Ingredients
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil
- 3 cups water
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup milk (optional)
Instructions
- Start this the night before you want to have steel-cut oatmeal. Measure out 1 cup steel-cut oats.
- Heat 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats and fry them until they start smelling toasty, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 3 cups water and a pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Leave it on the stove, and go to bed!
- The next morning, uncover the pan and bring the oatmeal back up to a simmer. If you would like thinner and creamier oatmeal, stir in 1 cup of milk before reheating. When the oatmeal is warm, scoop out and enjoy!
Full Article
Overnight Steel-Cut Oats
Set them up the night before and you'll have hot oatmeal in the morning almost instantly.
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Serves4
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Cook Mode+
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Quick Overview
Why You’ll Love It
- Make-ahead ease. I love that I can prep these steel-cut oats the night before and wake up to a breakfast that’s basically ready to go.
- Creamy, hearty texture. The oats turn out tender with a slightly chewy bite and a rich, comforting consistency.
Do you eat steel-cut oats for breakfast? I turn to them gladly, and there’s nothing like a bowl of hot, tender, pearly oats, all creamy and delicious. Steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook than classic stovetop oatmeal, but that’s not a problem. Set up steel cut oats the night before and you’ll have hot oatmeal in the morning almost instantly. It takes only two or three minutes to heat them up. Here’s how I prep my steel cut oats the night before.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Anna Billingskog
Key Ingredients for Steel-Cut Oats
- Steel-cut oats: Steel-cut oats are whole oat groats that have been chopped into pieces, giving them a firmer, chewier texture compared to softer rolled oats or quick oats. The flavor is nuttier and more robust.
- Unsalted butter or olive oil: I toast the oats in a teaspoon of butter or olive oil to bring out a deeper, nutty flavor before soaking.
- Milk (optional): I like adding milk the following morning for a thinner, creamier oatmeal, but it’s totally optional depending on the texture you want.
How to Make Steel-Cut Oats
- Measure out the oats. Start this the night before you want to have steel-cut oatmeal.
- Toast the oats. Toast them in butter or olive oil until they start smelling toasty.
- Add the water and salt. Stir in the water and salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Cover and let it sit overnight. Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Leave it on the stove, and go to bed!
- Reheat the oatmeal the next morning. The next morning, uncover the pan and bring the oatmeal back up to a simmer. Stir in milk before reheating if you’d like.
How Many Servings of Steel-Cut Oats Should You Prep?
I call for one cup of steel cut oats here. This will make enough for three to five servings. Remember: When you make steel-cut oats you really should make enough for a whole week, or at least several days. Unlike gluey, sticky rolled-oat oatmeal, steel-cut oatmeal is great when reheated the next day. It just gets creamier — not ickier. So make a big pot and eat out of it all week.
Storage Tip
Cover and refrigerate any leftovers for up to 5 days. Reheat leftovers in just the same way: warm up on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave.
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Anna Billingskog
More Steel-Cut Oats to Try
Set them up the night before and you'll have hot oatmeal in the morning almost instantly.
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 cup
steel-cut oats - 1 teaspoon
unsalted butter or olive oil - 3 cups
water - Pinch kosher salt
- 1 cup
milk (optional)
Instructions
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- Start this the night before you want to have steel-cut oatmeal. Measure out 1 cup steel-cut oats.
- Heat 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats and fry them until they start smelling toasty, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in 3 cups water and a pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Turn off the heat and cover the pan. Leave it on the stove, and go to bed!
- The next morning, uncover the pan and bring the oatmeal back up to a simmer. If you would like thinner and creamier oatmeal, stir in 1 cup of milk before reheating. When the oatmeal is warm, scoop out and enjoy!