Steel Cut Oats
Updated March 26, 2019
Steel Cut Oats are a healthy and hearty breakfast and they are easy to cook! You will love this simple steel cut oats recipe!
I eat oatmeal every morning for breakfast. Josh is not a big oatmeal fan, he prefers cold cereal, toast, or a frittata in the morning. He doesn’t like the mushy texture of oatmeal. I recently got him to try steel cut oats though and he is hooked.
What Are Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oats have a different texture, they are chewy and a little crunchy-not mushy at all. I made a batch one weekend and offered him a bowl. He was a little hesitant, but said sure. He scarfed down the bowl. He loved them! Now we enjoy them all of the time. Last week, I got home from work and he said he had a craving…I was pretty sure he was going to say pizza, but nope, he was craving steel cut oats, so we had them for dinner:)
If you haven’t tried steel cut oats before, here is a little background information. Steel cut oats are unrefined whole grain groats that have been dried and cut into two to three pieces by steel, rather than being rolled. They are rich in B-vitamins, calcium, protein and fiber. They look like tiny grains of rice or chopped up nuts. You can find them in most grocery stores. I buy mine in the bulk food section.
How To Cook Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oats take longer to cook than rolled oats, about 30-40 minutes, but they are so worth the wait. I usually make a big batch on Sunday so I have oats during the week. I portion them out into little containers and take them to work to heat up. They taste just as good reheated. I just add a splash of milk and stir them up. My favorite toppings are cinnamon and raisins.
I made bruleed steel cut oats for Josh one morning-for a special treat. I never add sugar to the oats, but I knew Josh would appreciate a sweet surprise. I sprinkled brown sugar and turbinado sugar on the top of the oats and fired them up with my creme brulee torch. He loved the sugary crust on top of the oats.
You can top your steel cut oats with:
- cinnamon
- dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, blueberries)
- fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, banana slices)
- nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
If you haven’t tried steel cut oats, give them a try. They are so good and good for your heart too!
If you like this steel cut oats recipe, you might also like:
- Baked Peanut Butter Apple Oatmeal
- Banana Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Maple Roasted Blueberry Almond Oatmeal
- Baked Peach Almond Oatmeal
- Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal
Steel Cut Oats Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 3 1/2 cups water
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup milk almond milk, or soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Toppings: cinnamon dried fruit, fresh fruit, nuts
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the steel cut oats and and salt. Stir.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes. Make sure you stir the oats occasionally so they don't stick to the pan.
- When the oats start to thicken, at about 30 minutes, add in the milk and vanilla. I think the milk makes the oats creamier. Stir the oats, milk, and vanilla together and cook for ten more minutes.
- Add in the cinnamon and raisins or whatever toppings you wish.
- If you want to make bruleed oats-put the oats in a bowl, sprinkle with brown sugar and turbinado sugar. With a creme brulee torch, fire the top of the oats until the sugar is crystalized.
- Serve the oats hot. If you want you can let the oats cool and then portion them out into smaller containers. To reheat, I add a splash of milk and reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
- *Note-you can use 4 cups of water and omit the milk, I just like the creaminess the milk adds.*
Have you tried this recipe?
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I love steel cut oats but it’s been a while…I have a package in the pantry, I think you just inspired me to make a big batch for breakfast this week!
I tried this for the first time today. Great, but it didn’t take near the cooking time. I cooked it for 10 minutes, added the milk and cooked for 5 minutes more and it was done.
I was so inspired by this, that I told my doctor I was going to stop taken my cholesterol pill, since I was convinced it caused me aches and pains. This was 3 months ago. I started to eat this Steel cut oats every morning, changed my diet, joined an exercise club and lost 14 lbs, only needed to lose 10.
Today I went to see the doctor and I was convinced my cholesterol would be down quite a bit.
Well, surprise surprise, my cholesterol had doubled and needed to go back to the pills instantly.
It probably is genetic, but I had really hoped for a diffferent result. So this steel cut oats may work for some people, but it didn’t do diddly squat for me. Too bad.
That may be so. Pills are also like a rubberband being pulled back so when you when off the pill your cholesterol shot up, You may have some other underlying issues that needed balancing as well (ex enough vitamin D from sunlight and enough magnesium and vitamin K2 to also help balance everything). I would try to see a Naturopath doctor of some sort to work alongside your traditional doctor (if you’re able to).
