Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats (Pot-In-Pot Method)

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats are easy enough for even busy weekday mornings! Put everything in the Instant Pot, set it to cook, go get ready for the day, and then sit down to a warm and hearty breakfast!

this recipe

When I have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, I really feel like I’m starting the day off right. Steel-cut oats are my favorite because they have such a great chewy texture and nutty flavor – but they take a lot longer to cook than regular oats.

On most mornings, standing at the stove babysitting a pot of oatmeal for 30 minutes isn’t usually an option, so I used to only make steel-cut oats on the weekend.

BUT, thanks to my handy-dandy, trusty Instant Pot, now I can have steel-cut oats just about any day of the week!

First, full disclosure: In terms of total time, it takes just as long to cook steel-cut oats in the Instant Pot as it does on the stove (maybe even a tad longer). HOWEVER – don’t run away – when you use the Instant Pot, it’s a completely hands-off process!

Just put everything in the Instant Pot, set it to cook, and go about your morning routine. Your steel-cut oats will be waiting for you when you’re ready!

This recipe is also great for meal prep. It’ll last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, so you can make a batch of this oatmeal to use throughout the week. Refrigerate once it’s cooled. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top, adding a little milk or water to thin it out. Easy!

Steel-Cut vs. Rolled Oats

How are steel-cut oats different from rolled oats? It’s simply how much the oat groats have been processed (groats are the oat kernels that have had their tough outer shells removed).

Steel-cut oats are less processed and are the closest thing to the unprocessed oat groat. They are simply oat groats that have been cut/chopped up with steel blades. They have a firm, chewy texture and nutty flavor.

Rolled oats are more processed (they steam and flatten the oat groats). They have a much softer texture and, because they have been partially cooked during processing, they cook much quicker than steel-cut oats.

Pot-In-Pot Method

I use the pot-in-pot method to cook oatmeal in the Instant Pot, which means you cook the oatmeal in a pot or oven-safe bowl that is placed on the trivet over water inside the Instant Pot rather than cooking it directly in the Instant Pot pot.

The oatmeal turns out perfect every single time. Plus, there’s no worries about sticking or burning, and clean-up is so much easier!

There’s also no fear of getting a burn warning on the Instant Pot, which can sometimes happen when cooking the oatmeal in just the Instant Pot pot, especially if you are making a smaller batch. With the pot-in-pot method, you can even cook one serving without worry!

A Few Rules for Using the Pot-In-Pot Method

• Always use an oven-safe bowl or dish (I recommend using stainless steel).
  • Update (2/9/23): When this post was originally published, I used an oven-safe Pyrex bowl. Subsequently, Pyrex came out with a statement saying you should not use it in the Instant Pot.
    • However, as of the date of this update, the Pyrex website FAQ now states, “Many Pyrex storage containers and baking dishes can be used in your Instant Pot brand product.”
    • I have never had any issues (i.e. cracking or breaking) using Pyrex or other oven-safe glass bowls in my Instant Pot. Nevertheless, I now recommend using stainless steel to avoid any confusion.
    • Feel free to do your own research on this topic and use your best judgement.
• Make sure the bowl is large enough to hold the food without touching the sides of the Instant Pot or preventing the lid from closing properly.
• Always place the bowl on the raised trivet over water (never put the bowl directly in the pot without the trivet).

Ingredients You Need

• Steel cut oats
• Whole milk (or almond milk)
• Water
• Salt (optional but recommended)

Special Equipment Needed

• Instant Pot (6 or 8-quart)
• Trivet (comes with Instant Pot)
• Oven-safe bowl (recommended: 7-cup stainless steel)

HERE’S A QUICK LOOK AT HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT STEEL CUT OATS (POT-IN-POT METHOD):

An Easy Way to Lift the Bowl Out of the Instant Pot

If your Instant Pot trivet doesn’t have handles that allow you to lift the bowl out of the pot, and you don’t have one of those fancy inserts with the handles, just make a sling with aluminum foil. It works like a charm!

Recipe Tips & Tidbits

• Don’t skip the step of letting the pressure naturally release, as the oatmeal is still cooking during this time. If you skip this step, your oatmeal will likely be undercooked.
• When you first take the oats out of the Instant Pot, you might think they are not cooked because they might be a bit thin. Just give them a good stir and let them chill out for a minute or two. They will thicken up nicely as they cool a bit.
• I have always used whole milk to make my oatmeal because it makes the oatmeal creamier, and I think it just tastes so much better. To me, oatmeal made with water is very bland, but you can use water if you’d like (or use half milk and half water).
  • Recently, I’ve started making this with unsweetened almond milk to cut down on the calories a bit, and it works great too!
• Adjusting the amount of servings is simple. All you have to remember is that it’s a 3:1 ratio of liquid to oats.
  • So, if you are using 1 cup oats, you need 3 cups liquid. If you are using ½ cup oats, you need 1½ cups liquid, etc. That’s it! The cooking time will stay the same.

Storage & Reheating

Store any leftover oatmeal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days (you can definitely use this for meal prepping!).

Reheat the oatmeal in the microwave or in a pot on the stove over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add milk or water, as needed, to thin it out (it will thicken up significantly after being stored in the fridge).

Your beautifully-cooked steel-cut oats are a blank canvas for flavoring them however you like!

My favorite way to eat them is to mix in a little pat of butter, some maple syrup, a splash of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Then I top it with sliced bananas and sliced almonds. YUM! What a great way to start the day!

I hope you try this recipe for Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!

This post was updated on 2/9/23 (updated images; revised recipe card and post to reflect using a stainless steel bowl rather than a Pyrex bowl).

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