• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fit Mitten Kitchen

balanced baking and real food recipes

Subscribe to receive my FREE Healthy Nut Butter eBook!
Free eBook!
  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
        • Egg Dishes
        • Oatmeal & Granola
        • Pancakes & Waffles
        • Scones
        • Smoothies
      • Desserts
        • Bars & Brownies
        • Cakes & Cupcakes
        • Candy
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream & Frozen Desserts
        • PIes, Tarts & Crisps
        • Cinnamon Rolls
      • Healthy Drinks
      • Lunch & Dinner
        • Appetizers
        • Bowls
        • Salads
        • Sandwiches & Wraps
        • Sides
        • Soups & Chili
      • Snacks
        • Bars & Balls
        • Muffins & Breads
        • Nut & Seed Butters
    • Dietary
      • Dairy Free
      • Gluten-Free
      • No Added Sugar
      • Nut-Free
      • Oil-Free
      • Paleo
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Whole30
    • Method
      • Food Processor & Blender
      • Freezer
      • Grill
      • Instant Pot
      • No-Bake
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Stovetop
    • Protein
      • Chicken
      • Plant Based
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
    • Recipe Videos
  • About
    • Meet Ashley
    • Work with Me
      • Partnerships
    • Contact
  • Lifestyle
    • Real Talk
    • Travel
    • Workouts
  • Shop
Home Recipes Course Breakfast Steel Cut Overnight Oats

Steel Cut Overnight Oats

Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Posted:9/9/20
Updated:2/10/22

Steel cut overnight oats are the perfect healthy breakfast – just six ingredients with a great balance of carbs, healthy fats and protein. Easy to prep ahead of time and place in the refrigerator overnight for the next morning. Enjoy hot or cold!

bowl of steel cut oats with fruit and peanut butter on spoon

Who doesn’t love overnight oats?!

I’m always looking for an easy healthy breakfast that doesn’t require much thought. Whenever I take time to make overnight oats the day before, I am so thankful come morning!

Sometimes I’ll even end up enjoying them as a mid-morning snack, depending on how my day goes. And I am guessing since a lot of us are working from home right now, this might be you too!

I have lots of different overnight oat recipes here on FMK but this simple recipe for overnight steel cut oats is one of my favorites.

Most people use traditional rolled oats or quick oats, but I love switching it up to use steel cut oats.

I really love the texture when using steel cut oats – they stay a little chewy, which I personally enjoy.

Steel Cut vs Rolled Oats

The difference between the oat varieties depends on how they’ve been processed.

  • Steel cut oats have been cut using a steel blade. They’re also referred to as “Irish oats.”
  • Rolled oats have been pressed and steamed.
  • Quick oats are made from rolled oats, also called instant oats.

All three oats will also cook up differently and your tastebuds may prefer one oat variety over another.

Steel Cut Oats Benefit

You may be wondering if steel cut oats are “healthier” than other oats…

Not necessarily. But they are less processed and contain more fiber than rolled or quick.

Ingredients for overnight oats with steel cut oats

  • steel cut oats  –  the texture of steel cut oats is slightly chewy compared to regular or quick oats. They take a bit longer in the refrigerator but they’re so worth it!
  • chia seeds – Adds a good dose of healthy fats but also helps thicken the oats mixture.
  • Greek or skyr yogurt – My favorite way to make oats is with yogurt. It keeps the consistency creamy and adds a fair amount of protein. You can use a thick plant based yogurt (Siggi’s makes a good one) or Greek, or traditional Skyr.
  • milk of choice – I typically go for an unsweetened non-dairy milk (i.e. almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, etc.) but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
  • maple syrup – Adding additional sugar here is definitely optional, but I found the oats tastes best with just a hint of sweetness. If you’re using a flavored yogurt, you probably don’t need it. Or, you could always taste test the oats the next morning and add in a hint of maple syrup or honey as needed.
  • vanilla extract – adds more flavor!

Optional Toppings

  • granola for extra crunch
  • hemp hearts
  • peanut butter or cashew or almond butter
  • banana slices 
  • fresh berries
ingredients in measuring cups and bowls on wooden board

Meal Prep for a Healthy Breakfast

Overnight steel cut oats can be thrown together in 5 minutes and then placed in the fridge overnight.

After about eight hours in the fridge, the steel cut oats will absorb the liquid and the oats will become softer.

chia seeds and steel cut oats in bowl with milk

Ways to Enjoy Overnight Oats

Cold from the fridge

After the oats have been refrigerated overnight, they’re ready to enjoy! You can eat them straight from the jar or transfer into a bowl and serve with your favorite mix-ins.

