What steel cut oats are
Steel cut oats, sometimes called Irish oats, are whole oat groats that have been chopped into pieces rather than steamed and flattened. That makes them chewier, nuttier and slower to cook than rolled (old-fashioned) oats. Nutritionally they are generally considered similar to rolled oats, with differences mostly in texture and how quickly the oats are digested.
Because they hold their shape, steel cut oats give desserts a distinctly hearty bite. That is lovely in a cookie or baked oatmeal but can surprise you if you expect the softness of rolled oats.
Why steel cut oats stay hard in desserts
Raw steel cut oats need a lot of liquid and time to soften. If they are simply stirred into a cookie dough or a short-baked bar, there may not be enough moisture or time for them to become tender, and the result can be gritty or hard. A few ways to avoid that:
- Cook them first. Simmering the oats briefly in water or milk before adding them to a dough gives a soft but chewy texture.
- Soak them. Soaking the oats overnight in liquid, in the refrigerator, can shorten baking time.
- Pulse them. Chopping the oats in a blender or food processor into smaller pieces helps them soften faster.
- Use enough liquid. Baked oatmeal recipes built for steel cut oats include more liquid than rolled oat versions.
- Bake long enough. Check for doneness according to the recipe, since undercooking is a common cause.
Steel cut oat dessert ideas
Steel cut oatmeal cookies
Some recipes use steel cut oats straight from the bag for a chewy, nutty cookie, often together with flour, oil or butter and spices such as cinnamon. Others add mashed bananas and oat flour, with honey or brown sugar for sweetness. Chocolate chips, raisins or chopped nuts are common additions. Letting the dough rest for a bit before baking can help the oats absorb moisture.
Baked steel cut oatmeal
Baked oatmeal sits somewhere between breakfast and dessert. A tray bake of steel cut oats with apples, cinnamon, plant milk and a sweetener is a make-ahead favorite and can be sliced into squares. It reheats well. For a cakier breakfast bake, try our breakfast spice cake.
Oat pudding
Cooked steel cut oats can be turned into a creamy pudding by simmering them with milk or a plant milk, a sweetener, vanilla and cinnamon. Top with fruit or a spoonful of seed butter.
Fruit crisps and crumbles
Steel cut oats can add crunch to a crumble topping when pulsed briefly or soaked in a little juice, and the fruit juices help soften them as the crisp bakes.
Bars and granola
Steel cut oats are less often used in granola than rolled oats because they stay firm, but they can work in small amounts if you partly cook or soak them first. Check the recipe, since results vary. For a classic oat-based bar, see our date slice recipes, which sandwich a date filling between oat layers.
Substituting rolled oats
If you only have rolled oats, many oatmeal cookie, bar and crisp recipes will work with them. They absorb liquid faster, so the dough may be softer, and the final texture will be less chewy. The reverse swap is trickier: replacing rolled oats with raw steel cut oats usually calls for the extra cooking, soaking or pulsing steps described above.
Gluten-free and dairy-free notes
Oats do not naturally contain wheat gluten, but they are often grown, harvested or processed near wheat, barley and rye. People who need to avoid gluten typically look for oats labeled gluten-free, and some people with celiac disease react to oats even then, so ask a health professional if that applies to you. For flour, a one-to-one gluten-free blend can replace all-purpose flour in cookie recipes. For dairy, oil or dairy-free baking sticks can replace butter, and plant milks work in puddings and baked oatmeal.
For more ideas along these lines, see our collection of gluten and dairy free dessert recipes. If you need a nut-free binder, a spoonful of SunButter can stand in for almond or peanut butter in many oat cookies.
Storage
Baked oat cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days, and they can be frozen. Baked oatmeal and oat puddings are best stored in the refrigerator and reheated.
More allergy-friendly desserts
- Gluten and dairy free dessert recipes
- SunButter dessert recipes
- Parve Passover desserts (note that oats are generally avoided during Passover)
FAQ
Why are my steel cut oats still hard?
They probably did not get enough liquid or time. Cook, soak or pulse them first, and make sure the recipe has enough moisture.
Can I make cookies with just oats?
Simple oat cookies are possible with a binder and sweetener, such as mashed banana, but most recipes also include some flour, oil or nut or seed butter for structure.
Are there benefits to steel cut oatmeal?
Oats are a whole grain and a source of fiber. Steel cut oats are less processed than instant oats, but they are nutritionally similar to rolled oats.
Do steel cut oats work for granola?
They can, but they stay quite firm and chewy, so many cooks prefer rolled oats for granola.