Instant Pot Overnight Steel Cut Oats are the perfect, healthy breakfast to make when you don't have a lot of time in the morning. Set your Instant Pot up the night before, and in the morning, you'll have a hearty bowl of oats ready for you!
Enjoy this oatmeal with some Instant Pot yogurt too!
Instant Pot Overnight Steel Cut Oats have been a staple in my kitchen for years, especially on busy mornings when I need something filling and reliable. After testing different ratios and cook times, this method is the one I always come back to, it’s simple, hands-off, and consistently delivers perfectly creamy, hearty oats. Just set it up the night before, and you’ll wake up to a warm, nourishing breakfast that’s ready when you are, no stress, no guesswork.
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What are Steel Cut Oats?
Steel cut oats, or Irish oats, are similar to rolled oats, except to make steel cut oats, the whole oat groats are cut with steel blades into pieces. The texture of steel cut oats is much more chewy than rolled oats.
The difference is that the steel cut oats are minimally processed.
Steel Cut Oatmeal Instant Pot Ingredients
- Liquid. In this case water but you can use almond milk or a mixture of water and milk for a creamier texture.
- Steel cut oats. Not quick cooking or rolled oats. You want steel cut oats.
How to Make Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Add the one cup steel cut oats and 2 cups water to the Instant Pot. Close the lid and make sure the lid is set to the sealing position.
- Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and the cooking time to 4 minutes. Hit the "delay start" and set the timer to how many hours ahead you would like the oats to start cooking. For example, if it is 9pm when you are setting the Instant Pot and you would like the Instant Pot steel cut oatmeal to start cooking at 6am, you would set the timer to "9 hours".
4. In the morning the Instant Pot will start cooking at the time you designated. After 4 minutes allow the Instant Pot to natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure and open the Instant Pot. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Can Rolled Oats or Instant Oats be used instead?
No, you would not want to use rolled oats or quick oats instead. On the stove top, rolled oats cook in about 15 minutes, and instant oats cook in only a few minutes. If you were to try to make Instant Pot oatmeal with either of those two types of oats, they would become very mushy and not cook properly. Stick with steel cut oats for this recipe.
How to Serve Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal
- With a splash of almond milk or your favorite milk to make this oatmeal creamy.
- Add a pinch of brown sugar, a little cinnamon, and your favorite toppings.
- Swirled with peanut butter.
- Topped with pure maple syrup and your favorite fresh fruit.
- With raisins and walnuts stirred in.
- Swirled with apple butter, pear butter, or lemon curd.
Storing Pressure Cooker Steel Cut Oats
This Instant Pot steel cut oats recipe is perfect for meal prep! You can make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for the week.
To make a larger batch you will want to keep in mind the ration of 1 to 2. For every one cup of oats, you will want 2 cups of water.
To reheat a bowl of oatmeal, place the amount of oatmeal you would like into the microwave with a splash of liquid. You can use your favorite non-dairy milk, almond milk, regular milk, or simply water. Reheat for 1 minutes or until the oatmeal is hot enough.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! To make these oats in the slow cooker, simply place the oats and water in the slow cooker and set the cook time to 8 hours. In the morning you will have a hearty breakfast of delicious oats!
Yes! If you would prefer to make these oats in the morning, place the oats and water in the electric pressure cooker and set the cook time to 5 minutes. Once the Instant Pot comes up to pressure and the cooking cycle starts, it will cook for 5 minutes and then natural release the pressure for 15 minutes. Open the lid and make sure the oats are done to your liking. Serve immediately.
If they do not overcook, they will not stick to the bottom of the pot. As soon as you open the lid, take the oats out of the Instant Pot. Keeping them in there for too long could make them stick to the bottom of the pot.
You can, but I prefer to use the high pressure setting. The high pressure setting is the same on all Instant Pots, so no matter what version you have, you can make this recipe. Some Instant Pots do not have the porridge setting so it would be difficult to figure out how to make it.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Steel Cut Oats
- 2 cups Water
Instructions
- Add the one cup steel cut oats and 2 cups water to the Instant Pot. Close the lid and make sure the lid is set to the sealing position.
- Set the Instant Pot to high pressure and the cooking time to 4 minutes. Hit the "delay start" and set the timer to how many hours ahead you would like the oats to start cooking.
- In the morning, the Instant Pot will start cooking. After 4 minutes allow the Instant Pot to natural pressure release for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure and open the Instant Pot. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- An example of a cook schedule would be, if it is 9pm when you are setting the Instant Pot and you would like the Instant Pot steel cut oatmeal to start cooking at 6am, you would set the timer to "9 hours".
- Serve this oatmeal will your favorite toppings, fresh fruit, nuts, or peanut butter.
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