Oats Kheer, also known as Oats payasam, is a delicious twist of using oats in Indian dessert recipes. Sweetened oatmeal with cardamom, nuts, and raisins, this nourishing breakfast or dessert can be cooked in a pressure cooker or on the stovetop within minutes.
Oats Kheer is a guilt-free version of the traditional rice kheer but with the same rich and creamy taste. I have cooked this scrumptious dessert using Quaker rolled oats, but you can use other store-bought brands, too. You can serve this oats payasam warm or chilled. It makes up for a wholesome breakfast or a perfect dessert after dinner.
I will share the steps to make these oats garnished with cardamom, saffron, nuts, and raisins in the instant pot and stovetop.
Other than the popular combination of rice and milk for kheer, you can also make Sabudhana Kheer, Vermicelli Kheer, or Sheer Khurma. These variations of the traditional kheer are just as delicious!
I usually try to include oats in our everyday breakfast as they are more nutritious yet easy to make. If you like adding fruits and nuts to oatmeal, do try my chocolate overnight oats, instant pot oatmeal and banana chocolate chip overnight oats that my kids love. And if you like savory oats, try these masala oats.
Table of Contents
Watch How to Make Oats Kheer
What is Kheer?
A quintessential Indian dessert, Kheer is a go-to dish in the Indian subcontinent for almost all occasions and festivals. It is basically rice pudding cooked with milk and rice, infused with the flavors of saffron and cardamom, and topped with nuts like cashews or pistachios.
Growing up, Kheer was a staple dessert dish in my home. My mother used to make it for every festival, occasion, or when we wanted something sweet.
Why use Oats to make Kheer?
Oats are more nutritious than rice and have many benefits when compared to traditional rice kheer. (Source)
- They are gluten-free whole grains.
- Oats are filled with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
- They are a good source of carbohydrates and fiber.
- Oats also have a low glycemic index.
When cooked, oats turn quite mushy and give a thick, creamy texture. I have used rolled oats to make this dish, but you can also use steel-cut oats.
Ingredients
- Rolled Oats: Rolled oats cook quickly and turn soft. They work best for a smooth and creamy texture. Steel-cut oats will work well, too; just cook them for longer.
- Saffron: A tiny pinch adds a pleasant aroma and gives the kheer a lovely golden color.
- Milk: Full-fat milk makes it rich and creamy. You can also use plant-based milk, such as almonds or oats.
- Cardamom Powder: Adds a sweet, warm flavor and a pleasant aroma.
- Sugar: Adds sweetness to the kheer. You can adjust the amount based on your taste.
- Garnish: You’ll need pistachios, almonds, and raisins.
How to make Oats Kheer?
Oats kheer can be made within 20-25 minutes as opposed to the longer cooking time for the traditional rice kheer. The initial prep work of this oats kheer is keeping ingredients ready along with chopped dry fruits of your choice.
- Heat a heavy bottom pan and add ghee.
- Stir the rolled oats and sauté them well till you get a faint aroma.
- Add whole milk to the mixture and stir thoroughly.
- Simmer on a low flame and cook till the oats become soft and mushy.
- Once the oats and milk have reached the desired consistency, add the chopped dried nuts, a pinch of saffron, and cardamom.
- Simmer for a few more seconds, and then switch off the stovetop.
How to make Instant Pot Oats Kheer?
Usually, cooking Kheer involves constant stirring of the milk and rice. But when cooking the oats kheer in the instant pot, all you need to do is dump-and-go and enjoy a break. Ensure that you roast the oats well before adding all the other ingredients. Also, sanitize the Instant Pot thoroughly before getting started on the oats kheer.
- Set the Instant Pot to the Sauté setting and add ghee. Once melted, add rolled oats to the instant pot.
- Stir and sauté them well till you get the aroma of roasted oats.
- Add the remaining ingredients – milk, water, saffron, and cardamom.
- Close the lid securely and cook for a minute in high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Garnish the kheer with nuts and raisins and serve it warm or chilled.
How long to cook rolled oats in the instant pot?
Rolled oats cook very quickly under pressure. I like to just cook them on high pressure for 1 minute, and they are the perfect consistency.
Can this Kheer be made with steel-cut oats in the instant pot?
