank you!!
Steam water came out all over the counter. What happened. My pot is new and I am a beginner
Did you let the pot rest for 20 minutes after it beeped? The screen should read L0:20 before you move the steam release valve to venting. Or, it’s possible you didn’t move the steam release valve to “sealing” before you got started? Be sure to watch my YouTube video if you want a quick overview of using the Instant Pot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAzjUvJi3x0
I have made this twice and both times 4 minutes wasn’t long enough. In fact the natural release didn’t even make it to 20 min. And water didn’t absorb all. So I’ve increased my time to 6 min and it makes it hotter and absorbed all the liquid. I also used part almond milk and it was just as good. Thanks for all your recipes and blogging!
Is the cooking time different if using Quick Cook steel cut oats?