How to Cook Steel-Cut Oats + Coconut Mango Oats Recipe
A couple months ago my bloggy friend Erica from Erica’s Pantry asked about cooking fruit into oatmeal. I sort of just throw it in, but I make oatmeal about 2-3 times a week (especially in the winter) so it seems like second nature. If you’ve never made oatmeal from scratch, then hopefully this will help you out!
First I wanted to show you the difference between old-fashioned oats (on the right) and steel-cut oats (on the left). Steel cut oats aren’t flattened like old-fashioned, but cut into little pieces. Because those pieces are thicker, steel-cut oats take longer to cook — 20-25 minutes instead of 8-10. They’re worth the extra time, though. Steel-cut oats not only have a great, chewy texture, but have a lower glycemic index than old-fashioned. I’m not sure why. If you ask, I could find out.
I use old-fashioned oats for making granola, energy balls, and occasionally for baking cookies. (I do have a great oatmeal pancake mix recipe coming later this week. Looks like it’s breakfast week!)
FYI, don’t try using steel-cut oats for granola. You might break a tooth.
Steel-cut oats also need more water than old-fashioned oats. You’ll need 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of steel-cut oats. Bring the water to a boil, then add the oats. I usually throw in a pinch of salt. I’m not sure why I do that. Maybe OCD or something.
Now for the fruit. The type of fruit you use (and the longer you want it to cook) will determine when you add it to the oatmeal. I love apples in oatmeal and add them pretty soon after I add the oats to the boiling water so they can be nice and soft later. If you want them a little crisp, then add them towards the end. Berries, pears, and mangoes are also added toward the end. You get the idea?
This time we’re doing apples and mangoes. I’ve already added the apples and while the oats are simmering away, I prepped the mango. There are much cooler ways to cut a mango, but this is how I always do it. (And I saw this method use in Cooks Illustrated a few of weeks ago, which made me feel like I knew what I was doing.)
Peel the mango. Because the pit is an oval shape, slice off the two “fat” sides on either side of the little dot on the end. (Wow, we’re technical today. I think it’s getting late for me.) Then slice off the other two “skinny” sides. Chop up the large pieces and add them to the oats about 5 minutes before they’re finished cooking.
These aren’t quite finished cooking, but they’re close. There’s still some water that needs to be cooked off and absorbed.
Now is when I add my sweetener and flavorings. Sometimes I use agave. Sometimes I use honey. Sometimes I use real maple syrup. It depends on what mood I’m in. You can also add spices and extracts at this point. For this recipe I added some agave, coconut milk, fresh lime juice, and ground ginger (not pictured, sorry).
Because I added extra liquid I let it simmer for an extra 5 minutes. It’ll thicken as it cools off (and even more after it’s been in the fridge overnight).
Throw a little Oatmeal Sprinkle on top and there you have it. In case you missed that post, Oatmeal Sprinkle is a combination of all the things I like to sprinkle on oatmeal. (My creativity in naming recipes knows no bounds.) This one has sliced almonds, unsweetened coconut, and bits of candied ginger.
I added some of our favorite steel-cut oat variations at the bottom of the recipe to get you started!
Coconut Mango Steel-Cut Oats
Ingredients:
1 cup steel-cut oats
pinch of salt
1 apple, cored and diced
1 mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 tsp freshly grated ginger)
2-3 T agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, or preferred sweetener
1/2 cup coconut milk
juice from 1/2 a lime (about 1 T)
Toppings: sliced almonds, candied ginger, flaked coconutDirections:
Bring 3 cups of water to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the oats and a pinch of salt. Return mixture to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in diced apple. Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the oats are almost tender enough to eat. Stir in mango chunks, ginger, sweetener, coconut milk, and lime juice. Simmer for 5 more minutes until heated through and oats are tender. (They're chewier than old-fashioned oats, so expect a little more texture out of them.)
Serve with toppings of choice.
Makes about 3-4 adult-sized servings.
Some of our other favorite variations:
Apple-Cinnamon: 2 chopped apples (added toward the beginning of cooking) + 2 tsp cinnamon + 1 tsp vanilla
Banana Bread: 1 or 2 smashed overripe bananas (added toward the end of cooking) + 1 tsp cinnamon or ginger + 1 tsp vanilla + chopped nuts
Berries & Cream: 1 cup fresh or frozen berries (added toward the end of cooking) + 1 tsp vanilla + 3 T half-n-half, or cream
Pumpkin Pie: 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (added toward the end of cooking) + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Blueberry Coconut: 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (added toward the end of cooking) + 1 tsp vanilla + 1/2 cup flaked coconut
Pear Ginger: 2 diced pears (added toward the end of cooking) + 2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 T freshly grated ginger)
Pina-Colada: 1 cup crushed or diced pineapple (added toward the end of cooking) + 1/2 cup coconut milk + juice from 1/2 a lime (I just thought of this one and haven't tried it yet. Sounds good to me!)from Perry's Plate
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Kruti — April 26, 2011 @ 12:22 pm
I’ve been using rolled oats, but I’m excited to try the steel cut oats. Normally, I add the fruit at the end before serving to help cool it for my son. How long would this last in the refrigerator with the fruit already mixed in? Btw, that's how we cut mangoes too! It's quick & simple. Thank you!
