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Steel Cut Oatmeal with Maple Syrup, Currants and Coconut

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This super creamy steel cut oatmeal, mixed with maple syrup, currants and coconut, is comforting and filling.

steel cut oatmeal

Steel-cut oats are less processed than rolled or instant oats, so they take a bit longer to cook. They have a wonderfully hearty and chewy texture. In this recipe, I simmer them in a lot of liquid so they get super creamy, almost like a breakfast risotto. Enjoy!

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Steel Cut Oatmeal with Maple Syrup, Currants and Coconut

This super creamy steel cut oatmeal, mixed with maple syrup, currants and coconut, is comforting and filling.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 2½ cups low-fat milk
  • 2½ cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ¼ cup currants (or raisins)
  • 1 cup steel cut oats

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, cinnamon, coconut, salt, maple syrup and currants; bring to a boil.
  2. Add steel cut oats, then cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally (especially towards the end so the oats don't stick to the bottom of the pan), for about 20 minutes or until oats are cooked. Oatmeal will thicken as it sits; thin with equal parts milk and water if necessary.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Calories: 313
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated fat: 7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 51 g
  • Sugar: 33 g
  • Fiber: 5 g
  • Protein: 9 g
  • Sodium: 227 mg
  • Cholesterol: 8 mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Hi Jenn,
    Can this be frozen, since it has milk in it? How many days will it last in the fridge? I’m thinking maybe 3 days.

    Thank you!

    • — SF Ana on October 1, 2023
    • Reply
    • I don’t think this is the best candidate for freezing because of all the milk, but it should keep nicely in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. 🙂

      • — Jenn on October 2, 2023
      • Reply
  • would you change the recipe if using Quick Steele cut okays?

    • — Jenn on September 23, 2023
    • Reply
    • Hi Jenn, I wouldn’t recommend using quick cooking oats here – sorry!

      • — Jenn on September 25, 2023
      • Reply
  • I love this recipe! For anyone that wants to use an Instant Pot, I find halving the liquid (to 1.25 cups milk and 1.25 cups water) works perfectly, keeping all other ingredients the same. Pressure cook x 4 minutes and then natural release x ~15 min.

    • — Coleen on June 30, 2023
    • Reply
  • Very well balanced and perfect oatmeal breakfast bowl! I love the coconut and currants, it adds a nice texture and flavor. I topped mine with walnuts to add a little crunch.

    • — Lina on June 24, 2022
    • Reply
  • I didn’t have any steel-cut oats, so I used regular rolled oats. I was nervous because I saw one bad review of the rolled oats version, but I tried anyway and it ended up being delicious. I just added about 1.5 cups of oats instead of 1 cup, and simmered it for a little longer. Will definitely make again!

  • I had serious doubts about the liquid to oats ratio but the consistency was perfect! Usually my oatmeal is dry, this was extra creamy, even after sitting on the stove, off the heat for a bit! It definitely thickened up but it was not dry! Yummy!!

  • Hi Jenn …… I spent a few years selling steel cut oats. Here is the recipe I suggested to add to the packaging.
    1 cup oats
    4 cups water
    1 diced large apple
    1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
    1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
    1 tablespoon brown sugar
    Salt to taste
    Bring water to boil
    Add brown sugar and spice to water
    Add oats , cook for 5-7 minutes
    Add apples and nuts
    Cover pot and leave on stove overnight
    Ready to serve in morning
    Add milk, cream or alternative for creaminess when reheating
    Refrigerate remaining oatmeal.
    One prep – oatmeal for a few days.
    Stay safe

  • Just had to add my .02. This is the oatmeal recipe I have been hunting for and it will be in our breakfast rotation. Thank you!

  • This was very tasty. I used the only steel cut oats I found in the store—Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats (Also Known as Pinhead Oats or Irish Oats), and they were still hard and crunchy after 20 minutes. They took 35 minutes to soften. Once they finally softened, this oatmeal was delicious. Perhaps this brand of oats just takes much longer to cook.

  • Has anyone tried this with a non-dairy milk such as almond or oat? How did it turn out for you?

    • Hi Adrian, I’d encourage others to weigh in if they’ve tried it because I haven’t, but I do think it would work. Please LMK how it turns out if you do try it!

    • Yes, I sub out the milk for almond milk and it turns out perfectly!

  • I love the flavor and texture of this. Delicious!

  • This was yummy. Thanks for the great recipe! Could chopped apples be added in the saucepan at the very beginning with all the other ingredients? How about almond butter?

    • Hi Michael, My gut would be to add both the diced apples and almond butter near the end of the cooking time, but I suspect you could get away with adding them earlier if you’d prefer. I’d love to hear how it turns out with these additions!

  • This is delicious! Nice warm flavors. We used raisins in place of currants (couldn’t find currants) and did not add the coconut. Will certainly be making this again.

  • You had me at “risotto” and my husband at “steel cut.” I only have the bagged sweetened coconut on hand – would it make the oatmeal way too sweet? Cut back on maple syrup? I’m looking for the unsweetened the next time I shop, but until then, should I even try?

    • Hi Sandra, I think you could get away with the sweetened coconut if you cut back on the syrup. (It’s also fine to just omit the coconut.) Hope you enjoy!

  • I had all the ingredients on hand except steel cut oats, so I tried this with regular rolled oats. If anyone is thinking of trying this, don’t bother! The shorter cook time leaves all the ingredients tasting sort of raw. Finally went out and got the steel cut oats – like night and day. All the ingredients sort of melt together into a beautiful creamy texture. “Breakfast risotto” is a great descriptor. Love this breakfast dish!

    • Wonderful was debating doing exactly this. Will procure some steel-cut oats. Thanks!

