I’m not usually one to play matchmaker, but I was so firmly convinced that two of my longest-running, most-treasured breakfast besties—overnight oats and steel cut oatmeal—would hit it off that I couldn’t resist the urge to combine the two into a single bowl of Overnight Steel Cut Oats. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a match made for a 1990s rom-com classic! Ever since I stirred together my first batch of make-ahead steel cut oats, it’s been a ride-off-into-the-sunset breakfast love story.
Now, if you are reading this and thinking to yourself, Isn’t the fact that you can use steel cut oats for overnight oats incredibly obvious?, please consider the great fictional romances of our time.
Wasn’t it also obvious that Harry would end up with Sally? That Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were meant to be (twice)? That Ross would finally win over Rachel? Why, yes. But that doesn’t make the evolution of the love story any less satisfying.
The same is true of Overnight Steel Cut Oats.
If you are reading up to this point and wondering, What are overnight oats?, let me give you a brief rundown: overnight oats are dry oats that are stirred together with milk, a bit of sweetener such as honey or maple syrup, and whatever other deliciousness you like.
You can make overnight oats with chia seeds, peanut butter, fresh or dried fruit, and any other mix-ins. The limit is only your imagination (or perhaps your pantry). This Sugar Cookie Protein Oatmeal, for example, includes a scoop of protein powder.
You leave the oatmeal in the refrigerator overnight and then wake in the morning to a bit of breakfast magic.
In the refrigerator, the oatmeal absorbs a portion of the milk and becomes irresistibly creamy. You give it a stir, pour it into a bowl, and sit down to reap the benefits of a filling, healthy, delicious breakfast that took seconds to prepare.
Overnight oats are typically enjoyed cold, similar to muesli. If you prefer a hot oatmeal that can be made overnight, you can check out my Overnight Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats. If you need a hot oatmeal that can be made in minutes, check out my Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats and original Steel Cut Oats recipe.
So, What’s the Difference between Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal and Every Other Overnight Oats Recipe?
Up until the point of making this recipe, I’d always made my overnight oatmeal with rolled oats (a.k.a. old-fashioned oats). Rolled oats are whole oats that have been steamed and pressed, so they cook more quickly and have a more pliable texture. Overnight oats made with rolled oats are more creamy than chewy. They are also delicious. Start with my Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats and see if you agree.
Steel cut oats are closer to their original harvested state. They are not steamed but instead are cut into pieces with a steel blade (hence the name “steel cut”). Steel cut oats are chewier and nuttier.
The firmer texture of steel cut oats means they take longer to cook, but your reward is a bowl of oatmeal that has the most perfectly pleasing texture and is never ever mushy. Steel cut oats are also higher in fiber than regular rolled oats, and I find that they keep me fuller for longer.
Generally, you never want to substitute steel cut oats for rolled oats in a recipe, because the two have such different textures…
…unless, of course, you want to try making overnight oatmeal using steel cut oats, which is exactly what I did for us here!
(If you’d like to know more about the difference between different types of oats, this guide briefly explains).
Overnight Steel Cut Oats—Fall Asleep Dreaming of Breakfast
Overall, I found that I loved overnight oatmeal made with steel cut oats. It was definitely chewy and nutty, but in a way that I found refreshing and enjoyable.
I recommend soaking the steel cut oats for at least 10 hours before eating. They’ll be super chewy but yummy on Day 1 and will continue to soften throughout the week. Even on Day 5, the Overnight Steel Cut Oats still had a nice texture and were not at all mushy. Hearty oats only, please!
Falling asleep knowing that I don’t need to worry about a healthy breakfast in the morning gives me peace of mind. Being better rested is one of my Four Intentions for 2018, and of the four, it’s been my biggest focus so far.
I hope this Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipe gives you better sleep too. I’ve made dozens of versions of overnight oats, and today’s is the best steel cut oats recipe I’ve tried yet. Once you see how yummy it is, I think you’ll fall asleep dreaming about it too!
If you were hoping for an overnight steel cut oatmeal mason jar recipe, I have you covered there as well.
I recommend waiting until Day 2 to divide the steel cut oats into the mason jars, as they need at least one full night to soak up the liquid. Doing it right away was less convenient in the end.
Waiting to divide the oats also makes it easier to add other yummy mix-ins you know you’ll want in every jar too. Personally, I love my overnight steel cut oats with chia seeds, and if you were looking for overnight oatmeal with peanut butter, ME TOO! You’ll find a suggested amount of nut butter in the recipe as well.
