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Did you know you can make overnight oatmeal using steel cut oats? My overnight oats recipe is so popular and one that I make for breakfast often by soaking rolled oats with milk. The same principle can be applied here for the steel cut oat version with a few differences that I’ll share below, plus many topping possibilities!
What is steel cut oats?
Steel cut oats are less processed compared to rolled oats. The oat groat (or whole oat) is cut into pieces rather than being pressed and rolled. They have a chewier and nuttier texture and hold their shape once cooked. They don’t get mushy after being cooked, making them ideal for make-ahead breakfasts.
RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL
How to make overnight steel cut oats
- Stir the oats into boiling milk and water.
- Turn off the heat. Let it come to room temperature, and then store it in the fridge overnight.
Oatmeal topping ideas
Peanut Butter Banana: In this version, slice some bananas, top it with off with creamy peanut butter and then add crushed peanuts (to enforce that peanut taste). Finish it off with a dash of cinnamon to add some warmth.
Strawberry Nutella: Slice some fresh strawberries to place on top of your oatmeal and add some Nutella and chopped hazelnuts. Finish it off with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
Caramel Apple: Slice a green apple to add to the steel cut oatmeal, add some chopped pecans for texture and drizzle with caramel sauce. If you don’t have caramel sauce, maple syrup works well. Finish it off with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg.
Chocolate Almond Butter: Add some chopped chocolate, a couple of tablespoons of almond butter and a couple of pitted chopped dates. Finish with a drizzle of honey and coconut flakes if you’d like. When you stir this one together, it looks like chocolate steel cut oatmeal – my kids’ favorite!
Tips for making overnight steel cut oats
- Heat water and milk before adding oats. There are methods of making overnight steel cut oatmeal where no heat is applied and the oats just soak the liquid. However, in my experience, the consistency is more creamy and thick when the liquid is heated first.
- Don’t skip the salt. Just a little really does make all the difference. It brings out the natural sweetness and nuttiness of the oats and it can taste quite bland if you don’t use it.
- Use a mixture of water and milk. I find that this creates that wonderfully creamy texture without adding too many calories or fat. You can use all milk or all water if you prefer.
- Heat for a thicker consistency. When you first take a peak in the pot the next morning, you might notice some liquid still in the pot. Stirring it will allow the oats to absorb more of that liquid. But reheating is will help most. Plus it’s already in a pot, so it’s a quick convenience step.
Frequently asked questions
Steel oats are much tougher than rolled oats, so you need to let them sit in the liquid for at least 8 hours.
Steel cut oatmeal will keep well for up to a week in the fridge. In the morning, place the cooled oatmeal into an airtight container and you can reheat portions of it throughout the week. It’s great to batch cook for easy and quick breakfasts.
Try this method of soaking steel cut oats with hot liquid overnight and you will probably never find yourself cooking steel cut oats on the stove top again!
More oatmeal recipes:
- Basic Oatmeal Recipe
- Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
- Protein Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Quinoa Oatmeal
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Video
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 1 ½ cups steel cut oats
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups almond milk
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
Peanut Butter Banana
- 1 banana sliced
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon peanuts chopped
- Dash of cinnamon
Strawberry Nutella
- 4-5 strawberries sliced
- 2 tablespoons nutella
- 1 tablespoon hazelnuts chopped
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Caramel Apple
- 1/2 green apple sliced
- 2 tablespoons caramel sauce
- 1 tablespoon pecans chopped
- Dash of cinnamon
Chocolate Almond Butter
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate bar chopped
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 2 dates chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring the water, milk and salt to a boil.
- Stir in the oats and continue mixing with the liquid for 2-3 minutes to warm up the oats.
- Turn off the heat, Let it come to room temperature and then store in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, heat for a couple minutes while stirring the mixture, and serve with your favorite topping combinations.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
I used steel cut oats (Quaker brand) and followed the original overnight oat process (half cup oats, half cup milk, quarter cup Greek yogurt) and it worked perfectly without having to heat or cook anything! I let mine set in the fridge for 12 hours. So if you want to avoid having to do anything more than put it all together just let it set a few hours longer
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve been making and eating overnight oats for years, ever since I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. I’ve wanted to use steel cut oats since they are not only great for lowering cholesterol, they also add high amounts of fiber into my diet, which my doctor also advised. This recipe is easy, yet incredibly effective and yummy! Thank you, Yumna! You’ve saved the day!
Wonderful to hear, so happy you enjoy this recipe!
What’s the diff of this and overnight oats?