Warmed Up

If you prefer, you can also warm up the oats! I assume most people enjoy overnights cold, but if you’re more of a traditional oatmeal eater, these can easily be warmed up too! Whether you use the microwave or the stovetop, you must might need to add a little extra milk.

With Extra Toppings

I’m all about the texture when it comes to oatmeal.

My favorite go-to toppings consist of:

  • nut butter <– check out my homemade flavors!
  • granola
  • banana slices

However you want to enjoy them, overnight oats are a great balanced breakfast packed with whole grains, fiber, protein and healthy fats.

bowl of steel cut oats with fruit and peanut butter on spoon

Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley

Print

Steel Cut Overnight Oats

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This Overnight Steel Cut Oats recipe is a great base recipe and perfect for meal prep! A great balanced breakfast filled with good carbs, protein and healthy fats. Gluten free and vegan friendly.

  • Author: Ashley
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 8 hours
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Fridge
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup steel cut oats
  • 1.5 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1.75 cups milk of choice
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Combine: add all ingredients to large bowl and stir to combine.
  2. Refrigerate: Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
  3. Stir: The next morning, stir before enjoying and add favorite toppings.
  4. Serve: To enjoy warm, place desired amount in small saucepan, heating on medium low heat, adding more liquid for preferred consistency. 

 

Notes

Covered overnight oats last in fridge about 3-4 days.

Keywords: steel cut oats recipe, overnight steel cut oats, overnight oats

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @fitmittenkitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #fitmittenkitchen

About Ashley

"Ashley Walterhouse is the founder of Fit Mitten Kitchen, based in the Greater Lansing Area of Michigan, AKA “the Mitten.” Ashley grew up as a picky eater but later discovered that eating healthy was actually easy and fun. She started FMK in 2015 as a way to share her newfound love of developing healthier recipes for all to enjoy."

Previous Post
Healthy Homemade Nutella
plate of lactation oatmeal bites on plate with glass of milk
Next Post
Lactation Energy Bites

Reader Interactions

Rate this Recipe Cancel reply

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Kathi a says

    7/1/2021 at 12:08 pm

    This is so good. I never make steel cut oats on stove top since discovering overnight oats. And so versatile!! Been an Instagram follower(Droller),for a long time, but first time posting. Thank you for sharing all the lovely recipes!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      6/15/2022 at 10:41 pm

      So glad you enjoyed them. Thank you for your comment and star rating!!

      Reply
  2. Jess says

    6/15/2022 at 10:21 pm

    In your post you refer to making with yogurt, is that to mean using yogurt in place of the milk amount in the recipe, in addition or simply adding yogurt to the finished oats before eating?

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      6/15/2022 at 10:41 pm

      Hi Jess, thanks so much for your comment. The yogurt text is actually a typo. I will edit and delete that note in the section. Sorry for any confusion! You can certainly enjoy the overnight oats with yogurt, after they’ve soaked, if you like 🙂

      Reply
  3. John schwab says

    10/27/2022 at 12:52 am

    Viewed many recipes and videos, this one has those things that seem the best ratio to me and the Chia seeds also.why not some flaxseed and cinnamon also? Steel cut oats overnight in the refrigerator seems like the best and easiest recipe that could be made with several days storage.
    Thank you

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

More...

31 Holiday Cookies for Your Cookie Exchange

baked gingerbread bundt cake

Gingerbread Bundt Cake

bowl of pear salad with fresh pomegranates and candied pecans and orange poppyseed dressing jar

Pomegranate Pear Salad

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

overhead view of honey glazed carrots on rectangle baking dish with fresh thyme

Honey Glazed Carrots

stacked gingerbread truffles on green plate next to red gingerbread cookie cutter and red towel in background

Easy Gingerbread Truffles

pieces of cranberry orange baked oatmeal on oval plate

Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal

mocha mini cheesecake with whipped topping on black plate and dessert forks

Mini Mocha Cheesecakes

Free recipe ebook!

Subscribe and get a FREE healthy nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!
Trending Now
butternut squash, feta and kale salad in bowl Lunch & Dinner
chai latte in mug with cinnamon and star anise Cozy Drinks
banana peanut butter cinnamon rolls on small white plates with banana slices Cinnamon Rolls
As Featured On
  • Browse by Diet
  • Gluten-Free
  • Dairy Free
  • Vegan
  • Paleo
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
Exclusive Member of Mediavine· © 2023 · All Rights Reserved · Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Back to Top

Subscribe & receive a free nut butter ebook!

Thank you for subscribing!