Nutrient-Packed Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats with Chia Seeds
This hearty recipe combines steel-cut oats, chia seeds, and dried cherries for a make-ahead breakfast that keeps you full until lunch. Oatmeal is a low-calorie, slowly absorbed carbohydrate that contains healthy fat, fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The chia seeds add fiber and protein, while the cherries provide antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Instant Pot steel cut oats contain 24% protein (11.8 grams), 34% fiber (9.4 grams), and 25% calcium. If you want more protein in the dish, stir in 1 tablespoon per serving of ground flax seeds after cooking.
What Are Chia Seeds?
These nutrient-packed seeds are a superfood because they are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, omega-3, fiber, protein, healthy fat, and antioxidants. Chia seeds come from a flowering plant in the mint family. It is best to soak chia seeds in a liquid before consuming them. Web MD outlines Things to Look Out For with chia seeds. If not soaked, they can cause choking. They also can cause digestive issues and medicinal interactions, so read up if this is your first time using them.
Ingredient Notes Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats Chia Seeds
- Grass-fed butter, coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil provide fats to toast the oats and bloom the cinnamon. If you are following the Mediterranean Diet or eliminating saturated fats, use olive oil in step one.
- Steel-cut oats for fiber, whole grain carbs, protein, and healthy fats
- Cinnamon enhances the flavor and offers anti-inflammatory properties and other benefits, according to the Cleveland Clinic
- Milk – use plant or dairy milk; cow milk provides more protein, but I use lactose-free coconut or almond milk
- Chia seeds add fiber, omega-3, and protein; chia seeds add 4 grams of fiber to this recipe. Note: Always cook or soak chia seeds, which allows them to absorb liquid and expand. Dry chia seeds are NOT recommended.
- Cherries – a superfood with Vitamin A, natural sweetness, fiber, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties
- Walnuts – good source of healthy fats – omega-3 and magnesium
- Greek yogurt adds protein and calcium
Oatmeal is Perfect for Breakfast Meal Prep
Busy mornings need a quick, delicious, and nutritious start to the day. Ready-made oatmeal is a foolproof way to succeed. Make extra oatmeal and store it in single-serve lidded containers to grab in the morning. The porridge is good, hot or cold, and stays fresh in the refrigerator for five days! If you are warming in the microwave, use safe containers. You can place the toppings on the oatmeal before storing it or add them in the morning. Try Apple Cranberry Chia Oatmeal for another superfood breakfast.
Put a Cherry on Top and Make Extra for Your Health
There is much information about oatmeal helping lower cholesterol, but this Instant Pot Steel-Cut Oats with Chia Seeds and Cherries may help you maintain or lose weight. Healthline, an evidence-based nutrition journal, has an article on Food Combinations for Weight Loss. Eating carbs, proteins, healthy fats, and fiber can help steady blood sugar levels and increase feelings of fullness. This recipe contains all those goodies.
Adding chia seeds and cherries to enhance the properties of oatmeal is a cherry on top. Cherries, especially tart cherries, can ward off inflammation and chronic disease and satisfy your sweet tooth without added sugar.
Steel-Cut Oats Versus Rolled Oats - Is One Preferred?
Steel cut oats (Irish Oats) are from the groat after cleaning, dehulling, and kilning. Steel cut oats have a firm texture and hold up well if making extras for leftovers/meal prep throughout the week. Rolled oats (Old Fashioned) are steamed and rolled flat from the groat, thus offering a quicker cooking time than steel-cut oats. The difference between steel cut and rolled oats is the texture and cooking time. They are similar in nutrition. Rolled oats have more versatility because they are also used in baked goods, smoothies, breakfast porridge, and overnight. It’s a matter of preference, but I love the texture of the steel cut, and they are slightly less processed than rolled oats. It takes more time to make steel cuts, which brings us to the pressure cooker benefits.
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Make Steel Cut Oats Easy with an Instant Pot
Although using a Pressure cooker does not save time, once the ingredients are added to the pot, there is no stirring or babysitting of the pan compared to cooking on the stovetop. It’s also foolproof, but there can be watchouts. Check out the tips.
Pressure Cooker Tips
• Do not quick-release, or you may clog the valve; only use natural release when making oatmeal.
• Making a large batch that goes past the ½ line may clog the steam release pipe because the oatmeal tends to sputter while cooking
• Making a smaller batch – less than four servings, can give a burn notice because there is not enough volume, and it overheats.
