I made this super creamy and delicious steel cut oats recipe for a friend last weekend and they raved about it. I was kind of surprised because it’s just my ol’ go-to way to cook steel cut oats. But I have updated this easy recipe a bit over time and this method makes super thick, creamy oats with a touch of sweetness. And it’s easy!

If you’re not familiar – steel cut oats are made from the whole oat groat. It’s called steel cut because of how the groat is chopped up into tiny pieces. They look smaller than regular oats – but take a lot longer to cook. The result is a chewier texture and nuttier flavor. I love it!

But again – they take a lot longer than regular oatmeal. Cooking steel cut oats on the stove-top takes about 1 hour. And I’m not in the business of standing at the stove top for an hour in the morning! So I like making them in a rice cooker. This way I can put everything in there… go run… and then come home to a warm bowl of oatmeal. (And then you have leftovers for tomorrow’s breakfast!)

I make them with Real California Milk so they’re super creamy. Milk adds a good amount of protein. The combo of whole grains and protein adds up to keep you full longer. And recent studies suggest that it’s important to get enough protein at each meal – basically spread out your intake throughout the day. One cup of milk has about 9 grams of protein. Plus there’s just something comforting about a warm bowl of oatmeal that’s so satisfying.

Note: I have this rice cooker. It doesn’t have a porridge setting so I use the brown rice option.

Steel Cut Oats in the Rice Cooker Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups Real California Milk
2 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

When that’s done:

2 ripe bananas
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
toppings

Directions:

Mix oats, milk, water and salt in rice cooker pot.

Place in rice cooker and set according to your machine. Choose the porridge setting if you have it OR the brown rice setting.

When it’s done – stir it and add the banana (chop or smash it with a fork first) and cinnamon.

It’s done! Top with your favorite oatmeal toppings like nuts, nut butter, dried fruit, chia seeds, honey, etc.

Enjoy!

Portion out the leftovers in separate containers for a fast grab and go breakfast for tomorrow.

*Look for the Real California Milk seal when you’re shopping for dairy.

The seal means it’s made with Real California Milk – from dairy farms all around the state.

Want more?

Since you have breakfast prepped for a few days now… how about planning out your snacks too?

Snacks are an important part of healthy menu planning and this post has a variety ideas to get ya going. And it’s a mix of salty and sweet snack options so there’s something for everyone.

6 Healthy Protein Snack Box ideas