Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal is a delicious, healthy breakfast everyone will love. Vegan, gluten free & so easy to make -it’s the best way to cook Irish oatmeal! Regardless of what you top it with or mix in it – it’s so yummy! This post was sponsored by my friends at Bob’s Red Mill.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever spent *way* too much time standing over the stove stirring oatmeal and watching it to make sure it doesn’t boil over.
I know I’m not alone here.. right?? Oats are my favorite breakfast, but standing in front of the stove and waiting for them to cook is the worst part!
This Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe is about to change that for you! This simple method is my favorite for cooking steel cut oats. It’s simple, delicious, and so versatile.
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why we love baked oatmeal:
We love baked oatmeal for breakfast for a few reasons:
- Easy – Throw it in a pan and bake (that’s it!)
- Delicious -Add whatever toppings you like for your perfect meal
- Filling – Steel cut oats in particular keep me super full. I find them to be really hearty!
I’m sharing 3 different variations of steel cut oats that I think you’re going to love below, but let’s get into what you’ll need to make them!
Ingredients for Baked Steel Cut Oats:
To make baked steel cut oats you’ll need:
As always, I’ve included substitutions for you below – you can easily customize this recipe to your liking.
We use Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats in this recipe which are organic and non-GMO verified. We love cooking with their oats/grains!
So many of our favorite recipes use their awesome products – including Healthy Zucchini Bread, Healthy Carrot Muffins and these Chicken Caprese Quinoa Meal Prep Bowls.
How to make Baked Steel Cut Oats:
Making baked steel cut oats is *SO* easy.
- Mix your ingredients together until combined
- Pour in a greased pan
- Bake until liquid has absorbed
- Fluff oats up and enjoy!
When the oats come out of the oven, they’ll still be slightly soupy, and it may look as if your spices have stuck on the top – it’s ok!
Let the oats cool for 5 minutes, and then gently stir together with a spoon. They should be fluffy and creamy in texture.
Add ins/Toppings for Baked Steel Cut Oats:
You can really make these baked steel cut oats with any add ins you like. Apples, berries, nuts, seeds or chocolate are just a few of the toppings we like.
I made 3 variations of baked steel cut oats: Apple Pecan, Berry + Banana Chocolate.
Most add ins will work in this recipe – feel free to get creative! I have not tried this recipe with frozen fruit, but I think it would work well in place of the fresh fruit
Can you cook steel cut oats in the crockpot?
Yes you can cook steel cut oats in the crockpot. Follow the recipe as is but add 1/2 cup of extra liquid (almond milk or water) Stir all ingredients in the crockpot, cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
It’s best to stir every hour if you can, but if not – it will cook just fine!
This is my favorite Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats Recipe!
Can you cook steel cut oats on the stove top?
Yes you can cook steel cut oats on the stove top. In a large pot, add all ingredients. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes until oats have absorbed most of the liquid and are thick.
Regardless of whether you make your steel cut oats baked, in the instant pot or in the crockpot – they will all come out relatively similar in taste. Baking them is the most foolproof! You don’t have to watch a pot or pan and they’re so easy to throw together.
Can you cook steel cut oats in the instant pot?
Yes you can. I personally have not tried making steel cut oatmeal in the instant pot, but I think if you add an extra 1/2 cup of liquid to this recipe you could cook on high for 6 minutes and have success. I prefer to bake them!
What is the difference in steel cut vs old fashioned oats?
My friends at Bob’s Red Mill have a great article outlining the differences between the two.
The only real difference is in texture. Steel cut oats (also known as Irish oats- shown on the left) are much coarser and have a chewier texture. Because of this, they require a longer cooking time. In my opinion, they’re almost comparable to rice or farro.
Old fashioned oats (shown on the right) are flatter and thinner, almost like a flake. They cook much quicker.
In terms of nutrition, both types of oats have a low glycemic index and are naturally gluten free!
Substitutions for Baked Steel Cut Oats:
Milk – You can use any milk that you prefer in this recipe. Regular dairy milk, non dairy milk (hemp, oat, almond, etc) will all work. You can also use a mix of milk + water, but it will not be as creamy or flavorful. Try our homemade Walnut Milk or Almond Milk.
Oats – This recipe is specific to steel cut oatmeal, but we have other baked oatmeal recipes featuring old fashioned oats. Check them out here: Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal, Healthy Blueberry Baked Oatmeal. I have not tried this recipe with quick cook steel cut oatmeal or any other types of oats.
Oil – You can use olive oil instead of coconut oil in this recipe. You can also omit the oil – but I think it adds to having the oats turn out creamy and delicious!
Spices – If you don’t have ginger or nutmeg, it’s ok! You can add a little bit more cinnamon. I would not substitute fresh ginger for ground ginger.
