Learn how to cook steel cut oats perfectly using this foolproof recipe! Top oats with your choice of fruit, cream, or any topping you can dream up.
Your search for the perfect bowl of morning oatmeal is officially over! Perfection doesn’t even begin to cover these steel cut oats and all their goodness.
We’ve got that signature rich and creamy texture everyone strives for in a good bowl of oatmeal with just a touch of texture from the tender steel cut oats.
And the best part is you don’t need any super fancy ingredients or techniques to make it happen! The end result is a bowl of oatmeal that’s ready for you to go crazy with the toppings.
And crazy you must go because a perfect bowl of oatmeal deserves the whole shebang of toppings. Keep reading for all my recommended pairings!
These Steel Cut Oats feature…
- A thick and creamy texture
- A blank canvas for so many different toppings
- Ready in only 15 minutes with simple ingredients
Making the Steel Cut Oats
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Water
- 2% or skim milk
- Steel-cut oats
- Salt
Choosing Your Oats
Choose classic steel-cut oats for this recipe, not quick-cooking. I don’t recommend substituting any other oats for this particular recipe as steel cut oats have a very specific liquid-to-oats ratio.
Tips for Perfect Steel-Cut Oats
- Use half water and half milk for oatmeal – using half milk will give the oats a rich and creamy flavor.
- Bring water and milk to a simmer – a low simmer is what you’re looking for before adding the oats. Do not allow the liquid to boil.
- Cook oatmeal over low heat – steel-cut oats take a bit longer to cook than other oats and low and slow is the best way to go for the creamiest texture.
- Serve oatmeal immediately – oatmeal doesn’t keep the best so I recommend serving immediately after cooking.
Topping Ideas
Oatmeal is a blank canvas for so many toppings! Try these ideas on their own or pair ingredients from the different categories together.
- Fruit – strawberries, peaches, sauteed apples, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, bananas, or pineapple.
- Sweetener – brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar.
- Dairy – half and half cream, vanilla Greek yogurt, or milk.
- Nuts – toasted pecans, walnuts, almonds, or cashews.
- Chocolate – white chocolate, semisweet, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate.
- Spices – ground cinnamon, cinnamon-sugar, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom, or pumpkin pie spice.
- Misc – a swirl of peanut butter, almond butter, a drizzle of caramel, or flaked toasted coconut.
I mean, you can’t argue with this creamy oatmeal perfection. You’ll quickly realize that no other bowl of oatmeal even compares to this super basic, yet keeper recipe.
My only question is what are you loading on top of your bowl?? Keep in mind, we’re going for quantity here.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More oatmeal recipes to try next!
- Lemon Curd Raspberry Overnight Oats
- Streusel Strawberry Baked Oatmeal
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal Cups
How To Cook Steel-Cut Oats
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Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
- Pinch salt
- Brown sugar, honey, cream, or fruit for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and milk to a simmer. Stir in oats and a pinch of salt, reduce heat to low, and allow to cook over low 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently until oatmeal is soft and creamy.
- Ladle hot oatmeal into individual bowls and top with sweetener of your choice, cream, and fruit if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 4/11/25.
Jessica @ Jessiker Bakes says
Thanks for the step by step tutorial! I love oatmeals and these look delicious!
Sarah says
Thanks Jessica! Enjoy! 😀
Norma | Allspice and Nutmeg says
This looks so good. I really have to try steel cut oats now, I’ve heard so much about them.
Sarah says
Thanks so much, Norma! You’ve gotta try this oatmeal! 😉
Gloria // Simply Gloria says
I am finding the whole steel cut oatmeal so interesting. Just the other day, I came across it on the internet. And, I’ve never heard of it before. Thank you so much for sharing this tutorial. Your pics are rockin!
Sarah says
I know you’ll love steel-cut oatmeal, Gloria—You’ve gotta try it! Thanks for the sweet compliments. Have a great rest of the weekend! 🙂
Jennifer S. says
We LOVE steel cut oats. I eat oatmeal every morning except for the mornings when my children really beg for a break from it. 🙂 Sometimes for a special treat I get out every topping imaginable – honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, jam, peanut butter, dried fruit, nuts, coconut – and let everyone fix their oatmeal how they want it. I agree with you about oatmeal having staying power. It gets me through a busy morning every day.
Sarah says
Whoa..Your toppings sound incredible, Jennifer! Peanut butter and jam sound delicious!
Jodi says
I am going to make this tomorrow. I have had a container of steel cut oats in the pantry for awhile. Thank you for sharing.
Sarah says
I hope you like this oatmeal, Jodi! Please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
stacy zerrlaut says
I am an oatmeal addict lol I have always used quinoa in mine which is also amazeballs! Last time I made steel cut, I put em in a slow cooker over nite and they were still crunchy the next morning and…..gross. The whole batch went in the trash. I always thought milk made it creamier, can I use milk instead of water to make this recipe?
Sarah says
I haven’t tested this recipe with milk, however I imagine it would work just fine.
Ashli Rouw says
I never come back to write recipe reviews but I had to on these steel cut oats! Seriously thee BEST oatmeal I’ve ever had!! My fav is overnight oats and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the above steel cut oatmeal beats that! Thank you for making honest good food that was very easy to follow!
True to her words in the recipe above, they are THAT good. My add-ins were baked apples, chopped almonds, toasted flax seeds, tad maple syrup, and a good helping of almond milk. FAV!!!! ?
Sarah says
I’m so happy to hear that this oatmeal has become a favorite in your house, Ashli! Love the sound of all your add-ins!