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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Banana Steel Cut Oats (Instant Pot)

    Published: Jan 25, 2022 . Modified: Apr 14, 2024 by Allie

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    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    The banana steel-cut oats recipe is a cozy warm breakfast that is easy to make and uses simple ingredients.

    Banana steel cut oats in a bowl with sliced banana.

    The recipe calls for over-ripe mashed bananas for a naturally sweet banana oatmeal.  We add ground cinnamon and vanilla for flavor, then milk to make it creamy.  It kind of reminds me of 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. Cooking steel-cut oats in the instant pot is an easy way to whip up a healthy breakfast option.  They take longer to cook than old-fashioned oats and have a chewier texture.

    For more banana oatmeal recipes, try banana cinnamon overnight oats with peanut butter. If you enjoy steel-cut oatmeal, I also have a recipe for apple instant pot oatmeal recipe and pumpkin oatmeal with dried cranberries.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe features
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • Instructions for instant pot
    • Stovetop method
    • Tips
    • Serving suggestions
    • Can I substitute with old-fashioned oats?
    • Storage and reheating instructions
    • Related recipes
    • More instant pot recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Recipe features

    • Packed with bananas and cinnamon for a flavorful and delicious breakfast!
    • Great for the whole family!
    • It's a filling breakfast that works great for meal prep!

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Ripe bananas - Mash two ripe 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.

    Steel-cut oats - The liquid ratio and cooking time are for steel-cut oats in this recipe, not for quick cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats.

    Unsweetened dairy-free milk - Any plant-based milk will work.  Try it with almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or cashew milk.  The recipe calls for a combination of water and milk.  The milk will help create a creamy texture, I wouldn't use just water.

    Maple syrup - The tablespoon of maple syrup is for more sweetness, everyone has their 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 sweetness preference. 

    Alternatively, instead of adding it to the entire recipe, you can add your desired amount to your servings. It can be substituted with agave syrup, chopped dates, brown sugar, or granulated sugar. 

    Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract - These are used to help flavor the instant pot steel-cut oats recipe along with salt.  If you're not a nutmeg fan, leave it out.  Instead of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, you could use pumpkin pie spice.

    Instructions for instant pot

    Start the instant pot version of banana oatmeal by mashing the bananas well in a bowl. Add the oats, water, milk, maple syrup (if using), ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and nutmeg to the instant pot and stir in the mashed bananas.  Stir well to incorporate everything. 

    all ingredients for banana steel cut oats added to the instant pot

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

    8 minutes timer on instant pot

    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.  Serve warm with banana slices, fresh strawberries, or your favorite toppings.

    stirred cooked banana steel cut oats in the instant pot

    Stovetop 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.

    Tips

    • For steel-cut oats, I prefer 3 cups of liquid to 1 cup of steel-cut oats.  They are less processed and will need more liquid than rolled oats.  Recipes are adaptable and if you prefer a thinner porridge, then next time make the recipe add more liquid.  Meanwhile, thin it out with additional milk.
    • You can use non-stick cooking spray at the bottom of your instant pot for the oatmeal to not stick as much.
    • The recipe is written for 8 minutes for softer oats, but it can be pressure-cooked on high for 4 minutes for firmer oats.
    • If liquid spurts out when you manually release, close the vent and let it naturally release longer.
    • There will be liquid on top and some separation when the oats are done.  Just stir it back into the oatmeal and it will thicken as it cools.

    Serving suggestions

    My favorite toppings for serving the steel-cut oats are sliced bananas, 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. 

    Other topping options are a drizzle of peanut butter, cocoa powder for a chocolate version, chia seeds, dairy-free chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans.

    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 are specifically for steel-cut oats.

    Banana steel cut oats in a bowl with sliced banana and walnuts.

    Storage and reheating instructions

    Let the leftovers cool before refrigerating, then store them in an airtight container for about 4-5 days. The banana 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 milk or water to get the desired consistency you prefer, and slowly heat 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.

    Related recipes

    • Instant Pot Apple Steel Cut Oats
    • Instant Pot Pumpkin Oatmeal
    • Banana and cinnamon overnight oats

    More instant pot recipes

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

    I hope you enjoy this recipe for instant pot steel-cut oats with bananas! If you like the recipe, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.

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    Recipe

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    Banana steel cut oats in a bowl with sliced bananas and walnuts on top.

    Banana Steel Cut Oats (Instant Pot)


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 2 reviews

    • Author: Allie
    • Total Time: 38 minutes
    • Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
    • Diet: Vegan
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    Description

    This banana steel cut oats recipe uses over-ripe bananas for a naturally sweet breakfast.  We add ground cinnamon and vanilla for flavor, then milk to make it creamy.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
    • 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
    • 1  ½ cups unsweetened dairy-free milk
    • 1  ½ cups water
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional if you need it sweeter)
    • 1  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    1. Mash the bananas really well in a bowl.
    2. Then transfer to the instant pot along with all of the other ingredients (except toppings) and stir really well.
    3. Move the valve to seal.
    4. Set the instant pot to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes, turn off the keep warm function, (it will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure).
    5. Once the timer goes off and the oats are done, let the instant pot naturally release for 15-20 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
    6. 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 will thicken up.
    7. Serve with your favorite toppings.
    8. Let the leftovers cool before refrigerating, then store them in an airtight container for about 4-5 days.

    Notes

    Use steel-cut oats, not quick-cooking or rolled oats.

    Cinnamon likes to stick to the walls of the instant pot, stir well.  When done stir back in any cinnamon clumps.

    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • time to come to pressure/depressurize: 25 minutes
    • Cook Time: 8 minutes
    • Category: breakfast
    • Method: instant pot
    • Cuisine: American

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Michelle

      January 27, 2024 at 8:28 am

      I've made these twice so far and they're perfect! An easy way to use up overripe bananas, and the leftovers freeze well in individual portions in a silicone muffin plan for weekday breakfasts. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Allie

        January 27, 2024 at 8:35 am

        I'm so glad you like the recipe and thank you for leaving a comment! That's good to know they freeze well, thank you for the tip.

        Reply
    2. Jessie

      May 13, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      Lovely recipe and very easy for lazy mornings. Definitely going to try the apple and pumpkin next.

      Reply
      • Allie

        May 13, 2022 at 1:01 pm

        I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for the lovely comment!

        Reply

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    banana steel cut oats in bowl with sliced banana