Steel Cut Oats

Published: December 9, 2022 • Last Updated: December 9, 2022
Chef: KemoNine • Category: Breakfast • Cuisine: Simple

Tags: Vegan • Vegetarian • Oats

Yields: 4 cups cooked oats • Prep Time: 5 • Cook Time: 25

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups water plus additional as needed
  • 1 cup milk any kind you like (I use unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt do not omit this!
  • Toppings and mix-ins of choice see blog post above for suggestions

Directions

  • Place 2 1/2 cups water and milk in a medium/large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  • As soon as the liquid boils, stir in the oats and salt. Return the mixture to a steady boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low so that the oats are at a gentle simmer. Don’t walk away from the pot at this point, as oats sometimes like to boil over. If your oats start to foam up and you are concerned, lift the pan right off the heat and let it settle down a bit before returning the pan to the heat to finish cooking.
  • Let the oats gently simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping along the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. At this point, judge how chewy or creamy you’d like your oatmeal. For softer, creamier oats, continue cooking for 5 to 10 additional minutes, stirring every few minutes until the oatmeal is as tender as you like. If the oatmeal becomes thicker than you’d like, splash in a little extra water or milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.
  • Remove the oatmeal from the heat and let sit a few minutes to finish thickening. Enjoy hot with any of your favorite toppings.

Are Steel Cut Oats the Same as Rolled Oats or Instant Oatmeal?

In the sense that all come from the same grain, yes. How they are processed, however, is different, which is why making a bowl of oatmeal with each of the different types of oats yields different results.

Steel Cut Oats
The best bowl of oatmeal. The oats are left whole and cut into pieces with a steel mill. Steel cut oats are the least processed and therefore maintain the best texture when cooked. They also take the longest amount of time to cook (as you will see, it’s worth waiting). If you need them ready in a hurry, this Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe is perfect.
Rolled Oats
A respectable though not otherworldly bowl of oatmeal. The oats are steamed and pressed flat. If you are in a big hurry and need breakfast in a few minutes, rolled oats are reliable option. They are also my favorite for baking (steel cut oats stay way too crunchy).
Instant Oats
Just say no to a bowl of instant oatmeal. These are rolled oats that are cut into small pieces. By the time you heat them, they lose all texture (hence, mushy). Instant oats work nicely in some recipes where you don’t want the oatmeal to maintain its complete texture, like these Healthy No Bake Cookies, but would not be a good choice for a tasty breakfast.

Notes

  • For every 1 cup of steel cut oats, you’ll need 3 1/2 to 4 cups of liquid, depending upon how thick you’d like them to be (less liquid = thicker steel cut oatmeal).
  • Choose Your Texture.
    • Once the oats have been simmering 20 minutes, they’ll need about 5 to 10 minutes of additional simmering to reach their ideal texture.
    • “Ideal” is defined by YOU, the oatmeal chef! Like your oats more chewy? Stop cooking them sooner. Softer, thicker, and creamier is more your style? Let them go the full half hour. Thirty minutes is my personal steel cut oatmeal sweet spot.
    • The oats will continue to thicken as they cool, so don’t panic if they seem too thin.
  • Leftover steel cut oatmeal is a meal-prepper’s dream! Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, either as one large batch or in individual portions. Oatmeal will thicken as it chills. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove with an extra splash of liquid to thin it back out.
  • Steel cut oats yare also very freezer friendly. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Inspiration & Resources

Pictured: A bowl of oatmeal with some bluberries on topo of a small portion of the oatmeal. The image was obtained from Unsplash at https://unsplash.com/photos/tVopIAjJ1jM