Steel Cut Oats With Chia: An Easy Overnight Vegan Breakfast
Steel Cut Oats With Chia, Soaked Overnight.
A Creamy Vegan Breakfast Porridge With Cinnamon, And Your Choice Of Fruit.
Serves 2 People For 2 To 3 Days. Keeps In The Fridge.
Introduction to steel cut oats
Steel cut oats are whole oat grains chopped into small pieces. Here I cook them for 5 minutes with water, plant milk, cinnamon and a pinch of salt, whisk in chia seeds, and soak them overnight for a creamy vegan porridge. One cup of oats serves 2 people for 2 to 3 days, and it keeps in the fridge.
It’s very different from the rolled oats porridge you may have got tired of as a kid. I had rolled oats growing up, but until I found this recipe, I’d never heard of steel cut oats, or chia. Now it’s one of my favourite breakfasts. I find it filling and soothing, and it’s quick to make.
You can eat it hot or cold, at any time of day. One day, I’d been teaching yoga all day, with one more class to go. Luckily, Stuart had packed a container of these oats with organic strawberries in our little travelling esky. It kept me powering along for the rest of the day.
If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.
Steel cut oats with Darwin papaya
Steel cut oats with Darwin papaya. Try it with whatever fruit is in season.
With chia seeds
Steel cut oats with chia and strawberries. Look closely and you’ll see the dark dots. That’s the chia.
Without chia seeds
No, it’s not a double up! This one has no chia. Notice the slightly different colour.
Ingredients for steel cut oats
Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio breakfast. It serves 2 people for 2 to 3 days.
- 1 cup of steel cut oats
- 2 cups of water, plus up to half a cup extra after cooking
- 1 cup of unsweetened plant based milk
- A quarter teaspoon of good quality salt with no additives, such as pink Himalayan salt
- A quarter teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (optional, use more or less to suit you)
- Fruit and / or nuts of your choice, to serve
You’ll find organic steel cut oats in the breakfast cereal section of the supermarket. Organic chia is harder to find, but I’ve found it in health food shops, and sometimes at Coles. I look for organic versions of both.
I serve my oats with lower sugar fruit, like strawberries. Even though I’m thinnish, I find my weight creeps up quickly if I have too much sugar. Healthdirect, the Australian Government health information service, has a clear page on sugar and how much is recommended. You can also read my story of how I cut back on sugar.
The ingredients, from the supermarket
Steel cut oats are as close as Woolworths. You can also get them in health food shops, often in bulk.
Steel cut oats before soaking
Steel cut oats before soaking or cooking. It’s a hard grain, so the overnight soak matters.
How to make steel cut oats
Use these steps to make this overnight steel cut oats breakfast.
Step 1: Cook the oats
- Bring the 2 cups of water to the boil.
- Stir in the oats and the salt.
- Add half a cup of the milk, and the cinnamon.
- Stir regularly on a low heat for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Add the chia and soak overnight
- Take the pot off the stove, and put the oats in a container with a lid.
- Add the dry chia seeds, and mix them in well with a whisk.
- Slowly add up to half a cup of water, until you get the consistency you like.
- Leave it to soak overnight. It keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Step 3: Heat and serve
- Take out as much as you want for a meal, and heat it with a little of the remaining milk.
- Stir until it’s a consistency you’re happy with. Or eat it cold.
- Serve with fruit and / or nuts of your choice.
Feel free to experiment with these steps. There are lots of ways to get a delicious result.
Soaked, cooked and ready for fruit
The oats after soaking and cooking, ready for fruit and a splash of plant milk.
Strawberries to serve
Organic strawberries, one of my favourite toppings.
Are steel cut oats gluten free?
Not officially. I’ve used Macro steel cut oats for a long time, and they aren’t sold as gluten free, because the company can’t be certain of it in the packing plant.
I normally eat only gluten free, and I’ve never had a problem with them. But if you have coeliac disease or react to gluten, please check with your doctor or dietitian first. The recipe itself is vegan, as long as you use a plant based milk.
What’s the difference between steel cut oats and rolled oats?
Steel cut oats are the whole oat grain, simply chopped into small pieces with steel blades. Rolled oats are steamed and flattened, so they cook faster.
Because steel cut oats are a hard grain, the overnight soak is important. Once they’re soaked, they need only a little cooking, and they’re chewier than the rolled oats porridge many of us grew up with.
Can you add chia seeds to steel cut oats?
Yes. Whisk the dry chia seeds in after cooking, before the overnight soak. They add a little extra protein, a slightly different taste, and tiny dark speckles, as you can see in the pictures above. If you’d rather leave them out, the oats are still lovely.
Steel cut oats: quick questions answered
How long do steel cut oats keep in the fridge?
They keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge, in a container with a lid.
How many people does this serve?
One cup of steel cut oats serves 2 people for 2 to 3 days.
Can you eat steel cut oats cold?
Yes. You can eat them hot or cold, so they’re handy to pack in an esky for a long day.
What fruit goes well with steel cut oats?
I love strawberries and Darwin papaya. Any fruit or nuts you like will work, and I lean towards the lower sugar fruits like strawberries.
Where can I buy steel cut oats?
You’ll find them in the breakfast cereal section of the supermarket, including Woolworths, or in health food shops, often in bulk. Organic chia is harder to find, but I’ve found it in health food shops and sometimes at Coles.
More Flametree breakfast recipes
Looking for more breakfast ideas? Try my strawberry banana smoothie with tofu, my black rice pudding, or my chia breakfast parfait.
Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?
Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.
Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.
Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.
Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat
By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.
Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.
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Meanwhile, start or re-start yoga or meditation with one of the HALF price deals below, or check out the retreat deals.
Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.
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Recipe by Chris Lalor, Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin NT. General information only.
