Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal with Warm Spices

This creamy Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal is one of our favorite easy breakfast recipes. It takes just 5 minutes to prep and gets baked until thick and creamy. It’s ideal for slow Sunday mornings when you aren’t in a hurry (plus, the leftovers come in handy during the week!). It gets topped with chopped nuts and sugar for a sweet, crunchy finish.

Steel cut oats are chewier in texture than regular old fashioned oats but are ultra-creamy when slow-cooked. Each bite of this Irish oatmeal is creamy, full of warm spices, and just sweet enough.

While the bake time is a bit long for a weekday morning, it’s easy to prep or even bake ahead of time. And it reheats beautifully. The base of this recipe is foolproof and ready to be riffed on. Add different spices, dried fruits, and nuts to keep it interesting.

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This recipe article was originally published in February of 2021, it has since been updated with helpful tips, ingredient notes and new images for guaranteed success.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• 8 Ingredient Oatmeal. Forget breakfast recipes with a million ingredients, this homemade baked steel cut oatmeal is simple. Just a handful of pantry staple ingredients is all you need.
• Minimal Prep Time. With just a 5 minute prep time, making breakfast for a crowd has never been easier. Just mix together and let the oven do the work for you.
• Great to Customize. We developed this recipe with versatility in mind. Change the flavors and ingredients to make it your own.

What Are Steel Cut Oats?

Steel cut oats come from the same grain as rolled and instant oats. The difference between these three types of oats is how they’re processed, which results in different textures and cook times.

• Steel cut oats (aka Irish oats), are processed by cutting the whole oat groat into small pieces using a steel mill. They’re chunky, chewy and the least processed of all. Not surprisingly, they take the longest to cook due to the less processing.
• Rolled oats (aka old-fashioned or whole oats), are steamed and rolled flat during processing. They’re quicker cooking, absorb more liquid, and hold their shape relatively well during cooking. Rolled oats are ideal for quick stove top oatmeal, overnight oats, and oatmeal cookies.
• Instant oats (aka quick oats), are the most processed of all. They’re partially cooked, dried, and rolled thinner than old-fashioned oats. They don’t retain their texture when cooked and absorb a ton of liquid.

Ingredients

Here is a quick rundown of what you’ll need for the recipe. For ingredient amounts, jump down to the recipe card.

• Butter: used to toast the oats prior to cooking and keeps the oatmeal creamy and smooth.
• Steel cut oats: Also called Irish Oatmeal. Look for them in smaller containers or bags near the other oatmeal or grains.
• Spices: ground cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt.
• Milk: I recommend using whole milk for it’s rich flavor and fat content. More fat means creamier oatmeal. You can use plant-based milks instead.
• Pecans: Pecans get scattered over top near the end of baking. Walnuts can also be used.
• Demerara or turbinado sugar: Gets sprinkled over the oatmeal at the end of baking for a sweet, crunchy topping.

How to Make Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal

This is an overview of the recipe, with step-by-step photos to guarantee success. Find the full recipe in the recipe card.

1. Toast the oats and spices: A brief sauté in a non-skillet adds toasty, nutty flavor to the oats. Stir in the spices and briefly cook to unlock their flavor.

2. Bake the oatmeal. Combine the toasted oats and spices with milk and water in a shallow baking dish. Bake until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally. 

3. Brûlée the top. Sprinkle cubed butter, pecans and sugar over cooked steel cut oats. Broil until caramelized and crisp. 

Storage and Make Ahead

Store baked steel cut oatmeal in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days.

Reheat the oatmeal in a 350ºF (177ºC) oven for 20 minutes, or until warmed through. Give it a stir and add additional milk as needed to reach desired consistency. 

Alternatively, you can scrape the chilled oatmal into a saucepan with a bit of water or milk and reheat, stirring frequently, over medium until creamy and steaming.

Make Ahead Tip: Since the cooking process is on the longer side, I like to partially cook the oatmeal a day ahead of time if I’m planning on guests. To do this, bake the Irish oatmeal for 1 hour (as directed in the recipe), then remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before covering and transferring to the refrigerator. 

The morning of, add ½ cup of milk to the oats and bake in a 350ºF (177ºC) oven until bubbling, thick and creamy. Top the oatmeal with butter, sugar and nuts and broil as directed. 

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

The base of the oatmeal isn’t overly sweet since the only sugar added is what’s sprinkled over top. Personally, this is how I like it because each person can sweeten it as much, or as little, as they like with brown sugar, maple syrup or honey.

In additional to sweeteners, I like to offer cream or milk, toasted nuts, dried fruit and fresh fruit as toppings.

Then make it a meal with any number of these savory breakfast dishes:

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