I can’t overstate how flexible these make ahead steel cut oats truly are. If you need an overnight oatmeal vegan recipe, use almond milk or any other nondairy milk you love. Want to pack in some extra protein? Stir in a scoop of protein powder or Greek yogurt. Don’t have any fresh fruit on hand and want to use dried or frozen? GO FOR IT! Chocolate chips? YES!
I’ve come across a few leads on a hot overnight steel cut oatmeal recipe, so that’s my next experiment. Any other overnight oat requests? Send ’em my way!
Recommended Tools to Make Overnight Steel Cut Oats
- I love these stacking mixing bowls.
- These containers come with lids, and the large size is perfect for refrigerating a batch of make ahead steel cut oats.
- One batch of this overnight steel cut oatmeal will tightly fill four 12-ounce mason jars (if you’d like a larger portion or want to have plenty of room for fruit, use pint-sized mason jars).
- Favorite mix-ins: chia seeds, flaxseeds, and protein powder.
Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
Overnight Steel Cut Oats—Base Recipe:
- 1 3/4 cups milk any kind you like (I use unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter or other nut butter of choice, optional but delicious
- 1 cup uncooked steel cut oats you can also use quick-cooking steel cut oats; the final oatmeal will have a softer, less chewy texture
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Optional Additions:
- Chia seeds flaxseeds, or hemp seeds
- Protein powder
- Ground cinnamon
- Citrus zest I love orange zest with honey and cinnamon!
- Dried fruit favorites: reduced-sugar dried cranberries, raisins, chopped dates
- Fresh fruit or frozen and thawed fruit
- Toasted almonds walnuts, or pecans (add just before serving to maintain the most crunch)
- An extra drizzle of honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, nut butter, and any protein powder you may be adding until smooth. Stir in the oats, salt, and any other optional additions (wait to add fresh fruit or nuts so that they stay fresh/crisp). Cover the bowl tightly with plastic (or transfer it to an airtight storage container) and refrigerate overnight or for up to 5 days.
- When ready to serve, stir the oats and portion the desired amount into your bowl. (At this point, you can also divide the oats into individual containers and refrigerate for the week.) Top with any desired fresh fruit, nuts, or other toppings. (If placing the oats in individual jars, feel free to add toppings to each, as they will store fine this way. If storing as a single larger batch for the week, I find it is best to wait to add the fresh toppings/nuts until just before serving so that they don't all sink to the bottom.) Enjoy cold and congratulate yourself for your breakfast-planning prowess.
Video
Notes
- Leftover steel cut oats can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Their texture will soften as they sit, so if they are too chewy for you on Day 1, you can let them hang out a bit longer.
- The first day, the oats will be more liquidy, but they will continue to absorb more of the milk throughout the week. If at any point you'd like more milk, simply splash a little on top of your bowl or pour more in the individual mason jars if you are storing the steel cut oats that way.
Nutrition
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I have made these several times and enjoyed the overnight oats over that week. Yum! One recommendation is to “stir” with a hand mixer. The honey and nut butter take time to incorporate. I cannot imagine doing this with a spoon. Also, keep the speed of mixer on low setting. It will otherwise splatter about with a medium bowl if mixing too vigorous.
Thanks for the feedback Andrew!
my firsr foray into overnight oat. n steel cut sounds interesting.
Hope you enjoy them!
Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan were perfect together times…Joe v the Volcano.
Going to try this in the morning!
Hope you enjoy it Amy!
Thank you for taking all that time to write out every detail. Though I have cooked for decades, I was not familiar with the best ways to cook and prepare steel cut oats. It looks and sounds delicious. Really looking forward to eating this. I learned from Dr. Andrew Weil that these are the only oats to eat if you want the best. At 75, I need to make sure we are getting the best nutrition possible. Thanks again…..Pat
Hope you enjoy it Patricia!
Absolutely love the steel cut oats made just like you suggested. This is now my regular breakfast using 1/2 cup of the cooked oats. My plan is to make up a fresh batch each Sunday. Reheating is a snap. Thank you again!
Hi Pat! So glad you enjoyed it!
I am SO excited to try this tonight!! I tried overnight oats for the first time today and rolled oats are just too mushy for me. If I want to add a few tablespoons of chia seeds, would you recommend adding more milk? And can I add Greek yogurt in at the beginning, or should I wait until the day of? Thanks so much!
