Steel Cut Oats with Brown Sugar Bananas

Learning how to cook steel cut oats is an easy way to ensure a healthy breakfast is just around the corner.

For this steel cut oatmeal recipe, we toast the oats and add bananas to add texture and flavor. Toasting the oats in a little butter softens them up helping the oats cook faster and come out creamier.

Cooking the bananas in a little brown sugar gives them a sweet, well-rounded flavor that compliments this homemade oatmeal’s hearty flavors.

What’s the Difference Between Steel Cut Oats and Rolled Oats

The difference between steel cut, rolled, and instant oats are how they’re processed. All three are made from the same oat groats, which are oat kernels that have had their hulls removed. Steel cut are processed using a blade that chops the oat groat into small pieces that resemble grains of rice.

Rolled oats are steamed first to prevent them from cracking before being pressed flat, while instant oats are cooked first, before being dried and rolled out.

The main differences between the three types are how they cook up and their texture. Steel cut tend to feel heartier when you’re eating them and have more chew. They also take longer to cook. Rolled and instant oats cook up faster, have a lighter feel, and are often used in cookies, crisps, and other baking applications.

How to Cook Steel Cut Oats

Toasting the oats before adding the water helps to soften them up and deepens their flavor, making the finished oatmeal more interesting.

The secret to toasting steel cut oats is the same as it is with risotto, use a hot pan, drop in the butter and continue stirring everything until the oats smell toasted. A lot of the time we’ll hold the pot slightly off the fire in one hand as we stir with the other to make sure they don’t burn.

Once the oats are toasted, pour in the water and bring everything to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Bringing everything to a boil reduces the overall cooking time, producing a creamier oatmeal than the batches we cooked exclusively over low heat.

Another thing that helps reduce the cooking time and makes the oatmeal creamier is cooking it uncovered, so the steam has a place to go.

In our testing, we found that it takes 15 to 20 minutes to cook steel cut oats using this technique. If you prefer them a little more al dente try cooking them for 10 to 12 minutes if you like them soft and sticky go for 20 to 25 minutes.

Topping Homemade Oatmeal

The reason we add a little brown sugar and cinnamon to the oatmeal when it comes off the heat is to make sure every bite tastes delicious. This tiny bit of sweetness makes a big difference, giving the oatmeal a sweet, well-rounded, wholesome taste. To make an even creamier oatmeal add some warm milk when serving.

A nice thing about this oatmeal recipe is it can be cooked ahead of time and kept in the fridge. Sometimes we’ll double it so there are enough leftovers for quick breakfasts.

To reheat the oatmeal, add a little water or milk and warm it on the stove or in the microwave until it’s heated through.

We love to serve this steel cut oats recipe with a fresh pot of coffee and a glass of Hawaiian POG Juice.