Steel cut oats make a warm and healthy breakfast, and today I want to show you how EASY they are to prepare in an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, so they’ll turn out perfectly every time!
Steel cut oats have 5 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein in just a 1/4 cup dry serving, and the insoluble fiber they contain has been associated with improved cholesterol levels and improved blood sugar levels in diabetics. They’re also a natural source of B vitamins and iron. (You’ll get 20% of the recommended daily allowance of iron if you eat a 1/2 cup of oats in the morning!)
Are Steel Cut Oats Better for you than Rolled Oats?
Steel cut oats and rolled oats both come from the same whole grain cereal, so they have similar nutrition content and really only differ in their processing. Rolled oats are steamed, then rolled to produce their signature flat look and quick-cooking texture. Because they are tender and cook quickly, they are ideal for adding to baked goods, like my Gluten-free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Steel cut oats, on the other hand, are less processed. To make steel cut oats, the oat groat is sliced with a steel blade to create more of a chopped, rice-like grain that is chewier in texture and takes longer to cook.
Though, the cooking time isn’t a problem when you have an Instant Pot (<– affiliate link for the 6-quart one). Just press a button and walk away until it’s ready! I love not having to babysit my oats on the stove top, or worrying about them burning on the bottom.
The key to cooking perfect steel cut oats in the Instant Pot is allowing the pressure to naturally release after the initial 4 minute cooking cycle. While the pressure releases, the oats absorb the water without burning on the bottom of the pot. This prevents sticking and allows the oats to become perfectly tender. You just have to be patient!
While a 4-minute cook time sounds ridiculously fast for a bowl of steel cut oats, the entire process takes closer to 30 minutes when you take into account the 5 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, 4 minutes for the cooking cycle, and then about 20 minutes for the pressure to naturally release. This isn’t any longer of a process than cooking them on a stove top, but it’s also not significantly faster.
The Benefit of Using an Instant Pot
The real benefit of using the electric pressure cooker, if you ask me, is the hands-off approach. Instead of waiting over the stove for the water to come to a boil, then adding the lid, lowering the temperature, and checking on the oats to check for tenderness, you can truly “set it and forget it” with the Instant Pot.
Just press a button and walk away until you’re ready to eat!
If you forget to check on the oats for 10 minutes, they won’t burn, and in fact, the Instant Pot will keep them warm until you’re ready to eat. I love this thing, and I hope you’ll love these easy steel cut oats just as much, too.
Are Steel Cut Oats Gluten-Free?
Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they are often processed in facilities that process gluten-containing grains, and therefore you run the risk of cross-contamination. If you need to stay gluten-free, be sure to look for oats with a certified gluten-free label on the package.
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats (Fool-Proof Method!)
Ingredients
- 2 cups steel cut oats (certified gluten-free, if necessary)
- 5 cups water
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, then set the cook time to 4 minutes on high pressure. The Instant Pot will read "ON" as it comes to pressure, which can take 10 to 15 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 20 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.)
- Once the 20 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. They might look watery at first, but should thicken up when you stir them.
- Serve warm with maple syrup, cinnamon, and a splash of non-dairy milk, if desired. 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
Per serving: Calories: 205, Carbohydrates: 35, Fiber: 5, Protein: 8, Fat: 3
Need more healthy Instant Pot recipes? Be sure to check out my cookbook, The Fresh & Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. You can see a sneak peek here!
Recipe Notes:
- If you follow food combining, you can top cooked oats with pumpkin or sweet potato puree, pure maple syrup, and a splash of almond milk for a properly combined meal. Sliced avocado would work, too!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite breakfast this week? Do you have any favorite Instant Pot recipes already? Feel free to share them below!
Thank you! I tried this yet received a burn message. I did half water, half almond milk. Followed test completely. I think perhaps to frothy? I released pressure and stirred the oats and frankly they were great. I will rethink the ratio though. They turned out nice and creamy. I made for 6.
I’ve tried the steel cut oats recipe two times and follow these directions exactly but soon after The valve goes up, I get the dreaded “burn“ display. Any suggestions? Are use 2 cups of steel oats with 5 cups of water in a six quart instpot.
Making steel cut oats in a pressure cooker is a safety hazard. I even added oil to help keep it from foaming, but had a situation where the oats blocked the vent and the pot would have exploded if I had not truned off the heat. You should take down this recipe and post a warning.
Ooh, that is scary! I imagine that could happen more easily in a small 3-quart pressure cooker or if someone were to double the recipe in a larger machine, so I’ll make sure to make a safety note in the recipe. Thanks for your feedback.
That would be scary! I just made them in my 6 qt, even used cashew milk for some of the liquid, and didn’t have any problems. I have read in IP groups the importance of cleaning out the float valve and steam release valve after each use as there can be problems like what you had if these get gunked up with food. I hope you were able to figure it out and have had many successful cooking experiences since!!
