Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

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Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats can be made ahead of time for a healthy and filling breakfast. Add all the toppings for a sweet taste, and make this nutritious meal your own!

Try our Apple Steel Cut Oats next!

Overhead shot of white bowls of steel cut oats with cinnamon and Craisins, on a gray tray.

Best Steel Cut Oats

Ok peeps. It’s time for me to show you what Mike eats EVERY morning of the week. For real. Ever since he cleaned up his diet about five years ago, I’ve been prepping this breakfast for him.

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I’m not sure about y’all, but I can’t eat the same thing every day. It’s called GAG reflex. But Mike doesn’t have this issue. Because YES, he eats this Every. Single. Day. 😀

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Ingredients

First off, let’s talk about ingredients.

  • Steel Cut Oats. NOT the three-minute kind! Most grocery stores carry them.
  • Water. Yup, lots of water is needed to cook these. I use filtered out of my refrigerator.
  • Butter. For sautéing the oats.
  • Vanilla. Flavor bomb. Use the GOOD stuff, like THIS one I buy on the regular.
  • Milk. I use 1%, but you could use whatever you like, even almond milk or others.
  • Cinnamon and Craisins. Mike’s choice of the “extra” ingredients.
  • Other toppers. Like nuts, fruit, yogurt, and granola. You choose!
Overhead shot of steel cut oat ingredients in separate bowls, on a gray tray.

Do you have an instant pot yet? My boys bought me one for Christmas LAST year, and I finally started using mine during our kitchen remodel. My hall bath (the tiny, extra one) was turned into a kitchen. HA. In other words, we did NOT use this bathroom as a bathroom (I almost taped the toilet shut..), and I had the pleasure of moving appliances in and out of it, every time I needed to use one. We lived on instant pot meals – like eggs (made perfect in the IP!) and avocado on toast, quinoa salads like CRAZY, a variety of soups that I adapted, and even risotto!

Where there is a will, there is a way! 😀

Close up sot of sautéed steel cut oats with a metal spoon.

How to make steel-cut oats in the instant pot.

  1. Sauté. Push the sauté button, and melt the butter. Then add oats and stir for a couple of minutes.
  2. Pressure Cook. Clear (push cancel) the instant pot, then add the water and vanilla, and stir. Push the pressure cook button, and adjust the time (see picture below) to 8 minutes (by pushing the plus sign button).
  3. Wait Time. The instant pot will take a while to heat up, and will start the countdown when it’s ready. This may take 10-15 minutes.
  4. Slow Release. After the pressure cook cycle is over (8 minutes), let the instant pot do a slow release. Don’t touch any buttons. Just let the pot sit until it shows L 005 (pictured below).
  5. Quick Release. After 5 minutes, flip the release so that steam rises out of the top of the instant pot. This will only take a minute or two.
  6. Remove Lid. When the quick release is over, remove the lid. If it’s not ready, you won’t be able to remove the lid. Just wait.
  7. Add ingredients. Add the Craisins, cinnamon, and milk, and stir.
  8. Rest. The oats will set up and thicken after about 20-30 minutes.
  9. Spoon into serving bowls. After the oats thicken, spoon them into serving dishes, and add additional cinnamon. This recipe will make six good-sized bowls.
  10. Add extra ingredients. When ready to serve, add additional ingredients, like nuts, fruit, granola, or yogurt. Enjoy!
Side process shots of 1) the instant pot showing the pressure cook time, and 2) the instant pot showing the slow release time.
Overhead shots of 1) the oats after thickening up in the instant pot, and 2) a large spoonful of the thickened oats.

Don’t have an instant pot?

You can make this on the stovetop with the same ingredients.

  1. Using a large stock pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add oats and sauté for a couple of minutes.
  2. Add water and vanilla, and stir. Cook until water is fully absorbed and oats start to puff up and get creamy.
  3. Add Craisins, milk, and cinnamon, and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
  4. Remove from stove, and let rest until thickened.
  5. Spoon into individual serving bowls, and top with any other ingredients you desire.

This recipe can easily be halved. Just adjust the serving size in my actual recipe, and you’ll have the ingredients you need.

Enjoy!

Side shot of a spoonful of oats, out of white bowl of steel cut oats with cinnamon and Craisins, on a gray tray.

Make this breakfast recipe next: Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

xoxo ~Sue

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats can be made ahead of time for a healthy and filling breakfast. Add all the toppings for a sweet taste, and make this nutritious meal your own!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 13 minutes
rest time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 344kcal
Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups steel cut oats
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups 1% milk
  • 1 cup Craisins
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon – plus a light dusting on top of bowls
  • optional toppings – nuts, brown sugar, fruit

Instructions

  • Turn your instant pot to the sauté setting. Add butter and stir until melted. Then add steel cut oats, and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Pour the water and vanilla into the IP, and stir. Change the setting to Pressure Cook on high for 8 minutes, and secure lid with the vent closed. 
  • When pressure cooking is done, let the instant pot release naturally for five minutes. Then do a quick release.
  • Remove lid and add milk, Craisins, and cinnamon. Stir well, and let the oats sit for about 20-30 minutes.
  • Spoon oats into individual serving bowls, and sprinkle with additional cinnamon to serve.

Notes

  • Other toppings should be added right before serving.
  • These oats store well in the refrigerator. Just heat up, add toppings, and serve.
  • This recipe can easily be halved by changing the quantities in the recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 344kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2.4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Suebeehomemaker or tag #suebeehomemaker!

6 Comments

  1. Paula R McWilliams says:

    Hi Sue,
    What does it mean to “clear” the instantpot? It is in the early directions. Thanks.

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      Hi Paula! It means to cancel. And then start the pressure cook. It’s the way to go from the sauté function to the pressure cook function. I’ll change those directions. Thanks!

        1. Suebee Homemaker says:

          You’re welcome, Paula! 🙂

  2. The breakfast of Champions!

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      whoop whoop!! 🙂

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