How to cook the perfect bowl of Creamy Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Steel-Cut Oatmeal is nutty, crunchy, chewy and creamy all at once! It’s the perfect picker-upper to comfort you on a cold, brisk winter morning, or on any dark, chilly and rainy day! Try it on its own, or garnished with your favorite toppings!
You know how I love me a good bowl of oatmeal, right? Yes, even in the summertime, especially when it’s cold and rainy like it’s been in my neck of the woods for the past couple of days…
And when it comes to oatmeal, steel-cut oats definitely are my faves! Not only do they have a nuttier, earthier flavor than their rolled counterparts, but they also have the coolest texture: they’re so much crunchier and chewier, they like pop in your mouth as you chew on them!
With so much going on, steel-cut oatmeal doesn’t need much of anything and is pretty amazing on its own, with maybe a splash of milk and a drizzle of honey. But you can very well change things up super easily by adding a handful of chopped nuts to them, dried or fresh fruits, a little bit of maple syrup or honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon and or any of your favorite oatmeal toppings.
What’s more, leftover steel-cut oatmeal can be refrigerated for up to a week, so you can make a big batch on the weekend and then enjoy it all through the week. It does tend to get firmer when refrigerated, but just add a splash of milk to it and send it for a minute or two in the microwave, it’ll be good as new!
Or, do like I do and enjoy it cold, straight out of the ice box. You’ll be surprised by how good it actually is!
If you’re not familiar with them, steel-cut oats are the least process of all the different types of oats available on the market.
They are essentially groats of whole oats — the inner kernel from which the inedible hull has been removed — chopped into two or three pieces with the help of large steel blades, hence the name steel-cut oats.
It’s those same pieces that get further processed, i.e. steamed and crushed, flaked or rolled, to produce the rolled oat flakes which most of us are much more familiar with.
Steel-cut oats take a little bit longer to cook, but they are so much worth it!
Combine 4 cups of water and 1/4 tsp of salt into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once the water starts to boil, pour 1 cup of oats into the water and stir; let the water come back up to a rolling boil then reduce the heat to low and bring the oats to a slow simmer.
Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the water will foam up once you add the oats to it and it could spill out of the pot; especially when you put a lid on!
If you find that the foaming gets out of control, you can wait until it has subsided before you put that lid on.
Cover loosely and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan from time to time to prevent the oatmeal from attaching, until the oats are very tender and the liquid has practically completely evaporated.
Once the oats are tender and almost all the water is gone, kill the heat and let the oatmeal sit, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until it has reached the desired consistency — the longer it sits, the thicker the oatmeal will get.
Your oatmeal is now ready to serve, on its own or garnished with your favorite toppings: chopped nuts, dried or fresh fruits, shredded coconut, a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a splash of your choice of milk… I’m sure you can think of many many more!
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and can then be enjoyed cold or reheated. To reheat, stir in a little bit of milk or water into the oats to loosen the cereal and pop them in the microwave or reheat on the stove top over low heat.
Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Instructions
- Pour the water and salt into a medium saucepan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the water will foam up once you add the oats to it and it could spill out of the pan.
- Once the water starts to boil, pour the oats into the water and stir; let the water come back up to a rolling boil then reduce the heat to low and bring the oats to a slow simmer.
- Cover loosely and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan from time to time to prevent the oatmeal from attaching, until the oats are very tender and the liquid has practically completely evaporated. At that point, kill the heat and let the oatmeal sit covered for about 10 minutes, or until it has reached the desired consistency — the longer it sits, the thicker the oatmeal will get.
- Serve immediately, garnished with chopped nuts, dried or fresh fruits, shredded coconut, a drizzle of honey and a splash of your choice of milk if desired.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week and can then be enjoyed cold or reheated. To reheat, stir in a little bit of milk or water into the oats to loosen the cereal and pop them in the microwave or reheat on the stovetop over low heat.
Nutrition
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3 Comments on “How to cook the perfect bowl of Creamy Steel-Cut Oatmeal”
I also love oatmeal and have it everyday, for lunch. I do like steel cut but I usually go for the old fashioned oats, and just under cook them a tad! I will use a half cup of the old oats and one cup of cashew milk and microwave for 1 minute and 50 seconds. Then add in a whole lot of fresh berries, dried fruits, pumpkin seeds, vanilla, pumpkin spice mix and chia seeds. Then I nuke em for about 30 more seconds. This works for me, and is really fast! 😊💕
I really like steel cut oats. It has been 11 months since I had many carbs. I do miss certain foods. I could sure eat your Apricot Bulgar Muffins right now. HA!!
Tried the steel cut oats recipe. Found it wonderful. Thanks…