• It’s essential to Keep the ratio of oats to liquid at 1:3 is necessary. This recipe has slightly more fluid because the chia seeds and cherries absorb water. You can add liquid, but do not reduce it. If you think the porridge is too liquid after cooking, use the sauté mode to continue cooking.
• Note: Don’t let these precautions scare you. If you get the burn notice, unplug the machine and let It sit for 10 minutes. You should be able to salvage the porridge and soak the portion that sticks to the pan. I have never received a burn notice for steel-cut but have for rolled oats. I inadvertently used a recipe from another machine with a risotto/oatmeal function on the machine. It did not work because I cooked it at high pressure, and the ratios of oat to liquid were not the same. Oopsie.
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Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats with Chia Seeds & Cherries
Get a healthy and wholesome start to your day by making steel-cut oats in the Instant Pot. The pressure cooker makes it extra easy and adding chia seeds packs this hearty breakfast with protein and fiber. Plump, dried cherries offer that special flavor to sweeten your morning. This recipe is for a 6 Qt. See notes for Mini and 8 Qt.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Classic
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
OATMEAL
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter, coconut oil, or extra virgin olive oil*
- 1 cup steel-cut oats, NOT QUICK**; See notes
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1.5 cups unsweetened milk, plant or dairy
- 2 cups water***
- 4 Tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 1/16 teaspoon salt, if butter is unsalted
TOPPINGS
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or slivered almonds
- 1 Tablespoon raw honey
- 8 Tablespoons unsweetened whole milk Greek yogurt
- 4 Tablespoons ground flax seeds, optional
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in the pressure cooker. Melt butter in a 6 Qt Instant Pot**** pan on the SAUTE setting. Add steel-cut oats and cinnamon and stir to mix. Toast the oats for approximately 2 minutes. This step enhances the flavors of the oats and cinnamon. Add milk, water, chia seeds, cherries, extract, and salt. Stir to combine and break apart the chia seeds since they clump. Push any ingredients that stick to the side into the liquid.
- Press the CANCEL or OFF button. Lock the lid in place and check that the valve is in the seal/pressure mode.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set it on high pressure for 15 minutes****. After the cooking timer beeps, let the pressure cooker naturally release by letting it sit for 10 minutes. Do not quick-release, as oatmeal may clog the release valve.
- Nature release: Allow the oatmeal to sit in the pot for 10 minutes (more is okay since it will stay warm), then set the pressure valve to VENT or STEAM to release any remaining steam. Remove the lid and stir the ingredients when all the moisture is released.
- Serve the oatmeal in four bowls and divide the toppings among them. For meal prep, scoop the oatmeal into containers or jars with lids and store it in the refrigerator after it has cooled slightly. It will be good in the fridge for five days. If you plan to reheat it another day, ensure the containers are microwave-safe.
Notes
* Use extra virgin olive oil if following the Mediterranean diet or omitting saturated fats.
**If using quick-cook steel-cut oats, cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. Mini and 8 Qt. Cook for 3 minutes, also. All other steps remain the same.
*** The standard ratio of oats to liquid is 1:3. I add 1/2 cup because chia seeds and dried cherries absorb water
**** Ingredients and timing are for a 6 Qt Instant Pot; If using a mini, cook for 18 minutes on high pressure; for 8 Qt, cook for 12 minutes on high pressure. All other steps remain the same.
Note: Do not cut this recipe in half; you may get a burn notice. Doubling the recipe works great, but do not triple it because the volume will exceed the halfway mark. Instant Pot advises keeping sputtering foods like oatmeal below the halfway mark, or pieces may clog the steam vent.
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4 responses to “Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats: Chia Seeds & Cherries”
I love this recipe. I like to change up the dried fruit used. I’ve used craisins in place of the cherries and I plan to try dried blueberries in one of my next batches.
I have found that mixing the chia seeds in before the liquid helps reduce the clumping.
Janelle,
Thanks so much for your variation ideas. It’s always great to mix things up! I am so happy you like the recipe and that it’s in your rotation. I will also try your suggestion of adding the chia with the dried oatmeal and before the liquid.
Love all the extra goodness you add to this oatmeal, it’s like a treat I look forward to every morning! And having a few serving on hand has made my mornings so much easier. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Dana! It’s great to have a treat in the morning!