Cranberry Maple Steel Cut Oatmeal - Delish Knowledge (2024)

FAQs

Why are steel cut oats better than oatmeal? ›

Are steel-cut oats better for you than rolled oats? Steel-cut oats and rolled oats have about the same nutrition, but steel-cut oats have a bit more fiber. They also have a lower glycemic index and take longer to digest, keeping you full longer.

Step 1: Rinse: Place steel-cut oats in a strainer and rinse well in warm filtered water. Step 2: Soak: 1 cup steel-cut oats with 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar (ACV) or lemon juice overnight in filtered water overnight at room temperature. Step 3: Cook: Rinse & drain in warm water.

I like to do a mix of water and milk to make the steel cut oats extra creamy. The ratio is flexible. I generally use 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup of milk. You can use your milk of choice—dairy milk or non-dairy milks like coconut milk or almond milk are great (perfect if you need vegan steel cut oats).

Oatmeal's high fiber content and prebiotic qualities may benefit your body in more ways than one. Making oatmeal a regular part of your menu can potentially lower your disease risk, help your gut health thrive, make bowel movements easier and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Less processed varieties of oats such as steel cut oats and old-fashioned oats can better dampen the rise in blood sugars and insulin since the soluble fiber in these foods is more intact compared to more processed varieties.

Steel cut oats may support blood sugar control, proper digestion, heart health, and weight loss.

Ratio of Steel-Cut Oats to Water

The basic ratio for making steel-cut oatmeal is 1 cup of oats to 3 to 4 cups of water — I've found that less water keeps the oats more intact and chewy while more water makes a silkier porridge.

Old Fashioned: Also called rolled oats, old fashioned oats are flat and flakey. They absorb more water and cook faster than steel-cut oats — usually in about 5 minutes — and are the oat of choice for granola bars, cookies, and muffins.

Despite my love of steel cut oatmeal, there's a downside: at 30-40 minutes, it takes much longer to cook than other types of oatmeal. I don't know about you, but that's a lot of time to spend on breakfast, especially when I'm switching gears from a grab-and-go summer style breakfast!