This is my family’s favorite wire oat recipe! I did it on the stovetop, but I also offer tips for cooking steel-cut oats in a slow cooker or pressure cooker (such as an instant pot).
My family often eats oatmeal for breakfast. We can enjoy it almost any way we do it, like using oatmeal, baked oatmeal, or even turning it into energy balls with peanut butter and honey. We call steel-cut oats “fancy oats” and absolutely love them.
Steel-cut oats are oatmeal cut into small pieces (rather than rolling into flat discs with rolled oats, etc.). They take a little longer than rolling oats cook, but they are delicious. My way of cooking them is also very simple! I can’t wait for you to try.
How to make steel oats
I love cooking steel-cut oats on the stovetop. However, if you prefer using the portable method, you can definitely make them in a slow cooker or instant pot! You will find detailed instructions on these methods in the recipe below. (Just a head: We don’t recommend cooking steel-cut oats in the microwave. If you need a super quick oatmeal recipe, check out our simple oatmeal, tips for microwave cooking.)
When cooking steel-cut oats on the stovetop, I stick to a simple ratio: one oat with three parts liquid, which guarantees the creamy oats that can be cooked every time. Remember that the liquid ratio may vary slightly when using a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. You will find specific tips for these devices in the recipe below.
To make steel oats, first bake them with a tablespoon of butter, coconut oil or vegan butter for about 2 minutes and add a lovely nutty flavor to the oats. Then, pour it into water and bring it to a gentle little hotpot and found it. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oats are tender and absorb most of the water.
To get extra cream, stir 1/2 to 1 cup of milk. Finally, customize the bowl with spices, pat butter and sweetness such as maple syrup or honey. Here are more sharp suggestions!
How to use steel to cut oats
You can stir anything you like into cooked oatmeal, but this is some extra inspiration for you:
- Mash or slice the fruit. I love bananas, strawberries and blueberries
- Roasted nuts and seeds such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or roasted pumpkin seeds.
- Nut butter, such as peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter
- Chia seeds, cannabis seeds or subway
- Cream, milk, buttermilk, yogurt or non-dairy milk (such as homemade oat milk)
- Vanilla extract or spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spices
- Brown sugar, honey or maple syrup
- Dried fruits are like cranberries, mulberry or raisins
- Stir-fried spinach or kale, poached egg or soft boiled egg
Easy to cut oats with steel
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Steel-cut oats are oatmeal cut into small pieces (rather than rolling into flat discs with rolled oats, etc.). They take longer cooking times than other oat varieties, but they are delicious. When cooked, steel-cut oats have a creamy, chewy texture. We love them, with fruit and nut butter on top, but check out the article above for suggestions.
During faster cooking times, consider soaking oats in water the night before planning to make. Soaking them will reduce cooking time by about half.
4 servings
You will need
2 tablespoons butter or vegetarian butter
1 cup of steel cut oats
3 cups of water
Pinch salt
1/2 to 1 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy products
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sweetener, such as brown sugar, honey or maple syrup
Optional oatmeal toppings such as nut butter, fruit, nuts and seeds
direction
- Stove Steel Cut Oats
1Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the oats and stir in butter for a minute or two until they smell nuts.
2Mix the oats with water and cook on low heat. Reduce heat so that the water is hardly boiling. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring once or twice to raise the oats stuck to the bottom of the pan.
3Stir in milk, butter, cinnamon and honey. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the oats are tender and chew slightly. If the oatmeal seems dry, add more water or milk. Serve with your favorite oatmeal toppings.
- Slow-cooked steel cut oats
1Slow-cooker cut oats is much more creamy than when using other methods (think creamy, delicious oat pudding). To cook steel-cut oats in a slow cooker, mix 1 cup steel-cut oats with 4 cups of water. Add any seasoning you like (I add 1 tablespoon butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a little salt). Cover with a slow cooker and cook on lows for 7 to 8 hours, or on highs for 3 to 4 hours. Stir the oatmeal before serving. To get extra creamy oatmeal, stir 1/2 to 1 cup of milk.
- Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
1To cook steel-cut oats in a pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot, mix 1 cup steel-cut oats with 3 cups water, a little salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon butter (or vegan butter). Stir the oats, secure the lid, and cook for 3 minutes on a manual or pressure cooker set under high pressure. After the cooking time is completed, let the cooker release the stress naturally. Stir well before serving. For creamy oats, add 1/2 to 1 cup of milk.
Adam and Joanne’s Tips
- storage: Store cooked steel-cut oats in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and freeze for up to 3 months. Steel oats thicken when sitting, so water or milk may be required to reheat to achieve perfect consistency again.
- Soaked steel cut oats: You don’t need to soak steel oats before cooking. However, if you soak the wires in water (usually 8 hours or overnight), they soften slightly. Because the oats are softer, they cook faster the next day. Soaking may also help release certain nutrients in oats, making them more useful for absorption. If you plan to soak wire oats, the stovetop cook time will be reduced by about half.
- For gluten-free oatmealmake sure the oats and any toppings you plan to use are gluten-free.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We did not include any toppings in the calculation. We assume whole milk in the calculation.
Nutrition per serving
Service size
1/4 of the recipe
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Calories
215 calories
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Total fat
9G
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Saturated fat
4.5g
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cholesterol
18.3mg
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sodium
60mg
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carbohydrate
28.7g
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Dietary fiber
3.9g
/
Total sugar
5.9 grams
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protein
5.6 g
We are Adam and Joanne, a couple who are passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? Inspire you to enter the kitchen and cook fresh and delicious meals confidently.
