Aren't oats one of the best breakfasts to wake up to? I love them for breakfast. They are convenient and nutritious. Try this easy Instant Pot Steel-cut Oats topped with banana and walnuts!

I usually don't like oats, unless they are perfectly cooked. Microwaving oats is definitely not my thing. I used to slow cook oats on the stove top. However now I have discovered the art of pressure cooking oats in the instant pot and will never look back to other techniques.

If you like oats for breakfast, also check out this sweetened Oats Kheer and this savory Indian Masala Oatmeal.

How to make Steel-cut Oats in Instant Pot?

My usual way is to put them in the instant pot, as soon as I wake up. And by the time I am ready, I come back to perfectly cooked oats. You can even set them in the night with a delay timer and have breakfast ready when you wake up.

Just add the milk, water, and oats to the instant pot. Set on manual for 3 minutes and natural pressure release. Voila! Perfect oats are ready. Add fruits and nuts of your choice. I added honey, bananas and walnuts to this one.

Steel-cut oats are not just a quick breakfast, they are also nutritious. They have lots of fiber and have a low glycemic index, so are a much better choice than rolled oats. I found this linked post very helpful to understand the benefits of choosing steel-cut oats.

Oats can be cooked pot-in-pot and also using delay timer in the instant pot. Check the notes in the recipe card for more details.

📖 Recipe

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Instant Pot Steel-cut Oats with Banana & Walnuts

Meeta Arora

Steel-cut Oats flavored topped with banana and nuts, made in an Instant Pot. The best way to start your day the healthy way!

5 from 6 votes

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Servings:

Calories: 308

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

Prep Time: 1

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 16

Ingredients

Instructions

Add the oats, water and milk to the instant pot. Close the lid with vent in sealing position.
Start instant pot in manual or pressure cook mode for 3 minutes.
Once the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
Add the honey, banana and walnuts to the cooked oats. Add milk to taste to adjust the consistency. Perfectly cooked oats are ready to enjoy.

Notes

Variation: Add the fruits and nuts of your choice to the cooked oats. You can also add cinnamon if you like when adding the ingredients to the instant pot in step 1.

Pot-in-pot: If you are making a small quantity, you can do pot-in-pot (PIP). Add one cup water to the main pot. Place a trivet and a small bowl with the ingredients added on top of the trivet. Cook for 5 minutes on manual high pressure, otherwise the recipe remains the same.

Overnight with Delay Timer: To cook oats overnight with delay timer, add the oats and water to the pot. Set the timer to the desired time such as 8 hours (Press manual/pressure cook, then press Timer and adjust to the desired time). The instant pot will start cooking at the set time. Once the pressure is released naturally, add milk and adjust oatmeal to the desired consistency.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 11gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 59mgPotassium: 298mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 215IUVitamin C: 2.6mgCalcium: 169mgIron: 1.9mg

Keyword Healthy, instant pot, pressure cooker, quick

Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @PipingPotCurry or #pipingpotcurry

Comments

Radha says

December 28, 2022 at 6:24 pm

Can this recipe be made with just water instead of milk?

- Meeta Arora says
  
  January 04, 2023 at 1:49 pm
  
  Hi Radha - sure, you can make this oatmeal with just water too.
  
Gunjan Pradhan says

December 01, 2022 at 8:33 am

Woke up to delicious breakfast today. I used the overnight and delay timer method. Thank you for this recipe!

- Piping Pot Curry says
  
  December 01, 2022 at 11:57 am
  
  So happy to hear that, Gunjan! I appreciate your review.
  
Bhavya Gedj says

December 20, 2020 at 3:22 pm

Hi
I would love to try this recipe in instant pot method
Is 3 min manual method high pressure or low pressure?

- Meeta Arora says
  
  December 28, 2020 at 11:23 pm
  
  Hi Bhavya - It is the default high pressure. Hope you enjoy the oatmeal.
  
Neha says

January 06, 2019 at 2:10 am

Hey Meeta,

I tried this recipe along with the natural pressure release, and it gave me the most perfect creamy oats! Will be having parents visiting, and wanted to check is it possible to double the quantity of oats to 2 cups or even slightly more? If so, what are the water and milk proportions I should use?

Thanks!!

- Meeta Arora says
  
  January 08, 2019 at 10:07 am
  
  Hey Neha - Glad you enjoyed the oats. Yes, you can easily double the quantity of oats. I would suggest to not double the milk initially, but add more as needed after pressure cooking is done and you open the instant pot.
  
kiara says

August 23, 2018 at 7:05 pm

Hey Meeta,

For the same thinner consistency as mentioned in your recipe, how would the ratios and cooking time change if I used rolled oats or quick oats?

Thanks!

- Piping Pot Curry says
  
  August 24, 2018 at 11:16 am
  
  Hey Kiara - I have used the same ratio as in the recipe and it worked. That said, if you let it sit for sometime the oats thicken and you can add more liquid (water/milk) to adjust the consistency. Hope you enjoy it!
  
  P.S. I love your comments and questions. Thank you for following the blog ?
  
  - kiara says
    
    August 24, 2018 at 1:45 pm
    
    Thanks 🙂 And no problem! Your blog is really teaching me that I can cook for myself.
Alan says

March 25, 2017 at 7:13 pm

Is this an intentionally-runny recipe? I followed it and ended up needing to boil down the oats.

- Piping Pot Curry says
  
  March 27, 2017 at 1:49 am
  
  Hello Alan -
  
  Thanks for trying this recipe. I do mention in the details that this recipe is for a little thinner consistency. And I have noticed after making oats many times now, that if you leave them for about 20 minutes after the instant pot beeps, then they actually do soak in most of the liquid.
  
  Cheers, Meeta
  
  - Ritu says
    
    December 21, 2017 at 9:40 am
    
    Hi. Have you tried with more milk and less water? And do they become creamier if i leave them for 20 min after the beep? Thanks!
  - Piping Pot Curry says
    
    December 21, 2017 at 11:06 am
    
    Hey Ritu - I think we already discussed on the instant pot group on facebook, but want to make sure I respond. I have not tried with more milk, usually keep at this ratio. They become very creamy. I do a NPR after cooking the oats, so that already takes 15-20 mins and by then all the liquid is well absorbed. Sometimes if we eat after an hour of cooking, I actually add more milk as it is too thick 🙂

Banana Walnut Steel-cut Oats - Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

How to make Steel-cut Oats in Instant Pot?

📖 Recipe