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This Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe is a hands-off, foolproof method that makes creamy, tender oats in record time.
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oats
One of my go-to weekday breakfasts is Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats. With minimal prep, maximum nutrition, and record cooking time, this recipe checks all the boxes!
- Hands-Off Cooking. Thanks to the Instant Pot, breakfast is as simple as pressing a button. No babysitting the stove while I'm trying to get ready for the day.
- Nutritious & Budget Friendly. Steel cut oats are not only an affordable pantry staple, but they are packed with whole grains, fiber, protein, and vitamins.
- Endlessly Customizable: With so many topping options (think fruit, nuts, yogurt, or a drizzle of nut butter), it is impossible to get bored.
- Perfect Texture in Record Time. Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oats are creamy, chewy, nutty, and ready in a fraction of the time it take to prepare on the stove or in the slow cooker.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
What You Need
- Steel-Cut Oats: Be sure to use regular steel-cut oats, not quick-cook steel-cut oats or rolled oats. For rolled oats, follow my recipe for Instant Pot Oatmeal.
- Liquid: I use a combination of milk and water to cook the steel cut oats, which gives them a nice creamy texture, while boosting the protein and calcium content of breakfast. Use any variety of milk or non-dairy milk (coconut milk, almond milk, oat milk, etc.) you like.
- Flaxseed: Adding ground flaxseed is optional, but it is a simple way to help increase the added fiber.
- Stainless Steel Bowl + Metal Trivet: To use the pot-in-pot cooking method, you will need a stainless steel bowl and a trivet to lift the bowl over the water inside the inner pot. Do not use a glass bowl, as they can shatter under pressure. I find a deep 7x4-inch cake pan works well.
- Instant Pot This recipe is designed using a 6 or 8-quart sized Instant Pot. If using a 3-quart model, you will need to cut the recipe in half and use a 6x4-inch cake pan.
Note on Using Milk in Instant Pot
Adding milk to the inner pot of an Instant Pot is a NO-NO, as it will cause a burn notice. This recipe uses the pot-in-pot cooking method which prevents that from happening, while still ensuring the steel-cut oats turn out creamy. Plus clean-up is a breeze.
How to Make Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oats
If you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot or the functions of your Instant Pot, be sure to start with my guide for using an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes. You will find the full recipe in detail in the recipe card below.
- Prepare Instant Pot. Pour 1-½ cups of cold tap water into the inner pot of your pressure cooker and then place a metal trivet or rack inside the inner pot.
- Prepare Oats. Combine the oats, milk, water, flaxseed, and a pinch of salt in a stainless steel bowl or cake pan and place the oats, uncovered, onto the trivet inside the inner pot.
- Pressure Cook. Place the lid on your instant pot, be sure the venting knob is sealed, and set to cook on high pressure using the Pressure Cook or Manual function for 8 minutes.
- Let Pressure Release Naturally. Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, carefully release any remaining pressure.
- Serve. Give the oats a stir and dish up and serve as desired.
Skip the Pot-in-Pot Method
No Added Dairy?
If you are not adding dairy or non-dairy milk, you can cook the steel-cut oats directly in the inner pot using the following instructions.
- Spray the inner pot with nonstick spray.
- Combine 1 cup of steel-cut oats oats with 3 cups of water and ground flaxseed directly inside the inner pot.
- Cook on HIGH pressure for 6 minutes with 10 minutes of natural pressure release.
Flavor Variations
Enjoy the steel-cut oats plain or with toppings of choice. I personally love adding Greek yogurt, berries, and hemp seeds for additional protein and fiber, but the options are endless. Find inspiration below.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: Add 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and a handful of chocolate chips to each serving of steel-cut oatmeal.
- Almond Joy: Serve steel-cut oats with mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and toasted almonds.
- Apple Pie: Serve the steel-cut oats with chopped fresh apple, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
- Honey Nut: Top the oatmeal with honey to taste and toasted nuts of any variety.
- Pina Colada: Top steel-cut oats with pineapple chunks, toasted coconut, and sliced bananas. Serve with a splash of coconut milk.
- Savory Sausage and Cheese: Top each bowl of oatmeal with ¼ cup cooked breakfast sausage and ¼ cup shredded cheese.
- Savory Bacon and Egg: Top the serving steel-cut oatmeal crumbled baked bacon and a fried egg or poached egg.
- Berries and Cream: Stir in fresh berries and plain or vanilla yogurt into each serving of oatmeal.
- Banana Chia Almond: Top steel-cut oats with sliced banana, chia seeds, and chopped almonds.
- Peanut Butter and Jelly: Stir in 1 tablespoon each of peanut butter and your favorite jam before serving.
Meal Prep Tips
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats is one of my favorite SIMPLE recipes to prep in advance and enjoy all week. I typically opt to enjoy the oats all week long, but if you like variety, you can freeze the oats to enjoy later in the month.