Oh geez, I was hoping for the same result as I don’t want to start taking any meds for cholesterol. I will see what my numbers are in 3 months, but yes it can be hereditary. Maybe try switching meds, some are better than others for side effects.
If you like these oats you will also probably like cracked wheat cereal. How to follows:
1) start with whole wheat kernels – not the flour – the actual wheat.
2) put around 1/2 cup of whole wheat at a time into a blender. pulse briefly to break the kernels in half.
3) boil water 2 cups water with two or three pinches of salt.
4) add 1/2 cup cracked wheat (from blender) to water. Stir.
5) cover and reduce to simmer. stir every 5-10 minutes.
6) after 40 minutes most of the water should be gone.
7) serve with milk, raisins, brown sugar, blueberries, sliced almonds, cinnamon, yogurt, or whatever else you like to eat on your cereal …
When I add the cereal to the water in step 4, I often also add a little barley, rye, pepitas, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds … stuff like that.
I love steel cut oats! My only difference is that I add the salt late in the cooking process so the oats soak up more liquid. Instead of a breakfast dish ( I usually have miso soup for breakfast), I generally serve oats as a side during dinner.
Please can u suggest some oatmeal recipe for breakfast which is not sweet in taste. Someone suggested a chinese recipe with soya sauce and all but it is not clear.
I’m all for hot cereal during the winter months and I love oatmeal and brown sugar. Have never tried steel cut oats and your photo certainly makes me want to give them a go.
Just made this, and it was quite good. I used buttermilk for the milk, but otherwise proceeded just as written. Thanks for the recipe!
You are very welcome!
Just wondering: in terms of reheating during the week, how would you recommend doing this? Thanks so much!
This sounds wonderful! Sadly my kids won’t wait an hour for breakfast.. I’ve heard you can soak them overnight and they’ll cook quicker? Do you know anything about that?
Thanks!
You can make them the night before and keep them in the fridge. Just reheat in the morning.
I’ve been cooking these for about an hour now and they still have so much more liquid to absorb. Is the pot supposed to be covered? If so, that’s not indicated. This is taking foooooooooreverrrrrrr. Wah.
No, we never cover our pot. Do you have the temperature up high enough? It never takes ours that long to cook and absorb the liquid.
I purchased steel cut oats last week. Today, I found your recipe and tried it for dinner. Very tasty.
I used 1/2 cup of regular soy milk rather than 1/4 skim milk and I added the raisins and cinnamon at the same time as the soy milk and vanilla.
I also added about 2 tsp of agave for sweetness, but I think I could have left it out and simply added more raisins.
Glad you enjoyed the steel cut oats!
Nice. I east these every morning. My cholesterol is in check now. I will give the Bruleed recipe a shot. Sounds and looks delicious.
My husband is the exact same way! He won’t touch oatmeal, but seems to tolerate steel cut oats. I can’t believe you don’t add any sweetener. I love oatmeal and STO, but I have to add a little agave or maple syrup.
Lots of great recipes there, but my breakfast is healthy, quick and relatively plain and filling to fight off the hunger pangs until noon.
Steel-cut oats – as many as required in a bowl.
Throw in some raisins to suit, and cover with water. Leave overnight.
Top up water just over the oats placing in microwave.
Microwave till just beginning to boil and remove from microwave.
add cinnamon to taste, or other flavouring and and stir in.
Cool if required with almond milk or other milk.
Eat!
Prep time and cooking about 5 minutes max.
I like all forms of oatmeal, but I like the idea of the lower GI of steel cut oats. I’m sold on the fact that it’s healthier. I make mine different from other recipes I’ve read. I bring 3 cups of water & half tsp salt to a boil. I pour in 2 cups of steel cut oats and a cup of raisins. I turn the heat back to the lowest setting … I guess simmer. I turn the heat off after 15 minutes and stir it. It thickens within a minute or 2 and I dish out a bowl. It’s somewhat thinner that fires breakfast, but I like it that way too. I let it cool in the pan and then put it into plastic containers and refrigerate for my breakfasts the rest of the week. I used to do the 30 to 40 minute cook time, but found I got similar results in just 15 minutes. I really like inexpensive with healthy nutrition.
