The most delicious oatmeal you'll ever have! These Cherry Chocolate Steel Cut Oats are cooked in the Instant Pot in just 15 minutes, so you can enjoy a healthy tasty bowl on a weekday morning.
One of the reasons I convinced myself I needed an Instant Pot was because I promised myself I would eat more steel cut oats instead of instant oats. Well, here we are!
I'm keeping my promise (as well as enjoying lots of other uses of the Instant Pot, such as cooking quinoa in 1 minute - see my Quinoa with Sausage and Vegetables recipe) and I am enjoying making steel cut oats regularly for breakfast.
Don't worry, I still love my no-cook overnight oats (see my Overnight Oats recipe here with lots of great mix-in ideas). But I realize that steel cut oats are a bit healthier so I am glad I have a way of adding more variety to my oatmeal mornings thanks to my Instant Pot.
Related recipe: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Pancakes
This recipe for Cherry Chocolate Steel Cut Oats is my absolute favorite so far. Fresh cherries are cooked right in with the oats and they add such a wonderful flavor to the oatmeal, along with some natural sweetness and subtle tartness. When the oatmeal is done cooking I stir in some milk chocolate and it melts into the oatmeal just right (I feel like Goldilocks over here!). I then top each bowl with just a few more chocolate chunks for extra flavor.
It sounds and tastes totally indulgent, but it's actually on the healthier side as far as breakfasts go: I use agave nectar instead of refined sugar, I add a pinch of cinnamon (hello antioxidants!), I swap out some of the milk for water (less calories!), and each bowl only contains 1 square of chocolate. So all in all, not too bad health-wise.
I absolutely love cooking oats in the Instant Pot. I just add all the ingredients, press a button (ok, two buttons) and walk away. Once the pot comes to pressure, the oatmeal cooks in just 15 minutes. So breakfast is being prepared while I run around the house getting dressed, dressing Elliot, packing Aldo's lunch, etc. So convenient.
Before I got the Instant Pot I made steel cut oats on the stove top once and then said "NEVER AGAIN." It was just too much time and too much work for first thing in the morning.
It took me a few tries to get the Instant Pot cooking method worked out perfectly, but I feel like this recipe below makes the best Instant Pot steel cut oats. Other recipes call for a shorter cooking time, or less liquid, but I found that the oats are not quite cooked through using other recipes.
This recipe here makes perfect oats for serving immediately. As the cooked oats cool down, they do continue cooking and getting a bit more 'solid,' if you will, so if you want to save some for the next day, make sure you stir in another 1-2 cups of water or milk as the oats are cooling down. This way they'll absorb the extra liquid as they cool and be perfect for Day 2. I reheat these in the microwave for about a minute with another splash or milk or water.
If you have an Instant Pot, I really recommend trying my Cherry Chocolate Steel Cut Oats recipe. You'll LOVE how indulgent it tastes.
And if you don't have an Instant Pot and are curious about one... I say go for it!! I never expected to use my Instant Pot as much as I do, but I cook with it almost every day, often more than once a day.
This is the Instant Pot I have.
Other breakfast recipes you will love:
- Mango oatmeal
- Chocolate cream of wheat
- Overnight oats with mix-in ideas
- Breakfast grits with caramelized peaches
- Farmer's cheese pancakes
- Veggie bake breakfast surprise
- 15 Minute veggie loaded no-bake frittata
If you enjoyed this recipe, please let me know with a comment and a star rating below! And don't forget to save it for later on Pinterest:
Instant Pot Cherry Chocolate Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 2 cups milk - (any kind - see notes)
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoons agave nectar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cups cherries, fresh or frozen, pits removed
- ¼ cup chocolate chunks or chips
- extra cherries or chocolate for garnish
Instructions
- Grease the bottom of the Instant Pot with coconut oil, butter, or a vegetable oil spray. Combine all the ingredients in the Instant Pot - from the steel cut oats to the chocolate chunks/chips and stir gently.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on the manual setting at high pressure for 15 minutes, with natural steam release. Once the pressure is released, carefully open the Instant Pot and stir the oatmeal. To serve, garnish with fresh cherries and more chocolate, if desired.
Notes
- You can use any kind of milk - almond, soy, coconut, or cow's milk (skim, 1%, 2%, or whole). If using sweetened vegan milk such as vanilla almond milk, you might want to reduce the amount of agave nectar so the oatmeal doesn't turn out too sweet.
- You can use more or less milk for this recipe - depending on how creamy and rich you like your oatmeal. Just make sure that the ratio of oats:liquid is 1:2. If using cow's milk, don't use more than 3 cups of milk (plus 1 cup of water), otherwise the milk might burn a little on the bottom of the Instant Pot.
- If you plan on saving some oatmeal for the next day, stir in another cup of water or milk before putting the oatmeal into the refrigerator, otherwise the oatmeal will continue to gel up as it cools. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, adding additional water or milk if necessary to get the desired thickness.
Nutrition
The nutritional information displayed is an estimate and not to be used as dietary or nutritional advice. Consult a nutritionist or dietician for nutritional info based on the exact ingredients you use.
Elveena
Friday 10th of August 2018
Yummy.... I kind of wish I had one of these right now. These look so soft and perfect too!