I made this for the second time today. This time I added three medium apples diced small and six dates chopped fine. And about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. It turned out amazing! No sugar needed and it will last me all week. Thank you for a great starter recipe!
I keep getting a burn message when I use this method. Other than doing PiP, is there anything I can do to prevent this? I followed the directions to the letter.
I just tried this recipe, and it is delicious. I’ve never been able to get st o cut oats the way I like them, but the instant pot was perfect. I topped with allulose sweetener and a little maple extract. Next time I’ll add walnuts or pecans, I think,
Creamy steel cooked oats and super easy! Thank you 😊 I added a microwaved sweet potato, a little maple syrup and a splash of plain soy milk. VERY yummy 😋
Thank you so much for the post on IP steel cut oats!! Cooking them on the stove can be messy and you have to keep an eye on them, stirring often. Being able to put it all in the IP, start it, and walk away until it’s done is FAB!!
I will say, I have gotten accustomed to my finished product being more al dente because I run out of patience when cooking on the stove. This recipe has them ending up smoother. I think I’ll try decreasing the water by 1/4 cut next time and see how it turns out. I imagine most people love the creamier result this recipe makes.
I’m new to Instant Pot and experimenting with recipes. This was really good! I love oatmeal and your suggestions for toppings really made it tasty!
I reduced the recipe in half bcs we don’t go through fast enough. It turned out perfect! Thank you 🙂
I don’t think anyone commenting on this recipe has actually made it! The comments just seem to be loads of sycophantic praise, and comments about any other recipe but this one… Kung Pao Chickpea-sweet potato lasagna – pumpkin bars – etc. etc. Waste of time reading them if you want, as I did, feedback about THIS recipe. 3 stars given to balance all the totally invalid 5 stars given by people who haven’t actually commented on THIS recipe.
These came out perfectly and with no hassle at all, as you said. Thanks so much!!!!
This was my very first time using my Instapot. Decided that my steel cut oatmeal would be the test. Oh my goodness…sooo easy and absolutely delish! Bonus: no babysitting a saucepan! Definitely a keeper! Thanks!
This is the best recipe. Finally getting my steel cut oats to cook correctly.
Thank you!. What a time saver! I’ve been wanting to use the IP for Oatmeal for a couple weeks…and thanks to your recipe, I have!
I am wanting to make this recipe in my InstantPot. I have never cooked in it before and was wondering if I should spray the insert with cooking spray so the oatmeal doesn’t stick; is this allowed on high pressure? Thank you for your help.
You can add a little oil to the pot if you’d like to– it can help reduce the foaming in the pot. But the oatmeal shouldn’t stick to the bottom unless you keep the “keep warm” setting on after the cooking cycle is over and the lid is off. That can start to dry out the oatmeal on the bottom of the pot, which would cause sticking.
How much water should I use in Instant Pot steelcut oatmeal if I only use 1 cup oatmeal? Should I cut water in half?
I can’t find steel cut oats where I live but I have whole grain oats. Any idea how to adapt this recipe? Thanks
easy to make and delicious; i made it with just water and added nuts and fruit when i ate it
This recipe turned out great! I did a trial run this morning because I need to make a bunch of it for some ladies tomorrow. Have you tried doubling the recipe? Does it work the same, same amount of time?
Don’t double the recipe. It would be better to make it twice, then when the 2nd batch is complete, put the 1st back in to warm. You could possibly have too much liquid in your IP, which could clog your vent. That is a dangerous event. 🙂
make sure the gasket is in place and the instapot is holding pressure before you walk away.
use a pot-in-pot to cook with milk [in the pot-inpot], double hp time to 8 minutes, still use natural release.
Thank you, for all of the information. Turned out perfectly!
6 Qt Instant Pot
2 C Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oatmeal
5 C Water
1 Minute Manual on High Pressure
10 Minute Quick Release
No ‘pot watching’ ever again!
Thanks again…
Just made this, yummy. Did just according to directions and they turned out great. Soooo much easier than stove top. Thank you!!!
I’m so glad to hear it worked well for you, Leisa! It’s so much easier, right?? 🙂
Recipe turned out fabulous!
Can I use the same instructions for Scottish oats? They are just ground up more, but not rolled…
I haven’t tested this method with Scottish oats yet, so I can’t say for sure. Since they don’t become as mushy as rolled oats, my guess is that it would probably work? But please let me know if you give it a shot!
Tried the Scottish oats….it didn’t work. After maybe 2 minutes, my Instant pot said “burn”. I opened the lid, stirred it up and tried again. Same thing. Interestingly enough, those 2 attempts were enough to cook those oats. I definitely like the steel cut oats better!
These are amazing! We switched to steel cut oats, but I didn’t like the texture of them. This recipe turned out so creamy and delicious! Thank you!
This steel cut oatmeal is truly fabulous! It is so much easier to make than stove top and there’s no soaking the oatmeal the night before to reduce the cooking time.