Yes! You can follow the same process and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, followed by a natural pressure release.
Pro-Tips
- Whether making this yummy oats kheer in an instant pot or on the stovetop, don’t let it boil too much, as the kheer thickens a lot as it cools.
- You can add more milk to adjust the consistency before serving.
- If you are following a vegan diet, substitute the whole milk with almond or another plant-based milk.
Do try this delicious recipe and let me know in the comments below!
Oats Kheer (Sweetened Oatmeal with Cardamom, Nuts & Raisins)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 cup Rolled oats
- 1 cup Water
- 2 cups Whole milk
- 3 tablespoon Sugar, adjust to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Cardamom powder (Elaichi)
- 1 pinch Saffron (Kesar)
Garnish options
- Pistachios, sliced
- Almonds, Roasted, sliced
- Raisins
- Saffron (Kesar)
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Sanitize the instant pot thoroughly by cleaning all the parts.
- Heat the instant pot in saute mode. Add ghee and let it melt.
- Add rolled oats. Stir and saute for 2 minutes until you get the aroma of roasted oats.
- Add milk, water, sugar, saffron and cardamom. Press Cancel and close the lid with the vent in the sealing position.
- Set to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 1 minute. When the cooking time is done, then let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and stir the kheer. This kheer thickens as it cools.
- Garnish with more saffron, nuts, and raisins to your liking. This Oats Kheer is delicious and can be served hot or chilled.
Stovetop Method
- Heat a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Add ghee to it and let it melt.
- Add the rolled oats and sauté them well till you get the aroma of roasted oats.
- Add water and whole milk to the pan and stir well.
- Simmer on a low flame and cook till the oats become soft and mushy. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Once the oats have reached the desired consistency, add the cardamom and roasted nuts, along with a pinch of saffron.
- Simmer for 2 more minutes and then switch off the stovetop. Enjoy the Oats Kheer.
This was exactly what I needed tonight, thank you! Comforting, sweet, easy to make.
I subbed 50/50 full fat coconut milk and water, and topped with pan-simmered cinnamon apples and shredded coconut. Yummmm. I will definitely be doing more kheer-style oats from now on, this is so much better than my usual prep.
Hi – Glad you enjoyed it! Your coconut milk and cinnamon apple twist sounds delicious. Happy cooking! 😊
I don’t cook my oats. I put them in the water and leave all. It’d in the fridge. Perfecto!
Sure, that works great for overnight oats. For this recipe, I like to cook as it gives a creamier texture to the final dish.
I only have whole green cardamom. Would I be able to use that and how many would I need? Thank you.
Hi Ami – I would suggest to add 2 green cardamom pods. You can crush the them with a mortar and pestle and then use in the recipe. Remove the outer covering and add the crushed seeds.
Nice recipe. Perfect for a rainy morning. I made it with quick oats and 2% milk as that’s what I had on hand. Added raisins too. Came out well.
Cardamom powder used 1/2 tsp. I think there’s a typo in the quantity.
Hi Nily – Glad to hear you enjoyed the oats kheer! You are right, I have fixed it. Thank you.
Delicious 😋 recipe
So easy and yummy! I made it on the stovetop, finally a healthy Kheer!
Hi Sunita – So happy to hear that. Thank you for sharing it 🙂
Soooo good! I saw this in the morning when I got up, put everything together in my instant pot, set it and went about my morning of exercising, yoga and showering. When I was ready, so was this delicious kheermeal! Thank you for a fresh take on the “same old same old”!
Hi – So glad that you liked it. Thank you for sharing back 🙂
Thanks for this wonderful content. It was very insightful and enjoyable. You have amazing pictures. I have bookmarked your website and will be checking from time to time for more contents. Love anything with chocolate. Thanks a lot for this great information.
Fantastic!!! I love Kheer but don’t eat rice, so this oat version just makes my day! It turned out great in the instant pot and I used almond milk and half and half. I think I will use freshly ground cardamom next time to get a richer flavor than powder, but it is good either way. Thank you for all the wonderful Indian recipes. It has made homemade Indian food possible by using the instant pot.
Hi Sarah – So glad to hear you enjoyed the oats kheer and that the blog has make it possible to make indian food at home!