  • My whole family loved this oatmeal. It’s one of our favorite breakfasts now. I made it exactly as written and I wouldn’t change a thing. It did take me a little longer to cook than the recipe says, closer to 25 minutes.
    This is officially my favorite food blog. Every time I try a new recipe, my family hopes it is from this blog…so far every recipe of yours I’ve tried has been excellent! Thank you!

    • — Carrie Spencer
    • Reply
  • Hi Jenn ~

    What is the nutrition information?

    • Hi Donna, I just added them to the recipe. Enjoy!

  • Could anyone share how long they cooked in slow cooker??

  • I have a couple of questions. I’d love to try this delicious looking recipe in my slow cooker. Do I have to do the first step on the stove, or just add everything into the slow cooker? How long do I leave it in?

    • Roxanne, I’ve never made these in a slow cooker, but a number of other readers have, and it looks like it will work well. (And I don’t think you’d need to do the first step on the stove.)

    • This is my go to recipe. I love it! Can you please tell me what adjustments I would need to make if I made it using the instant pot?

      • Glad you like this! I don’t have enough experience with it to tell you confidently how to convert a recipe to an instant pot, but I do have this recipe from Megan Gilmore’s Instant Pot cookbook that you can refer to for some guidance. 🙂

        • Thank you! I appreciate it!

  • Eating this right now Jen! Good morning to me! It’s absolutely delicious. Halved the recipe because it was just for me. Didn’t have currants so I subbed dried cherries. Cherries were leftover from your baked brie recipe, coconut was leftover from your coconut cream pie recipe.. clearly I don’t use your site at all 🙂

    • So glad you enjoyed it, Erin!

  • Finally a steel cut oats recipe that I can place in my rice cooker the night before and it’s ready for me in the morning. I quarter the recipe for a single portion. Brown sugar and maple syrup is a go to comfort food. At least for now I have been swapping out the currents and coconut and adding brown sugar. Delicious!

  • After trying steel cut oats will never make regular oatmeal again. I like to add dried tart cherries, diced apples, and a bit of cinnamon and dark brown sugar. I think leftovers reheat well in the microwave so I always make more than I need.

  • I love steel cut oats, and coconut so this recipe went idirectly nto the crockpot. Oh my gosh. It is divine. I use gluten free oats which I order from amazon. Thanks for a different flavor variation on my regular recipe of apples and cranberries.

    Rita

  • Do you know if steel cut oats are available in gluten free? I’ve only found rolled oats? this recipe looks delicious.

    • Hi Daphna, I believe Bob’s Red Mill sells gluten free steel cut oats.

  • I have made this twice already. It is so yummy! I love the hearty texture. I love dried cherries, so use them instead of currants. I also added some vanilla paste to just add another dimension and some flecks of vanilla in the outcome. It tastes delicious heated up in the microwave also. Thank you once again for a very tasty recipe.

  • Delicious recipe, tastes so much better than adding cold milk and toppings to already cooked oatmeal. Makes a lot – I halved the recipe and fed four adults.

  • I bought some Irish steel cut oats yesterday and made this recipe this morning. Didn’t have the beautiful view of Long Boat Key, but it still tasted pretty darn good, delicious actually! Thanks, Jenn!

  • I’ve been eating this all week- it’s delicious!!

  • I made this overnight in my slow cooker and it turned out terrific. I used all water, rather than half milk / half water and dried mixed berries (only because that’s what was in my pantry).

  • This sounds delicious. It’s been too long since I’ve made oatmeal–my kids are grown!

  • A vacation full of sangria? That’s my kindda trip!

  • Steel cut oatmeal is fantastic – such a great texture. Thanks for providing another variation to try!

  • This sounds like a great recipe. I love oatmeal in the morning. I printed a copy of the recipe for myself and my daughter. Your holiday sounded fabulous and your family looked like they were having a wonderful time. Thanks for sharing.

  • I have used the slow cooker also, it comes out great. I have used the dried cranberries in place of the currents, also good.

  • I cook steel cut oats in a slow-cooker overnight, and it’s ready when we get up. If I didn’t think to do this, I also cook steel cut oats in the microwave, because the dish is so much easier to clean than a pan on the stove. I’ve never added coconut, and I’m looking forward to trying it!

    • — Phyllis Barrier
    • Reply
  • I have a question: I’ve recently been preparing steel-cut oats in an overnight slowcooker. Any suggestions on how this recipe might be converted for this technique? Since I’ve also just invested in a jug of Grade B maple syrup, I am particulalry intrigued. Thanks.

    • Hi Hugh, I don’t think you’d need to alter the recipe for a slow cooker. Hope you enjoy!

  • What a treat to find photos of not only food, but also your family! I have unsweetened coconut in my pantry, thanks to you (coconut shrimp!) so all I need to buy is steel cut oats. I’m glad you included a photo of the packaging so I’ll know what to look for.

  • Sounds yummy! Where do you find currants?

    • Hi Amy, You can find them at any grocery store…they are dried so near the raisins

      • Hi Jenn:
        I just wanted to say that I found your site by looking up a recipe for home made ceaser dressing, and I was hooked at first sight!!!!!!!!!!
        Your pictures and instruction are just amazing, and I will be trying several of your recipes that i have found in the next few days. I was wondering, do you have a cookbook that I can purchase? Also, do you have a recipe for fried rice? I have been trying to get it like it be at the place where I get it, but something is missing, again thank you for your time and unselfish effort that you put into sharing your passion for food with us “foodies,” I am a southern girl, and of course do you have any special southern delights you would like to share? May you and your lovely family be blessed beyond measure. God bless you.
        BJ

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