I follow the recipe exactly as outlined, I like to add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and some cinnamon to the pot before cooking.
Once completed, I add some milk, stir and serve with shredded coconut, slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc and maple syrup. Love all of your recipes, thank you!
Love my Instant Pot but don’t get cooking oatmeal in it. Doing it in a microwave takes 1min 10 secs and only the bowl to wash up at the end. 50g oatmeal, 125g of milk or water into your serving bowl and microwave.
Made this recipe for the family.. I used the Costco Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats.. I used 3 cups of oats and 6.5 cups of water.. Turned out great.. Added a little milk, cranrainsins and stevia..
Made these steel cut oats April 2 2020. Absolute perfection thanks for recipe
Can you substitute milk?
Milk might burn at the bottom of the Instant Pot, so I personally wouldn’t risk it and would just try stirring it in at the end.
Fail! Before the pressure was reached I got a burn message. Followed recipe. Please remove recipes that fail
So sorry to hear that this one didn’t work for you, Jim. Did you double-check that you’re not using quick-cooking steel cut oats? That has been the issue for other readers who have reported a burn error.
This recipe was perfect! I didn’t feel like I had to watch it, like I would if I cooked it on the stove. It gave me time to chop about 6 apples that I’ll use through the week to top the oatmeal. Thank you!
As a new Instant Pot user, I just want to say how much I appreciate your thorough description of the process and *actual* time it takes to make something in the pot. Going to give this recipe a try!
Loved the oatmeal cooked this way! This is the 3rd instant pot oatmeal recipe I’ve tried and by far the best. Thank you!
Good m cooking. eal
Easy to. Thanks
Would I be able to also add in a cup of blueberries and two cinnamon sticks? Looking at making this for a meal prep for about 4 days of breakfasts. Recipe sounds great and I am anxious to try it.
First time making steel cut oats in the instant pot, used your recipe and they turned out awesome!
I should note that I did toast the oats first in a little bit of coconut oil just bc this is how I usually start off when making them stovetop. Then followed your recipe and they turned out so good!
I’m so happy to hear that the oats turned out well for you! Thanks so much for letting me know! Toasting them first sounds great, too.
Looking to go on the road soon this would be perfect for my van life
Great oats! Super easy and I added maple syrup, almond butter, & pumpkin pie spice as a topping! Thank you for the recipe!
How do you heat up the oats if you have individually stored them?
I usually do it on the stove top, but you can use the microwave if you prefer.
Is it okay to use “quick cook” steel cut oats in the recipe?
I don’t think they would require the full cooking time, and might trigger a “burn” error on the bottom. Maybe try a shorter time to start with? They might only need 1 or 2 minutes of pressure cooking, with the natural release, but I’ve never used those before, so please report back if you try it!
Too much water. Oats come out a bit too soupy for my taste. I’d cut water to 4 cups.
Very easy and results in a texture that I like. I have made these few times and they really are fool proof. Thank you.
Very curious why the ratio between dry oatmeal and water is different than what is on the label of McCann’s or Flanahan’s.
Do you have any explanation?
Thanks.
The recipes on the label most likely assume that you are cooking the steel cut oats on the stovetop? There is evaporation when you cook on the stove, so more water is required. When you cook in the Instant Pot, the water is all trapped-in, so you don’t need to use as much water. The oats would be very watery if you use a 1:3 ratio of oats to water in the Instant Pot, I think.
Many kind thanks.
It turned out perfect! Thank you so much. I usually have to spend the next hour scrubbing the pan clean, but every morsel was cooked to perfection.
Tried it twice and got the “burn” notice both times!
As promised! Set it and forget it, perfect every time! I’m new to steel cut oats,but I don’t think I’ll ever go back to rolled oats. Love love steel cut oats in the instant pot and it keeps well in the refrigerator for daily oat servings!
I’ve tried a couple of other recipes but I keep coming back to this one. It has worked perfectly every time. I add a pinch of salt when I remember. I also like that there is enough for me to have it several mornings.
I want to thank you, Megan, once more for broadening my use of my Instant Pot. I’ve become braver, and wanted to share something with you and your readers.
As a retired medical scientist, I am driven by data. Hence, I toyed just a bit with your recipe. Specifically, I added about 1/2 cup more water to your 6-cup recipe. It was driven by the fact that two cups of McCann’s oats should yield 8 servings when made on the stove top, according to the directions on the can.
Result: I got just about 8 servings.
Conclusion: With the pressure cooker, it is possible to drive more water into the oats — tastes the same, just as filling, bit with slightly fewer calories per serving.
Comments welcome!
That’s awesome; thanks for sharing, Jeff!
I’m a new instant pot user, and just got put on an IBS diet where the only grain I can have for 2 months is oats. Sooooooo….I’m looking into cooking a huge batch 1-2 times a week I can spruce up for breakfast and lunch. I was just wondering how I would adjust cook time etc for a big batch. I have an 8 qt instant pot. Thanks!