Description
This Perfect Steel-Cut Oats recipe creates creamy, flavorful oatmeal by toasting the oats first and gently simmering them in a combination of water and milk. Customizable with your favorite mix-ins and toppings, it’s an ideal wholesome breakfast to start your day.
Ingredients
Scale
Liquid Base
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk of choice: almond milk, cow’s milk, coconut milk, etc.
Oats and Fat
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or unsalted butter
- 1 cup steel-cut oats (choose certified gluten-free oats if necessary)
Seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Mix-Ins
- Ground spices like cinnamon
- Dried fruit like cranberries or chopped dates
- Toasted chopped nuts like walnuts
- Lemon or orange zest
Instructions
- Bring liquids to simmer: In a large saucepan, combine the water and milk. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Toast the oats: While the liquid heats, melt the coconut oil or butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the steel-cut oats and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. This step enhances the flavor of the oats.
- Combine oats and simmer: Stir the toasted oats into the simmering liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until the mixture thickens significantly.
- Season and continue cooking: Stir in the salt. Continue to simmer on medium-low, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to prevent scorching, until almost all liquid is absorbed and the oatmeal becomes very creamy, about 10 more minutes.
- Finish and rest: Remove from heat and stir in any optional mix-ins you prefer. Let the oatmeal rest for 5 minutes to thicken and cool to a palatable temperature.
- Serve or store: Portion the oatmeal into bowls for immediate serving with desired toppings. Allow any leftovers to cool completely before covering and refrigerating for later breakfasts.
Notes
- Recipe adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
- Make it dairy free or vegan by using coconut oil or vegan butter and a dairy-free milk substitute or water instead of cow’s milk.
- Make it gluten free by using certified gluten-free oats and ensuring all mix-ins and toppings are gluten free.
- To make the recipe nut free, choose a nut-free milk and omit any nuts from mix-ins or toppings.
- The toasting step significantly enhances oat flavor and texture.
- Leftover oatmeal refrigerates well for future breakfast use.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
