Steel-Cut Oats w/ Fresh Fruit

Name: Steel-Cut Oats w/ Fresh Fruit
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2

Active time: 5 min

Total time: 45 min

Serves: 2

Healthy and nutritious steel-cut oats topped with fresh fruit. A breakfast of champions, indeed!

Chef's notes

Though many think that oatmeal is a winter breakfast, it's a great way to start the day all year long. Steel-cut oats are especially good, as they have a dense and chewy texture that will fill you up for a good part of the morning.

Steps

Gathering Your Mise en Place

Ingredients

1/2 cup steel-cut oats*
2 cups water or Non-Diary Milk**
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

Gather and measure out the ingredients. The amount of liquid used will ultimately depend on the final consistency that you are looking for. If you like your oats a bit thicker, use less liquid; if you like them runnier, use more liquid. *These are also referred to as, coarse-cut oats, pinhead oats, Irish or Scottish oats. **Any Non-Dairy Milk can also be used. A Sweetened, Non-Dairy Milk would also add great flavor to the oats.

Cooking the Oats

Ingredients

1/4 cup raisins (optional)

To cook the oats, mix all of the ingredients together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer uncovered for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency and texture. Stir occasionally. You may need to add a touch of liquid if it starts to dry out before the oats are cooked. Once the oats are tender and cooked through, cover and let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Alternate Cooking Method / Overnight Preparation: Bring the oats and liquid to a boil and let cook for 1 minute. Let cool and then cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, uncover, bring to a simmer over low heat and let cook for approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until it reaches the desired consistency. The overnight soak essentially "cooks" the grains by rehydrating and softening them. Alternatively, the oats can simply be soaked overnight and eaten raw.

Finishing the Oats

Ingredients

1 cup (approx) fresh fruit*
brown sugar or other sweetener (to taste)

Wash and cut up the fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or even bananas go well with oats. Basically, whatever fresh fruit that you like and have on hand can be added. If you like, you can pour a bit more milk (or non-dairy milk) over top and sprinkle with a bit of brown sugar. Serve hot and enjoy! Note: Add nuts and/or hemp seeds for a more nutritious breakfast.

14 Comments

Dawn T • January 20, 2010 at 02:32AM

Steel cut oats are great with soy, but they are also delicious made just with water. I also wanted to mention that lately I have been cooking this without a lid, which seems to make it less messy. I did adjust the ratio of liquid to oats though, about 4 1/2 cup of liquid to 1 cup of oats, to make up for any evaporation. Once cooked, I turn off the heat and then cover and let sit for about 5 minutes or so.

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Denise P • May 21, 2010 at 02:18AM

thank you for that tip. this is delicious however it constantly sticks and evaporates even almost burning. i will try it now with your adjustment. and i must admist it seems to always boil over. ok now tomorrow it will be better i am sure thanks to your tip. i love cooking with you and this site is wonderful

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John T • February 24, 2011 at 01:19PM

I have been making this with water for years (maybe my Scottish heritage?) I had problems with boiling over and timing until I changed up the process a bit: Now I 1) bring the water to a boil in a kettle, 2) toast the oats in a little oil - I use olive oil, then add the boiling water to the oats (I do this over the sink to catch any splatters). Then cook on low setting for 30 minutes. I guess this would also work with the soy milk.

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Andrew L • February 12, 2012 at 01:30PM

I love whole grains in the morning with fruit.Steel cut oats are delicious. Canada's Red River Cereal is another great breakfast dish.

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Vicki B • March 10, 2013 at 11:51PM

I cook mine like I cook rice. Use whatever liquid you like whether it be water, milk or non-dairy, then bring to a good simmer, turn heat down to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally. I use water, milk powder and cinnamon and it never sticks or burns. I make this probably 2-3 times per week. I serve with raw almonds (chopped fine) and cooked frozen blueberries. No sugar needed! I would avoid too much soy because of the estrogen. As well, don't toast with olive oil. Olive oil is really meant to be a drizzling oil. Because of its low tolerance to heat, it oxidizes and causes free radicals which causes cancer amongst other health problems. Coconut oil is better

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Ken R • Rouxbe Staff • March 11, 2013 at 05:30PM

Hi Vicki- Thanks for the details and explanation. I love the almonds and blueberries, sounds good to me! Enjoy.

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Diane C • April 4, 2015 at 08:00PM

We like our oats cooked in half water, half almond, cashew or coconut milk. I add a tablespoon or so of pure maple syrup, a dash of salt, cinnamon and nutmeg too then the oats. Bring it all to a low boil then turn down to a simmer. I find stirring frequently keeps it from sticking to the pan. Put it in bowls, add fine chopped apples, sliced almonds, sliced strawberries fresh blueberries, blackberries or rasberries - so much stuff on top you can't see the oats! Then poar a little more milk over all and top with a final dash of cinnamon. So good and so filling, you won't go out the door hungry.

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Phyllis F • November 17, 2015 at 01:55PM

Is it necessary to refrigerate overnight? I've seen online recipes in which you boil the water, turn off stove, add the oats, cover, and just leave on the stove. In the morning you heat and serve. Are there any risks?

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Ken R • Rouxbe Staff • November 17, 2015 at 04:07PM

Hi Phyllis- There are risks to this (B. cereus is the pathogen) but the risk is pretty low. In this case, it has to do with the warm temperature and the overnight "incubation" that can happen once it cools and is in a warm zone for a few hours.... But remember - there is some risk every time you eat! ~Ken

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Phyllis F • November 17, 2015 at 04:44PM

Thanks Ken. I've been using the overnight method for a couple years with no issues, but it's good to know the risk.

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Alexia P • May 30, 2019 at 11:10AM

Hopefully they make this clear in this class. Phytoestrogens (estrogens from plants) are actually GOOD for you and block the effects of the much stronger endogenous estrogens which cause cancer.

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Aaron M • December 22, 2021 at 03:50PM

If you've got the time, steel cut oats really are the ultimate plant-based breakfast. I've been dry toasting mine for a few minutes before adding the plant milk and it really brings out the nutty depth in flavor. Also, a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and the berries themselves can be added to the cooking liquid along with the oats to infuse the flavors as you cook. Simply delicious.

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Sandy S • December 22, 2021 at 10:05PM

Hi Aaron, Those are some great ideas. Thanks for sharing! Cheers, Sandy

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Linda E • June 7, 2025 at 03:07PM

I make steelcut oats in my 3qt Ultra IP for grab and go breakfasts during the week. 1c oats, 2.25c water, 1c almond milk, 1c diced durable fruit such as apple or mango, up to 1/4c maple syrup or date paste, cinnamon, vanilla, cocnut, or almond extract if coconut, (we make our own, easy and economical), 0.5c nuts for finishing. Except for nuts put everything in the IP. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes, then natural release for 20 minutes min. For berries or more delicate fruit, I skip the apple and layer the berries to make oat parfaits. Divide into 6-8 1c mason jars. Top with nuts and refrigerate for easy week day breakfasts. :)

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