Hi Yunma! I started cooking my steel-cut oats as normal when I came across this recipe. Would it still work if I had the oats cooking at low heat for about 15 min before letting cool to room temp & putting in the fridge? Thanks!
I don’t see why not. Did you end up trying it?
I fell in love with an overnight oats recipe more than a year ago, and I haven’t wanted to eat anything else for breakfast ever since… which means, my stash of steel-cut oats that I had on-hand (because I used to eat regular steel-cut oatmeal every day) was just sitting there (I had 4-5 big bags of Bob’s Red Mill SC oats). My mom told me how she was eating steel-cut overnight oats, so I was intrigued, because I thought it might be a way to use up my steel-cut oat stash, but still have the breakfast I adore. SO, I found a couple recipes… yours being one of them, and I decided to try yours first. I use 4 cups almond milk and 2 cups water. I really enjoyed the flavor and texture of using steel-cut oats for overnight oats! I divide the mixture into 6 parts, and add 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, and 1 Tbsp maple syrup to each part. In the morning, I top it with fresh fruit (blueberries, raspberries, and mango) and 2 Tbsp of nuts. Thanks for helping me discover a delicious way to use SC oats, so they don’t go to waste!
So glad you liked this version! Steel cut oats does add a nice chewy element for a change of pace.
Very easy and good. I double it and eat it throughout the week
So glad you liked it, Vivian!
Thank you so much for the recipe! Can’t wait to try. I am wondering if I can use 1/2 dairy milk + 1/2 almond milk? Or would that not work because of boiling in the beginning?
Hi Janet, I have not tried this recipe with 1/2 dairy and 1/2 almond milk, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work! Let me know what you think when you make it!
Hi,
Your method in this recipe is great! Quick, easy and gives a better texture. Thanks so much for sharing.
You’re so welcome!!
Hello! I’ve used your recipe many times and shared it with friends. I haven’t used in a couple of months and now I’m puzzled – did your recipe previously state keep out overnight? I see it now states to cool and refrigerate. I understand the concerns noted by other reviewers about refrigerating but I never had any problems.
Hi Heather – Yes, I did change it due to an influx of comments in regard to food safety. You can still leave it out overnight if you’re okay with it (I still will.)
Are steel cut oats more nutritious than regular rolled oats?
Hi Cece, according to my research steel cut oats do tend to have more fiber than rolled oats and are more “meaty”, texture-wise. But, overall, the two are pretty equal in the nutrition department from what I’ve read. I use rolled oats 9/10 times in pretty much all my recipes.
Delicious! Easy to make a batch that provides breakfast for a week!
Thank you, Edward! I am so glad you like the overnight oats! Which would you say is your favorite variation? Strawberry Nutella? 😉
Hahahaha. Well, to be honest, I’ve just made the base recipe, and then in the morning I’ve been trying different add-ins when I reheat: dried fruit (raisins, cranberries) and a little bit of brown sugar. Delicious, healthy and so easy.
That does sound good!
I loved this! It come out sooo lovely!! It stayed on the stove overnight and in the morning was sooo yummy. I just added whatever toppings I could find, some honey, and some fruit and nuts
Thank you so much! That sounds perfect. It’s so versatile in that way!
Did you use traditional or quick oats?
This is a great recipe, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out overnight if you live in a warmer climate. I made this in September in Texas and it was rancid by morning. If you live in a warm climate, I would place it in the fridge overnight instead.
Thank you! If you live in a warmer climate, definitely leave it in the fridge overnight. Or in any case, leave it in the fridge overnight to be on the safer side.
I suggest people be risk-aware. Be very careful to cook cleanly and avoid cross-contamination. I made overnight oatmeal like this for months, leaving it out overnight, and was fine until I had a bad batch and was sick for a week with food poisoning. I never did it again and couldn’t stomach oatmeal for nearly a year. All it takes is one bad batch.
This should definitely be noted!
Since food poisoning lasts 24 hours I’m guessing something else was making you sick…..
“Symptoms of food poisoning can appear anywhere between four hours and one week after ingesting a contaminated food item, and can persist for as short a time as 24 hours or as long as a week. This variability in both onset and duration of symptoms is another reason food poisoning so often goes unidentified.” -usda.gov, https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2017/08/28/are-you-sure-it-wasnt-food-poisoning#:~:text=Symptoms%20of%20food%20poisoning%20can,poisoning%20so%20often%20goes%20unidentified.
I can’t be 100% sure it was the oatmeal, but this was the only food I ate at the time that didn’t follow food handing requirements, 41-135 degrees (I’m ServSafe Manager Certified and have this stuff drilled in). I just want people to be aware. I did this just fine for months, and then one bad batch made me sick.