I LOVE steel cut oats…the ones I get u only have to cook for 5~7 minutes though? I add cinnamon, brown sugar and mollasses and some of my homemade apple sauce(no sugar)…and if I have some walnuts I throw them in too:) I’m pregnant and this is super packed with goodies for me and baby!! I stay full longer than with cereal too!! Great recipe!
This was delicious! This was my first time eating steel cut oats and I loved them. I used almond milk instead of skim milk and although I forgot the vanilla, it was still really tasty! This is my new breakfast food.
Absolutely first rate and copper-bottomed, gteenlmen!
u73auL vyiwyljqrdyn
For those of us without torches, years ago, I tried a recipe for just this….but instead of putting the topping on and torching it, you put it on greased tinfoil, careful to put it on in the shape of your dish (the recipe was not for individual ramekins.) then you broiled it…to a nice crispy candy topping…flipped it onto the seving dish filled with yummy steel cut oats, and voila! It turned out great!
I’m not sure, but think it was sunset. This is especially helpful if the serving container isn’t broiler proof! (I was serving Christmas breakfast using fine china..)
Oh my goodness..can’t believe this is actually online after all these years…the recipe for a topping you can broil separately that I mentioned above:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1216/is_n5_v185/ai_9051602/
From a **1990** Sunset:
On a sheet of foil, set dish that will hold baked oats. Gently trace around the base with a pencil, taking care not to tear foil.
Coat area within outline with about 2 tablespoons soft butter or margarine. Set foil on a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet (without sides). Rub 1/2 cup dark brown sugar through a fine strainer to evenly coat buttered area.
Bake in a 500[deg] oven until sugar begins to melt and bubble (some sugar doesn’t melt), 2 to 5 minutes, rotating pan to melt sugar evenly. Let crust cool, then slide a slender spatula under it to release from foil. If made ahead, leave on pan, seal airtight, and hold up until next day.
if any ones here today all the best have a gud new year
alf
I purchased a small crockpot and leave the steel cut oats cooking on low overnight. What a great breakfast to find warm and ready first thing in the morning. (I just mix the oats and water – not sure if this would work with milk).
I have recently tried steel cut oats at work and have fallen in love with them. Since I have been trying to find a good way to cook them and all about their nutritional benefits… Just one note to you, to get the full health benefits out of the steel cut oats, add in some kind of nut like peanut or pecans, then it will have a full 9-amino acids and can be considered a protein! And it’s even more delicious with nuts added into it with the fruit 🙂
Ive been making baked oatmeal & love it! I’d like to try the steel oats in my recipe but not sure how much to use? My recipe calls for 1 cup reg. oatmeal. I’m thinking 1/4 cup instead of 1cup regular maybe soak over night before I make my recipe? Thanks for the encouragement 🙂
in place of milk in this recipe – try almond milk –
Just finished a big bowl of these – it was great! Instead of caramelized sugar, I used maple syrup
Maple syrup is a great topping!
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overnight in a crockpot = steel cut oats for breakfast! and LOVE the brulee idea!
I use a crockpot overnight using 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 water using about an extra 1/2 cup liquid so they don’t dry out. They are really creamy. I add what I want to put in them when I get up and by the time I am ready for them, they are ready for me. This added touch sounds like a keeper.
I just made myself a bowl of banana cocounut oatmeal for 2 mornings in a row! cook the steel cut oats with water & coconut milk (ratio depends on how coconut-y you want it to be). after it’s cooked, dump some mashed overripe banana (good way to get rid of them), a swirl of cream & a sprinkling of cinnamon powder. no sugar necessary cos the banana is already very sweet. try it.
Yum – this was good. My son said it tasted like ice-cream! He insisted on eating it cold!
I am trying this for breakfast today. I found some information missing that would have been helpful for me. How many servings does the recipe make? Should the pan be covered or uncovered?
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Will definitely try with True Elements steel cut oats as they are really good and a clean label food brand. You can also give it a try!
Good. I made two servings, which look like one serving when it’s done. I may be could’ve cooked in a little bit longer, but it was running low on water. I did not add milk. I’m counting calories! Definitely add something tasty to this. Today I’m adding some raisins and maybe some Craisins. We shall see. Anyway, this is simple and it works.