How To Cook Steel Cut Oats In Instant Pot (+ Overnight Method)

Steel cut oats are the perfect healthy, weekday breakfast. But, they can be a pain to cook on the stovetop. Luckily, with the help of your pressure cooker, they become an incredibly easy breakfast to make. Read this article and you'll never again Google: how to cook steel cut oats in Instant Pot.

Jump to:

• Why cook steel cut oats in the Instant Pot
• How to cook steel cut oats in Instant Pot
• How to make Instant Pot oatmeal overnight
• Adapting for a 3-quart or 8-quart pressure cooker
• What is good to add to steel-cut oats?
• Instant Pot oatmeal recipes
• How do I store cooked oats?
• Equipment
• FAQs
• Instant Pot steel cut oats recipe (+ overnight method)
• Similar recipes
• Similar articles

Why cook steel cut oats in the Instant Pot

Stovetop steel cut oatmeal and Instant Pot steel cut oatmeal cook in about the same amount of time. So, what's the benefit of using the pressure cooker?

Well, it's a "set it and forget it" approach. It won't require you to wait over the stove for water to come to a boil, adjust the temperatures, or check in on the oats. Instead, you simply press a button and walk away until you're ready to chow down. No babysitting necessary. For me, that's a game changer.

How to cook steel cut oats in Instant Pot

Now that you're convinced that using your Instant Pot to cook steel cut oats is the way to go, let me tell you how. It's as easy as this.

1. Add steel cut oats, water and salt into a 6-quart Instant Pot. Stir well. Secure lid and ensure the steam release valve is set to sealing.
2. Set the cooking time to 4 minutes on high pressure.
3. When the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. After this time, use a towel to turn the steam release valve to venting - this will release the remaining pressure.
4. Carefully remove the lid and stir the oats. While they might appear runny at first, stirring will thicken up the mixture. 
5. Top with your favourite toppings.

Note: see recipe card for ingredients proportions.

A note on Instant Pot steel cut oats cooking time

• You'll set your cooking time to 4 minutes on high pressure.
• However, the actual cooking time for steel cut oats in the Instant Pot will be 24 minutes. It takes 10 minutes to build the pressure, 4 minutes to cook, and 10 minutes for the natural pressure to release.

How to make Instant Pot oatmeal overnight

Thanks to the handy little delay start button on your Instant Pot, you can actually wake up to ready-to-eat steel cut oatmeal. Here's how to make Instant Pot overnight oats:

1. Add steel cut oats, water and salt into a 6-quart Instant Pot. Stir well. Secure lid and ensure the steam release valve is set to sealing.
2. Set the cooking time to 4 minutes on high pressure.
3. Press the delay start or timer button (depends on your Instant Pot model) and use the + or - controls to choose how many hours from now you want the steel cut oats to start cooking. After a few seconds, your Instant Pot will beep and the time will begin counting down.
4. In the morning, when the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. After this time, use a towel to turn the steam release valve to venting - this will release the remaining pressure.
5. Carefully remove the lid and stir the oats. While they might appear runny at first, stirring will thicken up the mixture. 
6. Top with your favourite toppings.

Note: see recipe card for ingredient proportions.

What is the delay start button on the Instant Pot?

In case this is new to you, the delay start button (or timer button on older Instant Pot models) allows you to prep your food and delay the cooking to a later time. It's really useful to make otameal this way if you have busy, on-the-go mornings.

Adapting for a 3-quart or 8-quart pressure cooker

You can easily adapt this pressure cooker steel cut oats recipe to accommodate different Instant Pot sizes. Here's how.

• 8-quart Instant Pot: Reduce the cooking time to 3 minutes on high. Keep the natural release at 10 minutes. You can double the recipe if you want a bigger batch, but you don't need to.
• 3-quart Instant Pot: Follow the same cooking instruction. But, you'll need to cut the recipe in half.

What is good to add to steel-cut oats?

Once your steel cut oats are cooked, you can make a delicious breakfast using a variety of mix-ins and toppings. Below are some of my favourite topping that will add flavour, texture and nutrients.

• Fruit: I'm a big fan of bananas, blueberries and apples in oatmeal. But, really, any fruit goes... fresh or frozen.
• Dried fruit: Raisins are oatmeals best friend. But, you can also try dried cherries or cranberries.
• Seeds: A sprinkle of chia, flax or pumpkin seeds can add a nutrient boost to your breakfast bowl. These can be added during or after cooking.
• Nuts: Similarly, a tablespoon of walnuts, pecans or even almonds can add nutrients, crunch and delicious flavour to your oatmeal. Bonus tip: they taste even better if they're toasted first.
• Nut butter: Stir in a tablespoon of almond, cashew, or peanut butter. Whichever you choose, you'll add a savoury twist to your oatmeal bowl.
• Chocolate: If you have a sweet tooth, add a few slivers of dark chocolate or a handful of dark chocolate chips.
• Healthy sweetener: Drizzle honey or maple syrup on top of the bowl. Chop dates and mix them in. Whatever you choose, just a touch of sweetness can go a long way.
• Dairy or non-dairy milk: Milk, almond milk, coconut milk or cashew milk can be added after cooking to create a creamier bowl of oats.
• Warming flavours: The most popular for oatmeal are cinnamon, vanilla extract.

If you're not in the mood to be creative, don't worry. I'm sharing some of my go-to oatmeal bowls with you below.

Instant Pot oatmeal recipes

How do I store cooked oats?

Oatmeal is a great make-ahead meal. Here's how you store your steel cut oats for enjoyment at a later time.

• Fridge: Let the oats cool to room temperature. Then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
• Freezer: Let the oats cool to room temperature. To freeze in individual portions, grab a muffin tray and fill each cup with cooked oats. Freeze until solid, then transfer into a airtight storage container or freezer bag. Let thaw overnight before reheating.
• Reheat: Scoop desired portion into a small sauce pan. Add a splash of water or milk. Heat on low until warm.

Equipment

To make steel cut oats in the instant pot, here's what you'll need:

• A pressure cooker: I use the Instant Pot 6-quart Duo. This is my preference because I can cook large enough portions for my family, it fits in my cupboards, and it has a number of other cooking functions.
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Ladle: makes it easy to scoop your oatmeal into your bowl or storage container

my go-to products

Instant Pot

Buy Now →

measuring cups and spoons

Buy Now →

FAQs

Print

Similar recipes

Big oat fan? I got you. Here are some other recipes that include your favourite, heart-healthy food... oats.

Similar articles

If you want to dig deeper on the Instant Pot, steel cut oats, or anything else, be sure to keep perusing my blog or read the articles I hand selected for you below.