Satisfying & nourishing Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats. Quick to make, simple & naturally sweetened with banana only. There is no added sugar at all! Just perfect for a hearty breakfast. And if you don't have an Instant Pot you can make them on the stove-top instead!
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Steel cut oatmeal is one of my favourite and most often eaten breakfasts, but I have to be careful because I have a very sweet tooth. I find it all too easy to add way more than a drizzle of maple syrup, or a few too many tablespoons of coconut sugar. Add chocolate to the mix too and things can easily get out of hand.
Not that I mind that on occasion, but for every day eating I need to be sensible. I still want sweet oatmeal though, preferably with chocolate too (because that's how I roll) That's where my Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats come in!
You can have your cake oatmeal and eat it too!
Throughout the summer I tend to eat overnight oats made with rolled oats for breakfast. My Chocolate Overnight Oats are my favourite. In the cooler months I start cooking the oats again, making these Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats and my Coconut Milk Oatmeal.
WHAT ARE STEEL CUT OATS?
Whereas with rolled oats, the groats are first steamed to make them slightly softer, then pressed to make the characteristic flake type pieces, steel cut oats are made simply by chopping the whole groats into pieces. They are a little less processed and have a slightly lower glycemic index than rolled oats. They also take longer to digest so keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Steel cut oats look almost like chopped up pieces of rice. They have a slightly nutty flavour, a really nice, chewy texture and they hold their shape well even after being cooked.
I prefer them to rolled oats because of the texture and because they really do keep me feeling full for longer.
WHAT IS AN INSTANT POT?
Instant Pots are modern, electric pressure cookers with a multitude of clever settings.
There are all kind of fancy, newer versions, even some with bluetooth, but this one had all the functions I needed and is a lot more budget friendly than the newer models. Why spend more if you don't have to?
I've used it literally every day since I've had it.
They cook incredibly quickly and they also have a slow cooker function. You can sauté in them which really cuts down on the clear up as you don't need to use a separate pan. They cook grains perfectly, are great for cooking chilis, curry, soups, stews, beans and lentils. They can steam, make yogurt, I've even used mine to proof bread when I was in a hurry one day. They also make perfect oatmeal with absolutely no need to stir throughout which I love. I just set and forget for 10 minutes, wait for the pressure to release and breakfast is done.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT STEEL CUT OATS
- Mash some bananas either in a bowl or right there in the Instant Pot stainless steel insert
- Add to them some cocoa and the steel cut oats
- Then pour in your milk of choice & stir
- Seal the lid of the Instant Pot, make sure the steam vent is closed and set to 9 minutes high manual pressure
- Once done, wait for the pressure to release naturally then remove the lid, stir well and serve with toppings of choice
JUST 4 INGREDIENTS & NO ADDED SUGAR!
These Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats have only 4 ingredients (plus some water):
- steel cut oats
- bananas
- cocoa
- milk of choice
Thanks to the banana, they need absolutely no sweetener.
PERFECT FOR BATCH COOKING
I like to cook a big batch of these Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats once a week. I then portion them out and store in the fridge. It can get a bit stodgy once cold, but add a bit more milk, give it a stir and warm through either in a pan or in the microwave and it's good as new.
Some topping ideas are:
- chopped banana
- raspberries (frozen ones are great. No need to defrost before adding. The heat from the oatmeal softens them up really quickly)
- persimmon slices
- nuts and seeds
- coconut
- nut butter
- strawberries
- cherries (fresh or frozen)
- chocolate sauce
- chocolate chips or chunks
- coconut butter
- caramel sauce
- a tiny sprinkle of sea salt
However you top them, I'm sure you will love them!
PLEASE NOTE
All of my recipes are tested meticulously before coming to the blog, including this one. However, I did only have one Instant Pot so could only test this recipe in that one machine, and it seems that some are more finicky than others. It worked perfectly for me every-time and I make this recipe a lot, but after receiving some reader feedback regarding your Instant Pots not coming to pressure, or giving the dreaded "BURN" message, I purchased another one and temporarily stole a friends so that I could re-test this recipe. As a result of those tests I have amended the recipe a tiny bit to include more liquid and a note to add the banana last and not stir it in. It seems that the thick banana on the bottom of the pot was what may have been causing issues for some of you. Hopefully my amended instructions will solve the problem. These changes were made on July 7th 2018.
For more Vegan Instant Pot recipes, check out these great options:
- Vegan Instant Pot Portobello Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Lentil Dal
- Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup
- Teriyaki Instant Pot Rice
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Seasoned Pressure Cooker Black Beans
- Vegan Instant Pot Potato Curry
And if you love this recipe please subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too!
