Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats is easy to make, heart-healthy, and cooks entirely hands-free! Perfect for busy mornings or weekly meal prep. Vegan and Gluten-Free.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Method Instant Pot

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8

Total Time 28

Servings Servings

Calories 312kcal

Author Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

For Basic Oatmeal:

2 cups steel cut oatmeal
6 cups water or non-dairy milk (I like a 50-50 mix)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Optional Add-Ins: (mix & match to your preference)

For sweetness: 1-3 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup 1 mashed banana, 1 cup frozen blueberries
For flavor: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
For protein: 2 scoops protein powder*
***See the recipe notes for 10 flavor variations!***

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep: Add the dry oats, water and/or milk, and salt to the instant pot along with any additional add-ins, if desired. Stir well, then put the lid on the pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing.
Cook: Cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes. Once the timer goes off, press “Cancel” to turn off the auto keep-warm feature. Place a kitchen towel over the valve (to prevent spray) and manually release the pressure; you can also let the instant pot naturally release the pressure if you have more time, which will take around 10 minutes
Serve: Serve warm and top as desired. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can eat leftovers cold or warm; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little extra water or milk to bring the oats back to your desired consistency.

Notes

Protein Powder: I prefer to add 1 scoop of protein powder per cup of dry oats; if I add more I find the texture and artificial sweetener to be a little overwhelming. I would also recommend adding an extra 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water for every scoop of protein powder you use, as it absorbs liquid and will thicken the oatmeal as well. Finally, if your protein powder is already sweetened, I’d recommend skipping any additional sweetener, only adding to taste after cooking the oatmeal.
Flavor Variations:
1. Strawberry Banana - top with fresh strawberries and banana (you can also add mashed banana to the oats while cooking!)
2. PB&J - cook with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, then top with more peanut butter and jam or fresh berries
3. Chocolate PB Banana - top with banana, chocolate chips, and peanut butter
4. Chocolate Raspberry - cook with cocoa powder and sweetener, the top with chocolate chips and raspberries
5. Banana Bread - cook with mashed banana and 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon, then top with more banana and chopped walnuts
6. Double Chocolate - cook with cocoa powder and sweetener, then top with chocolate chips
7. Peanut Butter Cup - cook with cocoa powder, peanut butter, and sweetener, then top with more peanut butter and chocolate chips
8. Blueberry Cardamom - cook with frozen blueberries and 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
9. Lemon Poppyseed - cook with an additional 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 2-3 tablespoons of sweetener and 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
10. Pumpkin Pie - cook with 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and 1/2-1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

Nutrition