Woman in Real Life

Oatmeal is oatmeal is oatmeal. Yes? With the resurgence in popularity of this classic grain, we know that's not so. Oatmeal can be thick, cold and clumpy. (My granny used to make it early in the morning and leave it on the back of the stove for my mom and her brothers to eat much later. Eek.) Oatmeal can also be creamy, warm and delicious, with lots of flavourful and healthy toppings. I vote to eat it that way. With that in mind, I'm sharing my simple recipe for steel-cut oats cooked up in the Instant Pot. There are endless ways to flavour your oatmeal - in this case I'm going with maple pecan. Because I'm Canadian. So maple syrup.

Plus, I've joined together with some vegan blogging friends to share six more amazing plant-based breakfast recipes. Trust me, they are mouthwatering. You'll want to get together with friends and make all of these recipes, for a fantastic vegan brunch.


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Do you like steel-cut oats or do you prefer quick oats? I'm somewhere in the middle. Luckily, with the Instant Pot, you can create oatmeal with steel-cut oats and still have it come out smooth and creamy like oatmeal made with quick oats. For this recipe, you'll simply add steel-cut oats to the Instant Pot, along with almond milk (or other non-dairy beverage), water, maple syrup, raisins (optional), vanilla and salt. It will look like too much liquid (above) but not to worry, the milk and the water will get absorbed, leaving delicious, creamy oatmeal.


Set the Instant Pot to cook for six minutes. For those who are new to using the Instant Pot, please be aware this doesn't mean your oatmeal will be ready in six minutes. The cooker needs to build up pressure before the cook time begins (and the timer counts down). After the cook time is over, the timer will start to count up. This occurs while the pressure in the pot is going down. You can release it manually with the steam release nozzle, however for some recipes, like this oatmeal, it's better to let the pressure naturally release for 15 or 20 minutes (to allow the oatmeal to thicken). In total, the oatmeal will be ready in 30 to 35 minutes. The real benefit of using the Instant Pot isn't time-saving in this case. It's more that you can set your oatmeal to cook and then go away and make the other tantalizing vegan breakfast recipes, below, while it's cooking.


Once the cycle is complete, this is what your oatmeal will look like. Thick, creamy and tasty.


Then comes the best part - the toppings. Sprinkle on cinnamon and top with pecans and more maple syrup to complete the recipe. Then add whatever other toppings you like - sliced bananas are a classic choice, along with berries - I used raspberries and strawberries here. I also had fresh, ripe mangoes on hand, so I added sliced mango on top of the maple pecan oatmeal as well.


I also like to top my oatmeal with more non-dairy milk.


Other great choices are blueberries, chia seeds, sliced almonds, walnuts and ground flax. Besides being a wonderful vegan breakfast choice, this oatmeal is also gluten-free (as long as you source oats that are uncontaminated by other grains).


I tend to choose steel-cut oats more often because they are less processed and have more fibre content than rolled oats. They have a lower glycemic index value as well, so they digest more slowly and may keep you feeling full longer. But rolled oats are a nutritious, whole grain choice too, perfect for a nourishing breakfast.

Questions for you

Do you prefer steel-cut or rolled oats? Have you made oatmeal in the Instant Pot? What are your favourite toppings for oatmeal?

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