Recipe
Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
Author:Ingredients
- 1 cup / 176g / 6.2 oz steel cut oats
- 3 medium bananas , don't use large bananas as it will make the mixture too thick for the IP to handle
- 3 tablespoons cocoa
- 3½ cups / 840 mls / 28 fl oz water , or use half non-dairy milk, half water. If you are NOT vegan please see recipe note.
INSTRUCTIONS
Instant Pot instructions (I use a 6 quart but this should easily fit in the smaller versions too)
- Add the oats, water and cocoa to the Instant Pot and stir well.
- Mash the bananas with a fork until a puree. A few small chunks are ok. Add them on top of the other ingredients and DO NOT stir.
- Put the lid on, make sure the steam vent is sealed and set to manual, high pressure, for 9 minutes. Then leave the pressure to release naturally.
- Once the pressure has been released and the pin has dropped, remove the lid and stir the oatmeal really well before serving. It will thicken up as it cools. You can add more water or milk before serving for a looser texture if you want.
Stove-top instructions
- Mash the bananas with a fork until a puree. A few small chunks are ok. Add the banana, oats, milk/water and cocoa to a pan and bring to a simmer then turn down to medium-low and cook for around 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Because evaporation will occur in the pan, unlike in the Instant Pot, you might need to add a little more milk or water as it cooks if it gets too thick. Just add enough to get it to the consistency that you like.
- Once thick and creamy, turn off the heat and serve.
NOTES
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Mark says
Wow...I really enjoyed this recipe.
I used too-soon bananas, so it was not as sweet as I wanted it to be. I added a packet of Splenda to it, and enjoyed every bite.
I will use overripe bananas next time, when they are at their sweetest (IMO).
Thank you for the recipe!
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it, Mark!
Scott says
Love it! With vegan chocolate chips and walnuts. Thank you
Catherine says
Hello,
I tried this recipe yesterday with relatively smaller bananas, a little more water (only used water, no other liquid) but still received the burn notice. I wonder if it's because the bananas, while very small, didn't mash to a puree. I will try it again in hopes it works as I am excited to try something different to my spiced apple oats.
I did let it cook on saute in the end so I wouldn't lose the entire batch.
G says
Hi, this looks delicious! Is there any way to adjust the recipe for whole rolled oats? Steel cut oats are very expensive in my country :(
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes I'm sure it would be fine with regular oats. They won't take as long to cook though and you will need less water. I would cook them for 3 minutes on high pressure with a natural pressure release. I think I would try 2 cups of water with 1 cup of oats. It might need 2¼ cups maybe but it's hard to say without trying it. I never cook regular oats in my Instant Pot as I always buy steel cut ones so I am guessing and it might be a case of a little trial and error. If they turn out a little drier than you like the first time you try it, you can always add some water or non-dairy milk to them before serving. I hope that helps!
G says
Thank you!!!
Julianne says
I'm new to the Instant Pot world and I want to try this recipe but I have 6 people to feed and a 6 qt. pot. How would you suggest doubling, if at all possible?
A Virtual Vegan says
I would imagine it would be fine if you double it. I have a 6 quart and it's no-where near capacity with this in it. Cook time will stay the time. That's something that doesn't really change in Instant Pots. It might just take a little longer to come to pressure and to naturally release the pressure after.
Chris says
I made this as written. In fact, I made it twice in a row -- I realized my cocoa was really old after making the first batch, so as not to be disappointed, I immediately made another batch with fresh cocoa. Both came out perfect! (Not surprisingly, the second was substantially better than the first; sea salt was a nice addition also.)
Notes: I wasn't sure what size my bananas were, so I used 2.5 since they seemed on the large size to me. I think 3 would have actually been just fine. I was sure to put them in on top of the other ingredients and to NOT stir. I used all water but would prefer (half) almond milk next time if possible without compromising this wonderful recipe.
This goes in my nascent Instant Pot Bookmarks...
Thanks for sharing!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Chris and thank you for stopping by to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Caroline says
Seems like I had the same problem as a few other people. I used two bananas instead of three, 2 cups water and 2 cups almond milk and although I didn't get a burn alert my IP never came to pressure. I dumped it into a pot and have it cooking on the stovetop instead. It looks super tastey. Wish me luck!
I'm wondering if to avoid this in the future, you could put the mashed bananas in after the oats are cooked? I often make steel cut oats in the IP and never had this problem before, so I blame the bananas.
