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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Overnight Steel Cut Oats

    Published: May 27, 2019 · Updated: Jul 23, 2021 by Sapana Chandra, MS, CHC · 9 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    A bowl of overnight oats, topped with fresh berries.

    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

    • Cherry Breakfast Bars
    • Breakfast Cookies
    • Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
    • Overnight Oats Recipe
    • Banana Chocolate Chip Bars
    • Roasted Cherry Yogurt Bowl

    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.

    A bowl of overnight steel cut oats with fresh berries on top

    Overnight Steel Cut Oats

    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep time: 5 minutes
    Cook time: 10 minutes
    Total time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 2
    Calories: 313kcal
    Author: Sapana Chandra
    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. 

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup steel cut oats
    • 2 cups water
    • ¼ cup almond milk
    • pinch of salt

    Additional Toppings

    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ cup fresh berries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
    • 1 tablespoon nut butter
    • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
    • 1 tablespoon chia seeds

    Instructions

    • In a small pot, bring water to a boil the night before. As soon as the water comes to a boil, add the oats, salt, and stir.
    • Immediately turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let it sit overnight.
    • In the morning, mix the oats and warm on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
    • Add milk and any other ingredients you'd like to. Serve and enjoy.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 313kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 53mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 1g, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 3mg
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Tried this recipe?Mention @realandvibrant and hashtag #realandvibrant!
    « Matcha Latte
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    About Sapana Chandra, MS, CHC

    Sapana Chandra is a certified health coach, author of Plant Power Bowls, and founder of Real +Vibrant. Here you’ll find simply delicious vegetarian recipes with step-by-step photo instructions – recipes you’ll be excited to enjoy and share with your loved ones.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maggie says

      January 14, 2020 at 9:27 pm

      Can regular milk be used? Or would I just skip and use water and get the same consistency? Also do you just leave the pot on the counter all night or in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Sapana Chandra, MS, CHC says

        January 17, 2020 at 6:27 am

        Hi Maggie, you can use regular milk instead of almond milk when you warm up the oats in the morning. I just leave the pot on the counter all night.

        Reply
    2. Sapana Chandra, MS, CHC says

      November 01, 2019 at 12:14 pm

      Hi JC!! Thank you for bringing this to my attention. The 1195 was an error in the system and has been corrected now. The sodium is coming from the pinch of salt which can be omitted.

      Reply
    3. Jess says

      June 08, 2019 at 10:29 am

      This is the perfect ratio of ingredients! Turned out perfect, thanks!5 stars

      Reply
      • Sapana Chandra, MS, CHC says

        November 01, 2019 at 12:15 pm

        So happy to hear! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply
    4. Carley says

      June 03, 2019 at 6:04 pm

      Made this for breakfast. Loved how good they turned out.5 stars

      Reply
      • Sapana Chandra says

        June 05, 2019 at 11:31 am

        So glad to hear!

        Reply
    5. Riley says

      June 01, 2019 at 11:07 am

      I had no idea how easy it was to make overnight steel cut oats! I cooked them last night and after a few minutes of warming up, they were ready to go this morning for my family. Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
      • Sapana Chandra says

        June 05, 2019 at 11:31 am

        It's so easy, isn't it?! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed!

        Reply

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    Sapana Chandra

    Hi, I'm Sapana! I’m a recipe developer and author of the cookbook Plant Power Bowls. Here you'll find simple, delicious, vegetarian recipes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Learn more about me

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