Sweetener – You can make these with or without sweetener. Honey, maple syrup or agave nectar can all be swapped. You can also completely omit the sweetener (that’s how I like my oats!)
Storing Steel Cut Oatmeal
Storing: This steel cut oatmeal will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I like to portion it out in mason jars or containers for grab + go breakfasts
Freezing: This steel cut oatmeal freezes well! You can scoop it into individual containers and freeze for quick breakfasts. To defrost, take out the night before you plan to eat it. Or you can just simply place it directly into the microwave to defrost.
Serving Steel Cut Oatmeal
Serving: I serve this baked oatmeal warm. I prefer to add in the mix ins before baking and find I don’t really need to top it with much if I do this!
This baked oatmeal is a complete meal in itself but you can serve it with:
- Egg Muffin Cups
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole
- Egg Casserole with Hash Browns
- Potato Crust Quiche
Other healthy oatmeal recipes:
We love easy oatmeal recipes. Check out these other Oatmeal Breakfast Recipes. Here are some of our favorites!
Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oatmeal
- 2 cups almond milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Add Ins:
- 1/2 cup mashed bananas + ¼ cup chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup strawberries + ½ cup blueberries
- 3/4 cup chopped apples + ¼ cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Mix all ingredients together, it will look very soupy/wet.
- Pour mixture into a greased 8×8 baking dish, make sure to spread the mixture around evenly so all of the oats/add ins don’t get stuck in the center of the dish.
- Bake for 35-45 mins.
- When the oats come out of the oven, they’ll still be slightly soupy, and it may look as if your spices have stuck on the top – it’s ok! Let the oats cool for 5 minutes, and then gently stir together with a spoon.
- The oats will not be set like a bar, they will be creamy and scoopable as if you cooked them on the stove.
Brynna says
Made the banana chocolate chip oatmeal and it was so good that I couldn’t stop eating huge spoonfuls of it. Had to put it in the fridge so I would actually have some left for breakfast the rest of the week! Definitely will make again and will also try the other flavors soon!
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Brynna! The banana chocolate is my fav 🙂
Camilla Fenn says
My new favorite way to eat oatmeal!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you! So glad you like it 🙂
Nicole says
Steel cut oats seem to be the new overnight oats and I’m here for it! This recipe is easy and bakes the oats to perfection! Love the different add-in options, any of which are delicious’
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you like them, We love steel cut oats!! They’re so much heartier than regular oats!
Bell says
We made the apple/but version (used walnuts) and it was easy and delicious!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Thank you so much, Bell! Glad you enjoyed it!
Al Lotts says
Sounds great. Can’t wait to try. Question: bake for 30 to 45 minutes is a big difference. How can you tell when they are done?
The Clean Eating Couple says
Hi Alan- The recipe calls for baking for 35-45 minutes. Every oven is different. When the oats come out of the oven, they’ll still be slightly soupy, and it may look as if your spices have stuck on the top – it’s ok! Let the oats cool for 5 minutes, and then gently stir together with a spoon. They will look like steel cut oats that you make on the stove top. You can taste test them. They should have the consistency of rice.
Lauren says
Just put this in the oven for the fourth time, we love it!! My husband’s mother’s recipe is a little crunchier in texture but she uses quick oats, and we prefer steel cut. I end up adding slightly less almond milk (or slightly more oatmeal) and a teaspoon of swerve plus a few tablespoons of agave, and we top it with peaches when it comes out! The texture is awesome!!
The Clean Eating Couple says
Yum!! That sounds so good with the peaches! Glad you like it!
Carol English says
Made yesterday for breakfast today. Chocolate Chip and Banana, so darn good. Reduced chocolate chips slightly and baked it the full 45 min. Came out more like a soft bar. I love it.
Thanks Liz.
The Clean Eating Couple says
So glad you liked it, Carol!
Carol English says
I made this baked oatmeal with mashed bananas and chocolate chips as add-ins. It is so good! Must have been the steel cuts oats but this kept me satisfied past lunch time. Usually I have a problem eating the same thing for breakfast several days in a row but not with this one. Try it!
Thanks Liz for recipes that I can count on and not be let down.
Lisa Lawwill says
I used 2% milk instead of almond and olive oil instead of coconut. I also didn’t have ground ginger so I left it out. Even with these changes it’s a good recipe that I will make again.
The Clean Eating Couple says
Glad you liked it, Lisa!
Kristen says
I added one mashed banana and a handful of frozen (thawed) blueberries and this was so yummy! Both little ones, & my hubby gobbled it up. I took it out at 35 minutes and it still had quite a bit of bite to it, I think next time I would go for 40 minutes. Thanks!
Kristen says
So easy & yummy!