Name: Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup steel cut oats; 2 cups water; 1/4 cup almond milk; pinch of salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 cup fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries); 1 tablespoon nut butter; 1 tablespoon hemp seeds; 1 tablespoon chia seeds

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Making overnight steel cut oats is a quick and easy way of making a delicious and filling vegan breakfast. Made with steel cut oats, nut milk, salt, and water. It just requires 5 minutes of your time right before you go to sleep and another 5 minutes in the morning.

A bowl of vegan overnight steel cut oats, topped with fresh berries.

These overnight steel cut oats are filling, creamy, chewy, and so delicious. Make a large batch and have breakfast ready to go for the entire week.

They are so easy to make have a delicious texture, perfect for breakfast or even as a filling snack.

Ingredients you'll need

Making overnight steel cut oats requires the least amount of time and leads to delicious results. All you need are a few ingredients, including:

Steel cut oats: These are normally sold in packages or in the bulk section.
Water
Almond milk: Since we're making a vegan version, use store-bought or homemade almond milk.
Salt

You can also use additional toppings and ingredients to add flavor, including ground cinnamon, fresh berries, nut butter, hemp seeds, or chia seeds.

How to make overnight steel cut oats

1. Boil water: In a small pot, bring water to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil.

2. Add ingredients: Add oats, salt, and stir. Cover the pot and let it sit overnight. Turn off heat and cover the pot.

3. Warm oats: In the morning, mix the oats and warm on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

4. Add milk: Add milk and stir well. Add toppings and serve.

Step-by-step instructions on how to make the oats.

Storing and reheating

If you have leftovers, let them cool down and place them in an air-tight glass container for up to 4-5 days. When you're ready to enjoy them, simply reheat the oatmeal on the stove top for a quick and easy breakfast. If the oats appear too thick, Just add a little water or milk and stir.

Top tips and suggestions

You can do so much with these basic overnight steel cut oats to boost the nutrition level, flavor, and more. Here are some of my favorite tips:

Use high-quality steel-cut oats: If your oats have been sitting for over a year, it might be best to compost them.
Add superfoods: Ingredients such as cinnamon, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and nut butter will boost the nutrition level in these oats. Be sure to add them in the morning when you're ready to enjoy the oats.
Sweeten naturally: Chopped dates, honey, and maple syrup are great options.
Use water: Adding nut milk will make your oats creamy, but you can also stick to water if you don't have milk on hand.

A bowl of vegan overnight oats, topped with fresh berries.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between steel cut oats and rolled oats? The primary difference between rolled oats and steel cut oats lies in the amount of processing.

Steel cut oats, also called pinhead oats, are groats of whole oats that have been cut into a few pieces. Therefore, steel cut oats are the least processed and maintain the best texture when cooked. However, they also take the longest amount of time to cook, but with a little prep the night before, you can easily mitigate this.

Rolled or old-fashioned oats are made by steaming and pressing flat. If you are in a hurry and need breakfast in a few minutes (and didn't do any prep the night before), rolled oats are always a great option. Click here for the recipe that uses rolled oats instead.

A bowl of overnight oats, topped with fresh berries.

More easy breakfast recipes

I hope you love this overnight steel cut oats recipe as much as I do. Sign up for email updates to receive new recipes delivered to your inbox or check out my new cookbook Plant Power Bowls.