Topped with apples, almonds and lightly sweetened with maple syrup, these steel cut oats make a warm and healthy meal that's easy to prepare in an Instant Pot, giving you breakfast in less than 30 minutes!
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This is one of those posts that I thought about for a while and decided not to do because there are so many other posts on how to make steel cut oats in the Instant Pot. Then I tried a few of them and realized that most of them didn't quite work in an IP mini so decided to write it after all.
I've found that most recipes designed for the 6 quart Instant Pot work just fine in the mini but there have been a few exceptions and this was one of them. Not to mention that fact that I've really come to like steel cut oats for breakfast so it was fun to experiment with toppings for this recipe.
While it's not always that much faster to cook in the Instant Pot, one of the things I love about using it is you can pretty much press a button, walk away and let it cook until it's ready. It's much easier than having to keep a constant eye on something that's simmering on the stove top.
Making Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot
There are a couple of key tips to achieving great steel cut oats in your Instant Pot every time.
First, make sure you use almond milk instead of dairy milk. The sugars in dairy milk may burn but almond milk gives you great texture and flavor without that risk.
Second, make sure to allow the pressure to release naturally after the initial cooking cycle. If you do a quick release your oats won't be fully cooked and will be runny from the excess liquid.
Steel-cut oats are chewier and coarser in texture than rolled oats because they are less processed. The oats are cut with steel blades which is where they get their name. They also take longer to cook than instant or rolled oats. I also prefer the slightly nuttier flavor you get from steel cut oats.
Meal Prep Tips
Steel cut oats are a great option to add to your weekly meal prep. You can make a big batch at the beginning of the week and they will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Store the cooked oats only and when you are ready to eat heat them up in the microwave for a minute or so. Then add some milk and your favorite toppings.
things you may want for this recipe
Instant Pot Mini (3 Quart) - I've mentioned before that this is the perfect size Instant Pot if you are regularly cooking for two.
Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot Mini
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 2 cups vanilla almond milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ an apple, thinly sliced or cut into cubes
- ¼ cup toasted sliced almonds
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- maple syrup, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the Instant Pot. Lightly spray the Instant Pot liner with cooking spray. Add the oats, cinnamon stick and almond milk.
- Cook the oats. Secure the lid and make sure the vent is set to SEAL. Set to manual, high pressure for 3 minutes. The Instant Pot will take several minutes to come up to pressure before the cooking time begins.
- Natural pressure release. Once the cooking time has ended allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove the lid and stir. Discard the cinnamon stick and serve.
- Add the toppings. Top with the apples, almonds, ground cinnamon and maple syrup. Add additional almond milk or regular milk if desired.
Notes
- The cooked oats will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat for one minute in the microwave when ready to eat.
- This recipe creates a rather thick consistency for the oats as I think it's easier to add more milk after they are cooked instead of ending up with soupy oats!
Kankana Saxena says
apple and oats is a such a perfect match, I know it's Spring and I still bake oats with apple 🙂 It's a perfect comfort breakfast!
Carol Borchardt says
What a beautiful breakfast! I love that you can make the oats ahead of time and they keep in the refrigerator. Also pinned so I can make for guests this fall.
Dea says
Aaah it's such a classic and always so good! Loved your recipe and detailed post thank you 🙂
Sean Berry says
New to the Instant Pot world. Made this recipe twice now and it's been perfect both times. Steel cut oats, unattended in 30 min!!!
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Thanks Sean - glad you enjoyed them!
george says
I have a 3 qt mini IP. Can this recipe be doubled so I can meal prep breakfast for 4 days?
Thanks.
George
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi George - I haven't tested doubling this recipe in the mini however I think you should just be able to make it under the fill line. Since you are cooking oats you'll want to be sure not to fill the pot beyond the 1/2 fill line. You may also want to increase the cooking time to 4 minutes but I'd try 3 minutes first to see how you like the consistency. Enjoy!
Karen says
Do you mean the lid should be set to “seal”?
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi Karen - Yes, you are correct it should be set to seal. I've updated the instructions. 🙂
Sandy says
I would rather use water instead of almond milk. Will water work in this recipe?
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi Sandy - Yes, you should be able to substitute water for the almond milk, though it will change the taste and texture of the final dish.
Audra says
These turned out great. A lot of other instant pot steel cut oat recipes call for a larger pot, so I’m really happy I found yours. This was my first time trying steel cut oats (didn’t know about them until a couple of days ago) and they’re my new favorite breakfast! Substituted almond milk with plain (not vanilla) but added a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the mix. I had it with banana instead of apple because that’s what I had, added chia seeds. I’ll be making this for years to come!
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi Audra - So glad you enjoyed them!!
Leanne says
First attempt and the pot defaulted to burned food and scorched the oats. Any suggenstions?
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi Leanne - Did you spray the bottom of the pot with cooking spray to keep any oats from sticking? Given the amount of liquid in this recipe, I've never seen any issues with burn notices.
Debby says
So glad to find your recipe with ratios for IP mini! I like to add shredded zucchini into my oats before cooking. Assuming this adds approximately 1 cup to the recipe, would this still work in an IP Mini?
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi Debby. While the additional cup of food will fit in the IP mini, since I've not tested it this way, I cannot confirm how the addition will impact the amount of liquid needed, cook time or texture of the final product. Let me know if you decide to give it a try.