A Virtual Vegan says
Sorry to hear that Caroline. It's so strange because it has worked every time in mine but yes, I blame the bananas too. Who would have thought a couple of bananas could cause so many problems! Today I purchased another Instant Pot and borrowed one from a friend so I had 3 to play with. I have amended the recipe again a little and it works fine in all 3 IPs. The liquid has increased a little and I found that not putting the banana in the pot first makes a difference. Hopefully there will be no more problems now! Fingers crossed!
Jenny says
I just tried this recipe for breakfast this morning - the good news is that is came out delicious! But it did give me some trouble in the Instant Pot. I think there may not have been enough liquid - has anyone else run into this? I followed the recipe exactly (I opted to use half water, half almond milk for the liquid) and started up the IP, but it was never able to come up to pressure. The pressure pin never came up, but the timer did come on and start counting down as if it was cooking (which I've learned is kind of a safety feature) so I decided to just let it go. After 9 minutes "cooking" and 10 minutes resting, I flipped the valve to venting but no steam came out and I was able to open the lid immediately. The oatmeal was very thick and just starting to burn on the bottom. I stirred it up, added about a half cup more water and tried again, setting pressure cook to only 3 minutes, but it did the same thing again - never came to pressure but counted down anyway. In the end, it did get warm enough to cook the oats so I still had a delicious breakfast, but I think next time I will go with at least 3 1/2 cups of water so it can reach pressure and not burn. In any case it is a fantastic combination of ingredients, and I had been looking for different ways to prepare my steel cut oats from my typical apple cinnamon, and this was great! Thank you for posting.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Jenny. I actually amended the recipe this morning (probably about an hour ago?) to include more liquid after feedback I have received. I think you probably made it just before I changed it. How typical is that? I had never had the problem myself but played around with many variations yesterday and if the bananas used are bigger than I would usually use and the milk is thicker then the IP had issues. So I've increased the liquid and advised not to use all milk. It works perfectly here so should solve the problem. Thank you for your feedback and sorry you made it just before I changed it!
Jenny says
Ha, funny timing! I must have made it right before your update. Thanks for the quick reply, I look forward to making it again.
Leslie says
I was excited to try this but I kept getting "burn" despite stirring well and scraping the bottom. I'm wondering if milk choice is important. I used 2% which may not have had enough fat content. Thoughts?
A Virtual Vegan says
Sorry that happened. I actually had an email saying almost the same yesterday and retested the recipe a few times after. If something in the IP is too thick the "burn" notice pops up. I think because banana size is so variable, if slightly larger ones are used they make the mixture thicker. Also using a thicker milk would affect it too. I have slightly amended the instructions after my trials yesterday to increase the liquid a bit and to use all water or half milk, half water. I think this should solve the problem. I tried it the biggest bananas I could find yesterday as a test and it was absolutely fine. Thanks so much for coming back to let me know!
Becky says
I have a couple questions. One place you say 10 minutes and then the recipe says 9 minutes. In the recipe book that came with my Instant Pot says only 3 minutes; which is what I do and it works great. Do they come out creamier by cooking it longer? Also do you cook for 9 or 10 minutes?
Thank you :)
A Virtual Vegan says
The 10 minutes in the post was a mistake. Now corrected. The 9 minutes in the recipe card is correct. If you would rather cook them for 3 minutes you can. I tried that when I first got my IP and didn't think it was long enough. I prefer my steel cut oats softer and they do end up creamier if you cook them a little longer.
Becky says
Thank you. I think I'll try 10 minutes ????
nathalia says
Hey, thanks for the recipe. I love oats for breakfast, but I am always on a rush, and its a bit time demanding to prepare it in the morning, I did not know I could prepare them with so much time ahead and they would be good 5 days after.
Would it make any difference if I cooked them in a regular pan?
Best,
Nathalia
A Virtual Vegan says
No different at all. Just keep it in a sealed container and dilute it with a bit of milk or water when you warm it up. It will be like a lump of stodge at first but as it warms it will be good as new. You can freeze it in muffin tins too then just take a couple out and warm it through gently in the same way. I always make my oatmeal in bulk to save time. If you haven't tried overnight oats they would be great too. You can make up containers of those in advance and keep in the fridge. You don't need to cook them at all. When I didn't work from home I used to make them all the time because they are perfect to grab and take with you if you are running late. Here's one of my recipes but there are loads of others online https://avirtualvegan.com/ginger-chocolate-overnight-oats/ .
Jenn says
Yum Yum Yum!! Chocolate is a definite bonus! I've never tried to do my oats in the Instant Pot, but I also don't do steel cut a lot because they do take more time. This is a great way to get those done fast! Love it! And thanks for the shoutout!
A Virtual Vegan says
You're welcome! You should make some steel cut oats in the Instant Pot. I make a huge double batch and it feeds us all week!