Why use the Instant Pot? Instead of waiting for a pot of water to come to a boil on the stovetop, and then watching it to make sure the oats don’t burn to the bottom of the pan, you can get more accomplished around the house while your oats cook with this hands-off method. It will make your mornings feel productive, plus you’ll get to enjoy a hearty bowl of oats when you’re done! Make a large batch as part of your meal prep routine this week, or serve this steel-cut oats recipe as an easy weekend brunch for your family with various toppings. Everyone loves an oatmeal bar where they can customize their bowls.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need 2 1/2 cups of water for every 1 cup of steel-cut oats when you cook them in an electric pressure cooker. Feel free to add a pinch of salt or a dash of cinnamon when you cook these, too! It’s best to leave sweeteners and milk for AFTER the oats are done cooking, however. Dairy milk can trigger a burn error during the cooking process, and that will interrupt your easy morning. No one wants to scrape a burnt crust off the bottom of their pots, so don’t use milk for cooking.
How to Cook Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot
In the bottom of a 6-quart Instant Pot, add 2 cups of steel-cut oats and 5 cups of water. You can also add a pinch of salt or a splash of vanilla extract if you’d like. Secure the lid on your pressure cooker and move the steam release valve to the “Sealing” position. Use the Manual or Pressure Cook button on your machine to cook at high pressure for 4 minutes. It will take roughly 10 minutes for the pot to pressurize, so the machine will read ON until then. Once the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for at least 15 minutes. This means you don’t have to touch the Instant Pot until the screen reads L0:15. It’s okay if you let it sit longer, too. (The Instant Pot is fantastic for distracted or busy cooks.) The floating valve in the lid should drop when your natural pressure release is done. If it hasn’t, move the steam release valve to the “Venting” position to ensure all of the pressure is released from the pot. Once the floating valve in the lid has dropped, it’s safe to remove the lid. You may see some water sitting on top of the cooked oats, but once you give it a stir the water will incorporate with the oats and give them a creamy texture. As the oats cool, they will thicken up slightly. Loosen the texture by adding a splash of almond milk or water. This will help them cool down faster for eating, too! Serve these Instant Pot steel-cut oats warm with your favorite toppings. Drizzle them with peanut butter, almond butter, or any other nut butter you love. Add a little maple syrup or honey for sweetness, or top with fresh fruit like sliced banana, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. You can add chia seeds, pecans, or walnuts for crunch, or stir in some ground flax seeds to make your breakfast more filling. If you want to add a pinch of ground cinnamon, flaked coconut, or chocolate chips, the topping ideas are endless! If you try this Instant Pot steel-cut oats recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it. Oatmeal tends to firm up when chilled, so you may need to add an extra splash of milk to them in the morning to help loosen the texture again. They can be quickly reheated in the microwave or a small saucepan on the stovetop. SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave SaveS
