How To Make Overnight No-Cook Steel-Cut Oats

Need a quick grab-and-go breakfast that's satisfying and nutritious? Who doesn't! Mornings are a very busy time, and breakfast can be the first thing to get shoved aside. To prevent this, I needed to come up with a way to have a healthy breakfast that I could get ready the night before. The result? No-cook steel-cut oats.

Steel-cut oats are a whole oat berry that has been hulled and cut into little pieces. Many brands come lightly toasted, adding to their flavour. Nutritionally, they are high in protein and soluble fibre making them a great breakfast food. Traditionally, steel-cut oats are simmered, covered in a pot of boiling water until tender. They are simple to prepare, unless of course you're running late... again.

Here's an even easier version for you to try! These oats are left to cook on their own, overnight, in a thermos. By morning they are tender and delicious. Below is my favourite flavour combination, but they are also great with fresh berries, lemon zest, chopped apple, maple syrup and a zillion other things. Give them a try (or try more of our overnight oats recipes).

Night-Before, No-Cook Steel-Cut Oats Recipe

Prep: 3 minutes Ready: overnight

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup steel cut oats
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp currants or raisins
• pinch of salt
• pinch of cinnamon
• 1 cup boiling water

Instructions

• Stir oats with sugar, currants, salt and cinnamon in a thermos the night before. Add boiling water and stir to combine. Tighten lid on thermos. Go to bed.
• Wake up. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Originally published April 4th, 2014; updated October 2023.

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