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Steel cut oats are easy to cook. It obviously takes longer than instant sugar-laden oatmeal from a packet, but you really just stir it a couple of times and it practically cooks itself. The texture, flavor and nutritive value of steel cut oats (i.e. real oatmeal) can’t be beat.
Ok, so this is huge, gigantic – a really big deal!… My son ate oatmeal! He’s NEVER been a fan, until he tried steel cut oats last week. The boy has good taste! Have you tried steel cut oats? I hope I hope I hope you do after reading this.
We’ve recently been on a mission to reduce the amount of added sugar we eat and we noticed that the instant organic oatmeal that I’ve been consuming for years has sugar listed as the second ingredient, which meant there was ALOT of it. Grrr. I love oatmeal so I knew I needed a substitute. Can I tell you a secret? Last week was the first time I’ve ever tried steel cut oats. And then I made it twice more that week.
My husband told me to hurry up and post the recipe so he knows exactly how to cook steel cut oats – he loved it too! I learned this cooking method from the one and only Alton Brown. Where has this goodness been all my life?
Ingredients for Maple Steel Cut Oats:
1 Tbsp unsalted Butter
1 cup steel cut oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill brand, dry/un-rinsed)
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp cinnamon, plus more to taste
2 cups fresh fruit or berries (I used sliced peaches and raspberries)
How to Make the Best Steel Cut Oats (i.e. Breakfast of champions):
1. Set a medium saucepan or dutch oven* over medium heat. Melt in 1 Tbsp butter then add 1 cup oats and toast for 2 min, stirring occasionally. Toasting them will give them a nice nuttiness. *We have been making this in a dutch oven lately because everything just tastes better in a dutch oven!
2. Add 3 cups boiling water then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook on low for 20 minutes without stirring.
3. Combine 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/2 cup buttermilk. Pour over the oatmeal and add 1/4 tsp salt then stir just until incorporated. Cook another 10 minutes uncovered, stirring gently once or twice – don’t over mix (note: if you’re using a large sauce pan, keep the pan covered the entire time – a larger surface area will cause the steam to escape faster and dry out if left uncovered).
4. Finally, stir in 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbsp maple syrup, or to taste. Divide among 4 bowls and top each bowl with about 1/2 cup of fresh fruit (plus a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of maple syrup if desired)
Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Recipe (Steel Cut Oats)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp unsalted Butter
- 1 cup steel cut oats, I used Bob's Red Mill brand, dry/un-rinsed
- 3 cups boiling water
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon, plus more to taste
- 2 cups fresh fruit or berries, I used sliced peaches and raspberries
Instructions
- Set a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt in 1 Tbsp butter then add 1 cup oats and toast for 2 min, stirring occasionally.
- Add 3 cups boiling water then reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook on low 20 min without stirring.
- Combine 1/2 cup whole milk with 1/2 cup buttermilk. Pour over the oatmeal and add 1/4 tsp salt then stir just until incorporated. Cook another 10 min uncovered, stirring gently once or twice - don't over mix.
- Finally, stir in 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1 Tbsp maple syrup, or to taste. Divide among 4 bowls and top each bowl with about 1/2 cup of fresh fruit (plus a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of maple syrup if desired)
Notes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I know exactly what went into this and I used a natural sweetener – maple syrup. I feel awesome about feeding it to my family. Now that’s what I call breakfast! Have I convinced you yet? Now go forth and make steel cut oats for your family 🙂
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Hi Natasha! I am looking for fresh ideas for breakfast for the kiddos. I have been making pancakes, waffles, muffins and honestly, I am tired of it. I know they are not but i need to look for healthier options. All my recipes come from you and you never disappoint. I was wondering, am I able to make this in the slow cooker? Have you ever made oats in the slow cooker? I just dont want to rush in the morning…..you know how it is mom to mom lol. Please let me know, and thank you.
Hi Renee! I’m so glad you’re using and enjoying my recipes. To be honest, I haven’t tested this in a slow cooker to advise.
This was delicious! I used coconut oil instead of butter and oat milk instead of milk/buttermilk, but kept all measurements the same. This is amazing to make on Sunday and portion out for the week for quick morning breakfasts. A splash of oat milk before reheating and it’s perfect!
Hi Meghan! Thank you for the wonderful feedback. Glad you loved the recipe.
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while now and I finally made it! As much as I would’ve loved to try it with steel cut oats, I live in Spain and unfortunately they aren’t readily available here so I had to settle for rolled oats. I took your advice and used the package instructions as a guideline, still using all of your ingredients and measurements except for the water, which had to of course be decreased. They turned out delicious! Thank you so much for sharing! If I’m ever stateside for a visit, I’ll be sure to try the steel cut oats version! For those who were asking about your recipe using rolled oats, I wanted to leave that version here for them since I already did the math on the water conversion. Thanks again for sharing all of your awesome recipes!
Directions using rolled oats:
1. Set a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt in the 1 Tbsp butter then add the 1 cup oats and toast for 2 min, stirring occasionally. Remove and place in a bowl.
2. In the same saucepan, mix 264ml water, the ½ cup milk, the ½ cup buttermilk, and the ¼ tsp salt together and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the toasted oats little by little, mixing well.
4. Continue to simmer for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Take off the heat and stir in the ¼ tsp cinnamon and the 1 Tbsp maple syrup.
What is the reason for the buttermilk in the recipe? Been eating this ‘kasha’ all my life, but never heard of adding buttermilk.
Hi Lera! No specific reason, but I love the taste and richness the buttermilk adds to this oatmeal.
This is a very good recipe, doesn’t get much better than this. I forgot to take the lid off for the last 10 minutes and it boiled over and was too runny. So this is an important instruction. I was able to fix it and the second time when I followed the instructions it was great
I’m glad you caught that! Thank you for your great feedback, Janine!