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danasfoodforthought — April 26, 2011 @ 1:48 pm
I make oatmeal every morning for breakfast, but I've never tried steel cut oats. I love the sound of a chewy textured oatmeal. Sounds great!
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Natalie @ Perrys' Plate — April 26, 2011 @ 2:30 pm
Kruti – Great idea to help cool it off! My girls like a spoonful of plain yogurt in theirs, which helps cool it as well. It lasts about 4-5 days in the fridge with the fruit cooked in.
Dana – Try it! You'll love the texture!
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Sare — April 26, 2011 @ 3:22 pm
You are brilliant! I wanted steel cut oats today and needed some inspiration (one hour of sleep is not helping me today). This is exactly what I want. Hopefully there's a mango left in the kitchen. Thanks Nat!
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PapaCheong's 拿手好菜 — April 26, 2011 @ 3:36 pm
nice picture you have been putting up but my outcome is never as nice as yours.
Papacheong
http://home-cook-dishes-for-family.blogspot.com/
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miss funk — April 26, 2011 @ 4:04 pm
Hi! I just wanted to address the glycemic index issue, since every once in a blue moon something I learn for school is relevant and I can't resist. :) Even if two items are technically the same "stuff," their structures are important: I would imagine that steel-cut oats have a better glycemic index because their shape (less flattened=less surface area) means that the enzymes in our body can't access the starch granules and break them down as quickly into glucose–which is a good thing! It will keep your blood sugars more stable and keep your body in the "fed" state for a longer time.
In other news, this looks absolutely delicious! Thanks so much.
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Jodi — April 26, 2011 @ 4:15 pm
Love steel cut oats! I'm kind of a brown sugar with my oatmeal girl but the mango looks delish! I'll have to try it. Thanks!
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Natalie @ Perrys' Plate — April 26, 2011 @ 4:20 pm
Miss funk – Thank you so much! I'm glad you chimed in. I had a hunch about that, but I hesitate writing things that I'm not sure about. Looks like I was on the right track!
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Bethany Nash — April 26, 2011 @ 5:09 pm
My husband and I love steel cut oats! I have found that in order for him to get out the door for work, I needed to find a way to cut down on the cooking time, so I thought I would share our cooking method in case anyone else needs a shorter cooking time.
In the evening, I measure out 1 cup of steel cut oats and 1 cup of filtered water into a ceramic mixing bowl, then add a few tablespoons of whey if I have it. Then, in the morning, I put the soaked oats into the pan (don't drain, although there probably won't be much left to drain anyway), add another cup of water and a pinch of salt (this actually does affect the flavor, adding sea salt to oatmeal revolutionized my breakfast, lol), and cook for only about 5-7 minutes (I think that's all it takes, although I haven't timed it exactly, I cook it till it "looks right").
Voila! Quick oats, but sooo much tastier. :D
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Natalie @ Perrys' Plate — April 26, 2011 @ 5:12 pm
Bethany – Thank you!! Great idea! I've also seen some slow cooker recipes, but I was afraid they'd be cooked to death. I love your idea of an overnight soak.
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d.liff — April 26, 2011 @ 5:22 pm
I just had steel cut oats at Corner Bakery a couple weeks ago – love them! Thanks for sharing so that I can make them at home!!
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Joanne — April 26, 2011 @ 6:45 pm
Oatmeal is one of my favorite foods and I love how you can flavor it to taste like just about anything depending on your mood! Love these fun flavor combos!
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cookies and cups — April 26, 2011 @ 6:52 pm
I make a bunch of this at the beginning of the week and eat it for breakfast! This is an awesome variation!
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thefrugalflambe — April 26, 2011 @ 6:55 pm
Thank you for solving my boring breakfast dilemma! These recipes look awesome, and steel cut oats are so hot right now. Nice work. :)
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Shayla Taylor — April 26, 2011 @ 7:46 pm
I am a long time blog stalker and have to say THANK YOU for this post! We make steel cut oats 4 days a week and I was getting bored! Thank you for the great ideas! I love your blog!
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Shayla Taylor — April 26, 2011 @ 7:51 pm
We love steel cut oats as well however my stove in our apartment is horrible! So the night before we get the pot of water to a boil, add the oats and apple, return to boil, remove from heat and cover. Let it sit overnight until the morning and then a quick reheat and you are ready. I am going to try this method with your recipe, using your instructions for what to put in for the last 5 minutes in the morning. Your recipe sounds so good! I can't wait to try it.
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Megan — April 27, 2011 @ 4:05 am
Yum, I love steel-cut oats! I like to cook them overnight in my slow-cooker.
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Mary @Delightful Bitefuls — April 27, 2011 @ 4:25 pm
Love this! Can't wait to try this out!
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Jolene - EverydayFoodie — April 27, 2011 @ 10:21 pm
This reminds me that I haven't made steel cut oats in ages! I do love them though, just forget about them in favour of the quick kind.
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Cakebrain — April 28, 2011 @ 6:21 am
Yum! thanks for the inspiration for breakfast! It gets so boring around here every morning!
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Bethany Nash — April 28, 2011 @ 2:50 pm
@Natalie – Thanks! My mother has also cooked them successfully in a rice cooker, although I have yet to try this method, and I like the soaking as it improves the digestibility of the grain (especially of you use the whey).
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