This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
While writing The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook, I was juggling two kids under the age of 5, and needed an easy (hands-off) breakfast. That’s when I fell in love with cooking steel-cut oats in the pressure cooker!
The process is significantly easier than the traditional method. Instead of standing over the stove top stirring, you can simply press a button and walk away. The oats won’t stick to the bottom of the pot, and the machine will turn off when it’s done, making it perfect even if you get distracted in the morning.
Be sure to follow the tips below for delicious results on your first try. If you make substitutions right away, things can go wrong. (No one wants a burn error before breakfast.)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“This is our go-to recipe, we’ve been returning to it for years. I set them up the night before and use the Delay Start feature on the IP. Perfect oats every time.” -Azure
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Steel-cut oats. One cup of steel-cut oats will produce approximately 2.5 to 3 cups of cooked oatmeal. Since cooked oatmeal is easy to store and reheat, you can prepare as much as you want to eat for the next 4 to 5 days.
- Water. You’ll need 2 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of steel-cut oats you plan to cook. Do not replace the water with milk. Milk will scorch to the bottom of your Instant Pot, triggering a burn error. Almost every time someone encounters a burn error, it’s because they tried to substitute some of the water with milk or creamer.
While I don’t recommend cooking with milk, you can add it to the oats when the cooking cycle is complete to make them creamier. The oats will continue to absorb the liquid as they cool, so adding extra milk is an easy way to loosen the texture when serving or reheating them.
You can also flavor the oats with maple syrup or cinnamon right before serving. Sugar can cause a burn error in a pressure cooker, so it’s best to add it after the cooking process is complete.
Cooking Steel-Cut Oats in the Instant Pot
Step 1:
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 desired.
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 approximately 10 minutes for the pot to pressurize, so the machine will display ‘ON’ until then.
Step 2:
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 for a little 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, which is why a natural release is important. Additionally, it allows the oats to finish cooking without burning to the bottom of your pot.
Want to save this for later?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 3:
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 stir it, the water will incorporate with the oats, giving them a creamy texture.
As the oats cool, they will thicken up slightly. Loosen the texture by adding a splash of milk or water. This will also help them cool down faster.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these Instant Pot steel-cut oats warm, topped with your favorite ingredients.
Drizzle them with peanut butter, almond butter, or any other nut butter you love. Add a touch of maple syrup or honey for sweetness, or top with fresh fruit like sliced bananas, 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 Tips
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 it in the morning to help loosen the texture again. They can be quickly reheated in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stovetop.
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats (No Burn Error!)
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
More Instant Pot Recipes to Try
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below to let me know how you like it.
My IP goes nuts when I cook steel cut oats in the existing pot, but pot in pot cooking woeks like a charm. One cup of water in the IP, one cup of steel cut oats in a smaller pot, two cups of fluid with that and then cook the whole lot for 4 minutesn 20 minutes natural release. Today I used 1 cup of full far coconut milk and one cup of water with the oats (so in the smaller pot). Ik looked a bit liquid and runny whi.e piping hot, but after a bit of cooling time I had perfectly cooked oats. Thanks for getting me ont hhis IP-track, I just love it !
sorry for the typo’s… didn’t wear my glasses while typing 😅
I’m not someone who gets paid to cook or to post recipes, but it occurred to me that, similar to rice, it’d be possible to cook the full recipe in a small instant pot without any mess by rinsing and straining the oats first. The additional time needed to do that turned out to be well less than the time required to clean all of the expelled starch off the exterior of the instant pot if the oats aren’t rinsed. And the oats turned out the same.
I love steel oats and have always cooked them in a large quantity for 12 on top of the stove in a huge pot. I used equal parts No Fat 1/2 & 1/2 and skim milk for the liquid. Your recipe called just for water so I decided to just use the No Fat 1/2&1/2 and water for the liquid. Well, the message burned came up before they were through. They really were not burned on the bottom but were the color of the oats and just hard. I scraped off the oats and put in a bowl. They do not taste burned. Can I use 1/2&1/2 to make them richer? What do you suggest so I can use the Instant Pot & not watch them for an hour on the stove. Thanks!
This recipe works! I rotate adding all kinds of stuff (vanilla/cinnamon/fruit/nuts/maple/Splenda brown sugar blend) after it’s done. I freeze it in single serve containers.
Used half the oats in my three quart instant pot with 3.5 cups water (before I saw your recipe). The Trader Joe’s package label said four cups of water for conventional stovetop cooking. The whole thing foamed up pushing thick fluid out onto the countertop. I depressurized and tried again with a tablespoon of oil to quell the foaming. Maybe butter works for that too.
I tried, but “BURN” alert happened. Any suggestions? Made them once before without issue.
if I want apples and dry cranberries. can I just add them…in others have them in during the cooking?
I think you could go ahead and add those while it cooks, so the cranberries will plump up. Let me know if you try it!
So good? So easy
I love my instant pot and I love Irish oats!
I top mine with apples, jumbo golden raisins, yogurt and maple syrup.
My husband tops his with apples, jumbo golden raisins, chopped walnuts, honey, and yogurt.
And, there’s 3-6 more breakfasts in the fridge!
Today I got the burn message on my instant pot. Any suggestions on how to avoid that? Thanks
Can I add sweetener and mixins like blueberries before I start the pot?