Instant Pot Oatmeal makes cooking breakfast a breeze because the entire process is hands-off. Making steel cut oats in the instant pot is as easy as 2 ingredients and 1 minute of hands-on time. It’s the perfect breakfast for busy weekday mornings and will keep you feeling full and satisfied until lunch!
For the past ten years, I can only tell you a handful of times I’ve actually eaten breakfast on a weekday. Of course, on the weekends I love to whip up something special like this Salted Caramel Banana Bread with Yogurt or these super delicious Mexican Breakfast Tostadas. I mean, you just can’t have a bad day if you start it with good food.
But on the weekdays it’s easy to run out of time before I have to head out the door to work. Since we all know that eating a hearty breakfast is one of the best ways to start your day right, I decided to find some easy recipes that I can make while I am getting ready in the morning.
And when I say easy, I mean EASY.
The Instant Pot is changing my life!
Instant Pot Oatmeal is made with two ingredients – steel cut oats and almond milk (or water). Stir them together, press a button, then hop in the shower while the Instant Pot works its magic! You’ll be greeted by a steaming hot bowl of flavorful, comforting, and nutritious steel cut oatmeal just waiting to usher you into the day.
Regular oats on the top. Steel cut oats on the bottom.
Ingredients you’ll need for Instant Pot Oatmeal:
You only need two ingredients! First up, steel cut oats.
Second, a liquid of choice: I use vanilla almond milk to give my oats a ton of flavor right from the get-go, but you could also use water. Do NOT use regular milk as it can scorch during the cooking process.
How to make Instant Pot Oatmeal:
While the Instant Pot doesn’t make everything in an “instant” it does make cooking so much easier and hands-free. In this case, preparing steel cut oats in the traditional stovetop method would take about 40 minutes, the whole time of which you need to babysit and stir them.
Instant Pot steel cut oats, on the other hand, only need 4 minutes of cooking time, plus 10 minutes for the pressure to build and 10 minutes for the pressure to release. So a total of about 25 minutes, 24 of which are completely hands-free! Here are the steps:
- Spray the liner of your Instant Pot with cooking spray. This prevents sticking and makes cleanup that much easier.
- Add steel cut oats, your liquid of choice, and a bit of salt to the Instant Pot. Then close the lid and set the steaming valve to “sealing.”
- Push manual button and set to 4 minutes.
- Walk away and forget it! It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure, 4 minutes to cook, then 10 more minutes to release the pressure.
- Add toppings of choice. You can dress these up however you want. See below for a list of topping ideas.
Topping ideas:
Instant Pot steel cut oats are made extra delicious by adding a few toppings! You can honestly use anything you like, but here are some of my favorite toppings.
- Sweeteners – A drizzle of honey or maple syrup is perfect.
- Fruit – Fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, or pears are all good choices.
- Nuts – Walnuts, pecans, or almonds are delicious.
- Nut butters – Peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter add a little extra creaminess.
- Other toppings – I love to add coconut flakes, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of cocoa powder, or dried fruit. Get creative!
What is the ratio of water to steel cut oats?
For every cup of steel cut oats you need 2 1/2 cups of liquid. If you prefer slightly looser oatmeal, you can add an extra 1/4 cup of liquid for every cup of oats.
Do you rinse steel cut oats before cooking?
There is no need to rinse the oats before cooking. The Instant Pot makes them soft and tender with no problem.
Are steel cut oats healthy?
Yes, it’s such a great option for a healthy breakfast. Steel cut oats are packed with fiber (even more than rolled oats) and protein. They are also naturally gluten-free, a great source of iron, and a long-lasting source of energy.
More breakfast recipes:
- Avocado and Kale Savory Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Sous Vide Egg Bites (Starbucks copycat)
- Greek Yogurt Breakfast Bowls
- Salted Caramel Banana Bread with Yogurt
- Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl
- Blueberry White Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Cookies
Instant Pot recipes:
- Instant Pot Bone Broth
- Steamed Artichokes in the Instant Pot
- Instant Pot Glazed Corned Beef & Cabbage
- The Best Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale
- Instant Pot Cheesy Southwestern Lentils & Brown Rice
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Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill steel cut oats
- 5 cups vanilla almond milk (or water (do NOT use dairy milk – it will burn))
- Pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Lightly coat Instant Pot with cooking spray.
