Ah, the perfect bowl of oatmeal – a thing to behold.
When we’re sick, craving comfort food, or just want something extra hearty for breakfast, this is our go-to meal.
In the hundreds of times we’ve made oats, we’ve found some tricks that elevate the texture, flavor, and tenderness, and we’re stoked to share those with you today. Shall we?
This recipe requires 4 ingredients, 1 pot, and simple methods to prepare.
Our top tip is to SOAK. Now, if you can’t find the time to soak your oats ahead of time, that’s fine. We’ve got shortcuts for you in the notes. But if you know you’re having oats the next day, the best way to get dreamy oats is by soaking them overnight in cool water.
Soaking not only softens the oats, but it also makes them more tender, quicker to cook, and easier to digest. In a side-by-side comparison, we found that unsoaked oats lacked that fluffy, creamy texture soaked oats provide. So, from here on out, we’ll be soaking.
Once they’re soaked, it’s time to cook. Simply bring oats to a low boil. Then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender.
Lastly, add in your sweetener of choice, along with cinnamon and flaxseed.
For toppings, we can’t resist our go-to Berry Compote(we add chia seeds at the end for thickening + healthy fats!), hemp seeds, nut butter, and banana. Seriously dreamy.
We hope you LOVE these oats! They’re:
Easy to make
Fluffy
Tender
Creamy
Naturally sweetened
Nutritious
& SO delicious
These oats make the perfect weekday or lazy weekend breakfast. They’re super versatile as well! In the fall, top with roasted apples. In the summer, go with fresh berries or compote. In the spring, go with oranges! The options are endless.
For more oats recipes, check out our Brown Sugar Pear Steel Cut Oats, 5-Ingredient Vegan Gluten-Free Cookies, Everything Breakfast Cookies, Pumpkin Pie Oats, and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
How to make the perfect steel cut oats in 3 easy steps: Soak, boil, simmer. Soaking the oats is the secret to ultra creamy, fluffy, tender oats. Plus, it improves digestibility! Just 4 ingredients required for this staple breakfast recipe.
Author Minimalist Baker
Print SAVE
4.92 from 23 votes
Prep Time 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
Total Time 6 hours hours 20 minutes minutes
Servings 2
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 3 Days
Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
OATS
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 2 cups water (plus more as needed for cooking)
- 1 Pinch sea salt
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup or coconut sugar (or other sweetener of choice), plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon , plus more to taste
FOR SERVING optional
- Fruit compote
- Fresh fruit (such as banana)
- Dairy-free milk of choice
- Nut butter (such as peanut butter or almond butter)
- Hemp seeds
Instructions
Add 1 cup oats to a large saucepan and top with 2 cups water (or, if making more or less, just make sure there is double the water as there are oats). Cover and soak for 6 hours or overnight (see notes for shortcuts). This will improve digestibility and also slightly speed cooking time. It also yields fluffier, creamier oats!
The following day (or 6 hours later), add a pinch of salt and bring to bubbling boil over high heat. Once bubbling, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the water is mostly absorbed and the oats are tender. If the oats appear dry, add more water as needed. Then remove from heat.
Scrape any oats off the bottom that may have stuck to the pan. Add in flaxseed meal (optional), sweetener of choice, and cinnamon. Stir once more to combine. For creamier oats, add in a splash of dairy-free milk of choice at this time (optional).
To serve, divide between serving bowls and top with any additional garnishes. Our go-to is berry compote with chia seeds, banana, peanut butter, almond milk, and hemp seeds.
Best enjoyed fresh. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat on stovetop with water or dairy-free milk until hot.
Video
Notes
*If you don’t want to soak your oats, simply bring listed amount of water to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, add oats, stir, and reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook until tender – 15-20 minutes.
*Prep time includes soaking. If not soaking the oats, the prep time is only 5 minutes.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate based on 1/2 of the recipe calculated with maple syrup and without optional toppings.
Nutrition (1 of 2 servings)
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 369 Carbohydrates: 70.9 g Protein: 11.3 g Fat: 4.7 g Saturated Fat: 0.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.63 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.13 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 39 mg Potassium: 356 mg Fiber: 9.8 g Sugar: 6.8 g Vitamin A: 2.55 IU Vitamin C: 0.01 mg Calcium: 44.34 mg Iron: 3.5 mg