Hi Allison, you shouldn’t have to add any additional milk when adding the chia seeds. I would add the yogurt when ready to eat. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi, Erin. I haven’t done any of these yet but this is what I am thinking. Since this does not take much time, I will prepare one for each day, 2 days in advance. In other words, for Monday breakfast, I’ll mix things up sometime on Saturday. On Sunday, I’ll do one for Tuesday. etc.
Enjoy Ahfi!
Woke up to a container that was 1/4 oats and 3/4 milk. The oats absorbed some of the milk, but otherwise it was just soup. Also, there is now ay to get peanut butter to dissolve into milk or water.
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe Kelly. As stated in the post and notes of the recipe card, “The first day, the oats will be more liquidy, but they will continue to absorb more of the milk throughout the week.” As far as the peanut butter if you can’t get the brand you are using to mix into the mixture, I would try heating it in the microwave first just to soften it, not heat it (it doesn’t dissolve). Hope this helps!
Do you ever toast your steel cut oats first before using them? I’m new to the steel cut game and I’ve read that toasting preserves more of the nutty flavor, but I wasn’t sure if that would work for overnight oats too? Thanks so much!!
Hi Jenn! I don’t toast mine before using them in overnight oats but I know it can be done. Enjoy!
Thank you so much!! I’m going to prepare a batch this week. Can’t wait to report back! :)
Great to hear! Enjoy!
Toasting them gives them a must nuttier taste. Just keep them moving while toasting them add the milk afterwards.
Thank you for this trying this! I only eat steel cut oats and always thought overnight oats were only for rolled oats. I LOVE making overnight oats with steel cut oats! It’s easy and delicious! So much better than cooked oats (oats are not my favorite cereal, but they’re so healthy!).
Hi Leslie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I’m very happy that I came across this article. I’ve had to babysit the stove a few times a week for 20 needless minutes these past few years that I’ve been cooking steel cut oats. Probably could have shaved a nice chunk of money off of the electric bill as well.
I plan on picking up some natural cashew and almond butter for my batches. Should mix in very easily with a hand whisk. I also plan to alternate between almond and coconut milk now and then. I also plan on grinding up some flax seeds into meal for an extra protein boost and a good shot of some Omega 3. Thanks for your article!
Hope you enjoy it Jay Dee!
Followed directions, but alas, even 10 hours was not enough to soften the steel cut oats. Back to rolled oats.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Cory. The method and timing has worked well for myself (and others) but I know how frustrating it can be to try a new recipe and not have it work out, so I really wish you would’ve enjoyed it!
I have made many overnight oats recipes, but this is the first I have tried with steel cut oats. What a success! I added cinnamon and chia seeds as I was mixing it all together and before eating topped with fresh berries and some pumpkin seeds for a bit of a crunch. Totatally delicious and addictive. Great recipe! (One morning, instead of eating the oats in a bowl, I mixed a serving into a berry smoothie – it came out really creamy and delicious! Next time, I will plan to use 1 serving to do this again). Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi LeeAnn! Great idea adding them to your smoothie! Yum!
Although I have not tried mine yet i made it with coconut milk so I hope it turns out. I also added some matcha to it too. 😊
Hope it turned out for you Robin!
I super love this recipe. Super delicious!!!
Till now I had always make overnight oats with rolled oats and I read that it’s healthier for diabetic with steel cut oats.
Thank you so so much.
Hi Namo! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Could you heat this in the morning instead of eating it cold?
Hi Mary! It’s possible you could. I know other readers have tried it, I just prefer mine cold. Enjoy!
Haven’t made this recipe yet, but I’m excited to try it! I do have one crucial correction, however: Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks were meant to be three times – Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Joe Versus the Volcano (I would watch whichever one you’re missing because they’re all delightful).
Hope you enjoy it Marissa!
I recently bought steel cut oats instead of rolled oats and I must say I like it better than rolled oats.
Your recipe is the same as mine, although i haven’t yet put protein powder in mine. I will tomorrow.
Thanks for this article and I’m following you on Twitter now.
Enjoy Mark!
Followed the recipe and and I love it! I’m like someone else who commented that they’ve never been a fan of overnight oats made with rolled oats because they get too mushy. But this, with steel cut oats is the way to go!!!
Hi Tia! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!