- Add oats, almond milk, and salt to Instant Pot.
- Make sure your sealing ring is in place on the lid. Lock the lid onto Instant Pot and set the steam release knob to the “sealing” position.
- Press the “manual” button and set Instant Pot for high pressure for 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for Instant Pot to come to full pressure, then the display will show a countdown timer.
- Once the 4 minutes are up, allow the pressure to release naturally. It will take about 10-12 minutes, then the float valve will drop. Open the lid and stir the oatmeal, adding additional milk if you would like a thinner consistency.
- Serve topped with fresh fruit, coconut flakes, honey, or any other toppings you enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2018. It was updated in 2021 to add new photographs and information. The original recipe remains. Enjoy!
I’m not the biggest oatmeal fan but using vanilla almond milk sounds really, really delicious. I love the fresh toppings as well.
I love and normally drink vanilla almond milk and will have to try it with steel cut oatmeal in the IP!
So smart!! Instant Pot is the best!! I just started eating oatmeal again this pregnancy and have been tolerating it well but haven’t had steel cut in ages–but I remember it being good!
I’m a fan of Bob’s Red Mill products, electric pressure cookers (mine isn’t Instant Pot brand), and steel cut oats! While I’ve been pressure cooking literally for decades, I’ve never tried oats… I think I’ll need to give it a whirl! Great post 🙂
Thanks Tamara – I hope you enjoy them!
That’s it, you’ve convinced me – I need an Instant Pot!
This sounds GREAT!! So easy and fast in the morning!! Since it’s just me eating this oatmeal, do you think I could put the leftovers in jars, refrigerate, and reheat for the rest of the week?
Nickie, that’s what I do with mine. I make enough for 5 days and store in little jars for work. I heat for about 1 minute and add berries before eating.
This recipe turned out perfect! They were so good! I halved the recipe and it still came out perfect! I put the left overs in mason jars and stored them in the fridge. My daughter ate them for breakfast before school. It made for a quick breakfast for mama! I just added a little milk and microwaved them for 30 seconds or so. They were just as good the third and fourth day as they were when they were made fresh! Thanks for the easy recipe.
So glad you liked them Laura – So perfect for busy weekdays!
Using 4 minutes (IP Ultra) mine was not done nearly enough. I did it again for a couple more minutes and was just barely done. Looked up more recipes, and most are saying 6-10 minutes.
Hi Diane – I tend to like my oats a bit chewier. If you’re looking for a more creamy texture, then you could definitely go up to 10 minutes. Hope this helps!
I would use less liquid next time. I did pot-in-pot using the 2-5 oats-to-water ratio and it was too soupy for me.
Perfect steel cut oats every time. I love using the vanilla almond milk because it eliminates the need for extra sweeteners.
Love that addition of vanilla almond milk Pamela!
This was my first recipe EVER made in my Instant Pot (Ultra) – soooo good! I didn’t realize the Keep Warm feature can supposedly make it take aaaaaages to release the pressure, and that’s what I encountered. After about 15 minutes, I ended up using the Quick Release function. I love my oats chewy – these were terrific!
You know what Wendy – I never thought about that! I didn’t think about the Keep Warm function making it take longer for the pressure to release. I may just unplug mine after the cooking time is up now…
This is the best steel cut oatmeal recipe! It comes out perfect every. single. time. The first time I attempted your recipe, my husband couldn’t get over how perfectly cooked it was, so thank you!
I typically do 4 cups of water and 1 cup of non-dairy milk just to add a bit of creaminess. To serve, I usually just add a bit more non-dairy milk and a spoonful of peanut butter. Delish!
I’m so happy to hear that you like it Emily! Love your idea to stir in some peanut butter!
I am making this for a staff meeting. How many servings do you think I can fit in an 8 quart?