Banana Steel Cut Oats (Instant Pot)

This banana steel-cut oat recipe uses over-ripe bananas for a naturally sweet breakfast.  We add ground cinnamon and vanilla for flavor, then milk to make it creamy. If you enjoy steel-cut oats, I also have a recipe for apple instant pot oatmeal and pumpkin oatmeal with dried cranberries. 

It kind of reminds me of a banana bread oatmeal, but this version uses the instant pot for a hands-off recipe.  If you don’t have an instant pot there are instructions below on how to make the banana steel cut oats on your stovetop.  

How to Make Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot

Mash the bananas really well in a bowl.  Then transfer to the instant pot along with all of the other ingredients (except the toppings) and stir really well.

Move the valve to seal and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes (it will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure), turn off the keep warm function.

Let the instant pot naturally release for about 15-20 minutes, then you can go ahead and manually release any remaining pressure.  When the oats are done, they will probably have some liquid separation, just stir the liquid back into the oats.  As the oats cool, they’ll thicken up.

Tips for Banana Oatmeal

• Mash the bananas before adding them to the steel-cut oats for a more cohesive texture and banana flavor.
• Use browned spotted bananas (very ripe) like you would if you were making banana bread.  Lots of brown spots and soft.  This adds natural sweetness to the oats and spotted bananas give a more intense banana flavor versus more solid yellow ones.
• The tablespoon of maple syrup is for more sweetness, everyone has their own personal preference when it comes to sweetness.  If you’re not sure if you want the oats as sweet skip the syrup.  Once the oats are done, and cooled, taste and adjust to meet your sweet preference.  Alternatively, instead of adding it to the entire recipe, you can add your desired amount to your individual serving.

Stove Top Method

Add all of the ingredients to a pot and cook covered for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The time varies depending on how thick and creamy you like your oats.  Remove from heat and cool, the oats will thicken more while cooling.

How to Serve Banana Steel Cut Oats

My favorite way of serving the steel-cut oats is adding additional banana slices, a pile of fresh berries, and ground flaxseed.  I love the combination of fresh strawberries with warm steel-cut oats; plus strawberries and bananas just go so well together.

For leftovers, I do add more milk to thin back out.  Other options are a drizzle of peanut butter, cocoa powder for a chocolate version, or chopped walnuts.

Can I substitute with Old Fashioned Oats?

Old-fashioned (rolled oats), quick-cooking, and instant oats cannot be substituted. The time in the pressure cooker and the liquid to oat ratio is specifically for steel-cut oats.

Storing Banana Bread Steel Cut Oats

• Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 

Reheating Instructions

The steel-cut oats firm up once cooled and chilled.  They can be reheated using the stovetop or microwave.  When reheating on the stovetop, add a splash of water or milk to get the desired consistency you prefer, and slowly heat up the oats in a pot, stirring occasionally.  To heat up in the microwave, add the desired milk or water to thin the oats out, then microwave until warm.

More Vegan Steel Cut Oats Recipes

• Instant Pot Apple Steel Cut Oats
• Instant Pot Pumpkin Oatmeal

More Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili
• Instant Pot Wheat Berries
• Homemade Applesauce

I hope you enjoy this recipe for instant pot steel-cut oats with bananas!

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