I have to ask…. is this not a food safety hazard? There is a “danger zone” for food temp, and it seems that leaving this mix out of the refrigerator for several hours would pose a risk for bacterial growth.
Dont get me wrong, the idea of just boiling the milk/water, cooking for 3 mins and then just leaving it alone until morning sounds awesome, but it makes me wonder…..
As long as your kitchen temperature is not too hot, it should be safe to leave the oats soaking overnight at room temperature, especially since they are covered in a pot with a lid. However, to be safer, you can keep it in the fridge overnight too.
Unfortunately, oatmeal left out overnight can absolutely give you food poisoning. Rice can, too. It’s caused by a common foodborne pathogen called bacillus cereus. Google it if you’d like more information. And refrigerate your oatmeal.
Made half a recipe. Added 1 Tbsp. Of currents to the boiling water and milk to “sweeten the pot.” Current bushes grow wild all over northern Europe. Raisins, as we know them today, were not available until the 1870’s when Mr Thompson, a Scottish immigrant, developed the first seedless grapes. Before that raisins were “crunchy” due to the seeds. Currents are seedless, low glycemic and natural secret sweetening ingredient for diabetics.
That is such a good idea with the currents – yum!!
I havent tried it yet, but I love the idea. I would probably use a microwave rather than stove for a smaller quantity. I was wondering if I could add some of the “toppings” to the mix before setting it out for the evening, namely the sweetener, vanilla, and say canned apricots and pine nuts? Of course fresh fruits are usually best to add later.
You can definitely do that with the toppings!
Thank you so much for this recipe! Though it is very simple I was at ease to find someone who had already done it. I used a can of coconut milk and 4+ cups of water (to make up the rest of the liquid) and it was the perfect consistency in the morning. We added chopped dried mango and just ate it as is (the kids added honey to theirs).
You’re so welcome! That sounds perfect. Love mango with this!
Wondering if you leave it on the same burner you cooked it on or move it to another cooled burner?
Either way works, as you turn off the heat completely when you leave it overnight.
Delicious recipe. I’m curious why you cook the oats first. Many overnight oats recipes use uncooked overnight in the fridge.
Thank you! I cook the oats because this recipe calls for steel cut oats and not rolled oats.
Can you leave it overnight in the fridge? I’m a bit uncomfortable leaving milk overnight in room temperature
Yes, you can!
I tried your recipe for the first time today, and I am enjoying it now! Thank you for this very simple method of preparing a delicious oatmeal. One point that may be helpful to others. Because I have recently been diagnosed with prediabetes, I carefully track my food intake and nutrients. Weighing my portions has worked best for me, so I weighed the oatmeal this morning after it had soaked overnight. One serving of 1/4 of the recipe weighs about 330 grams, and the carb count is acceptable for my diet.
Thank you so much! I’m glad you’re loving this recipe. That’s great to note.
Finally, a steel cut oatmeal recipe I like, and it’s ready to eat in the morning! I am smitten with the creamy texture. I added a T of chia seeds to soak overnight with the oats and it did not impact the creaminess. It may have also addressed some of the extra liquid others commented upon. I will be making this again (and again and again)!
That’s perfect! So glad you are enjoying this recipe!!
My favorite steel cut oats recipe! I reduce the liquid by half a cup to make it less runny, and I use half water and half unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Divine! My toddler adores it, and one batch takes care of breakfast for a week. Thank you!
That makes me so happy to hear! Glad you both enjoy this recipe!
Made these in Ramadan for sahoor and despite the oats increasing almost three times in size and scaring my dad a tad bit, they were so loved by everyone! They were so creamy and delicious. Everyone added their own toppings of choice and my sister even eat it cold with berries on it!
I’m glad you still enjoyed it! The versatility definitely comes with the toppings.
These are amazingly delicious ideas. I have never done steel cut oatmeal before; I must say that you’ve made me a super fan. I ate every bowl down to the last bite!!
That’s incredible! Thank you so much!
Great way to have steel cut oats ready in morning! I followed your recipe but made 1/2 cups steel cut oat, 1/2 cup oat milk and 1 1/2 water. It was so creamy and delicious the next morning. I just warmed it on stove for few minutes. Thanks!
Another excellent healthy and convenient recipe as per usual. Five stars 👍
Hi Yumna! Just wanted to let you know that the prep and cook time in the recipe should be fixed. You have them in hours instead of in minutes 🙂