- Fridge-Friendly: Portion the oats into heat-safe containers (add toppings now if desired) and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Add a splash of milk, reheat for 1-2 minute in the microwave, and then enjoy right from the container. Alternatively, cover the stainless steel bowl with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and dish out individual servings as desired.
- Freezer-Friendly: For longer storage, portion out the steel-cut oats into a silicone muffin tin or souper cubes, and freeze until solid. Remove from silicone molds, and place into a freezer-safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and then reheat in a heat-safe bowl with a splash of milk or water in the microwave.
More Instant Pot Staples
- Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
- Instant Pot Chicken Stock
- Instant Pot Whole Chicken
- Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
- Instant Pot Baked Potatoes
- Instant Pot Brown Rice
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cups steel-cut oats, no exception!
- 1 cup water, plus more for cooking inside the inner pot
- 2 cups dairy or non-dairy milk, any variety*
- 1 dash kosher salt, optional
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed, optional
Instructions
- Pour 1 ½ cups cold tap water into the the inner pot and add the trivet inside the inner pot.
- Inside a 7-cup heat-safe stainless steel bowl or 7x4-inch cake pan, combine 1 cups steel-cut oats, 1 cup water, 2 cups dairy or non-dairy milk, 1 dash kosher salt, and ¼ cup ground flaxseed, if using. Please note that Pyrex is NO longer approved for use inside an instant pot.
- Place the bowl on top of the trivet/rack and secure the lid on Instant Pot. Set Valve to "sealed" and set the cooking time for 8 minutes on high pressure using the manual or pressure cook function.
- After 10 minutes, carefully release any remaining pressure and remove the lid.
- Remove the bowl with the steel-cut oatmeal from the pressure cooker and serve with desired toppings.
Equipment
- 7x4-inch cake pan works perfectly!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally shared in 2018 but updated in 2023 with a new video and photos.
Hi, thanks for the recipe. I'm hoping to try it out this weekend. Just wondering if I could use a stainless steel pot instead of a glass dish for the pot in pot method, and if it would require adjusting the cook time? Also, any idea if steel cut quick oats would work the same as regular steel cut oats? I'm having trouble finding steel cut oats that aren't "quick." Excited to give it a try. I'm hoping my kids will like it as much as the super sugary quaker oatmeal packages they want every morning. Thank you!
Hi Cass! A stainless steel pot will work for pot in pot, but it would depend on it's thickness if it would effect the cook time. Most should not. As for the time difference between quick cook and regular steel cut oats it would be different, I just have not tested it myself. On the stove, quick cook oats take half the time as traditional steel cut oats, so I would start by cutting the cook time to 3 or 4 minutes. I hope you all enjoy! I love serving oatmeal to my kiddos each morning as well.
Happy to report, this breakfast was a kid-approved success! I used the stainless steel pot and did not adjust anything else (I used regular steel cut oats, not quick oats). I used whole milk as my dairy of choice because that was all we had on hand. I also did your vanilla maple version, and added a sprinkle of brown sugar. With those additions, it was the perfect amount of sweetness. My four year old had two big bowls and my two year old also ate happily. I also enjoyed a big bowl. I'm looking forward to this instead of their daily sugar-filled quaker oatmeal packets. Thank you!
I am so glad you kids enjoyed Cass! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
Thanks so very much for the tip about using a bowl inside the pot! Cleanup is so much easier and the oats turned out beautifully.
Hi Deborah! I am so glad you had such great success and easy clean up with this oatmeal recipe.
I've tried making the steel cut oats this way, but I end up getting the "burn" notice and the water seeps out from the water catcher on the back (I don't remember the technical term for that small part). I used the exact oats: water measurement and set for just 5 mins - what am I doing wrong??
Hi Jen! It seems your instant pot is not sealed, which would cause water/water vapor to escape and leak out of the pressure cooker. It may be that your vent knob is not closed, your inner ring is not on correctly, or a few other issues. Here are some common reasons your Instant Pot is not sealing. Hope that helps.
In the article portion it says to put 1 cup of oats and 3 cups of liquid in the inner pot but in the Recipe box at the end it says 1 cup oats and 2 cups liquid. I was wondering which was correct?
Hi Michael, I am not seeing where it says 1 cup oats to 2 cups liquid (the recipe card states 1 cup water and 2 cups milk for 3 cups total) You definitely want to use 1 cup oats to 3 cups liquid. I will look through again to see if I can catch mistake 🙂
Since I have to make individual servings, I wonder if I could use mason jars. I was thinking of following the recipe as is, then, evenly pour in mason jars, and place them in the instant pot to cook. Do you think that would work?
Hi Brandi! Yes, it would work perfectly. I do recommend placing your Mason jars on the trivet though to protect them for direct heat.
What kind of pot did you use inside the pot..was it stainless steel?
I actually used a glass oven safe dish.
Turns out perfectly..like the addition of flax seed. 🙂
WAHOO!!! We just enjoyed this this morning!