Instant Pot Strawberries and Cream Steel Cut Oats are perfectly creamy, full of strawberry flavor, and ready to energize you for the entire day! Fresh strawberries, a healthy chocolate drizzle, and a splash of cream are absolutely essential!
I see the title “Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal” and I'm immediately taken back to my childhood when I used to devour 2-3 Quaker Strawberries and Cream packs of Instant Oatmeal before school every morning.
The real trick was getting to the strawberry flavor before my big brothers saw that mom had bought a new box.
I was a smart little girl though. Every time my mom would come home from grocery shopping, I would offer to “help put the groceries away.” This actually meant I was just rummaging through the bags to find the things that I needed to hide before my brothers got to them.
I would sneak off with the whole box, quietly open it, pull out the strawberry flavors, then return to the kitchen to put the box into the cereal cupboard as I inconspicuously hid my strawberry packets in the back of the cupboard.
Since I had 3 older brothers, this worked like a charm because my brothers just blamed each other for eating all the strawberry packets.
I thought I was a genius and my mom probably knew exactly what was going on.
Well, I haven't bought instant oatmeal packets since I was in college, but my memory of them still convinces me that you just can't beat a good triple bag bowl of strawberries and cream instant oatmeal breakfast.
Since I'm now a super mature mom responsible for sweet little growing humans, I figured it was time to remake this memory into something even more wholesome, naturally sweetened, and packed with REAL strawberry flavor.
I'll admit my kids have not had the instant packets to compare, but they have officially announced that this is the only steel cut oats flavor I'm allowed to make from here on out.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM STEEL CUT OATS
- EASY! If you think microwaving oats until they boil over and leave you a starchy, sticky mess is easy, just wait for Instant Pot Oatmeal! Dump, press a button, go fix your child's hair, come back to the ultimate breakfast. Now that's EASY!
- Strawberries and cream – it just works, ALWAYS.
- Strawberry jam gets stirred into the oats to make sure that the strawberry flavor is beautifully present in each and every bite.
- Healthy Chocolate Syrup drizzle – if you haven't tried this one yet, YOU NEED TO JUMP ON THIS TRAIN. Now your bowl of oats has turned into a chocolate-dipped strawberry type of situation. THIS IS A HEALTHY WELL BALANCED BREAKFAST PEOPLE!
- And like the cherry on top, oatmeal is also heart-healthy, high in fiber, and full of protein. Isn't it great when healthy and delicious collide?
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM STEEL CUT OATS IN THE PRESSURE COOKER
- Add all of the ingredients (except the jam) to the pot
- Cook for 10 minutes, 10-15 minute natural release, then stir
- While it's still very hot, stir in strawberry jam or preserves
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM OATMEAL
- TOPPINGS! Oatmeal without toppings is the reason that there are still people in the world that claim “I don't like oatmeal”. Oatmeal has got to have toppings
- First up: Cream. Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal has got to have cream! Straight heavy cream (or even milk) is delicious, but my new favorite creamer is NutPods. It's a dairy-free creamer made of coconut cream and almonds, its UNSWEETENED (yay!), and the flavors are AMAZING! I highly recommend the French Vanilla and Hazelnut, but I also have my eye on Caramel and Peppermint Mocha. It's also insane in Crio Bru. Even my kids will drink Crio Bru unsweetened if it has a splash of this in it. Seriously, you need to try this ASAP!
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- Next: After you've drizzled (or drowned) your oats with your creamer of choice, pile it high with FRESH chopped strawberries.
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- And if you really want to gild the lily, this Instant Pot recipe for Healthier Chocolate Syrup is fantastic (think chocolate-covered strawberry oatmeal, mmmm . . .)
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- More? Toasted nuts, coconut, granola, etc, etc. They can all join the party.
- Cook it with almond milk or coconut milk. Oatmeal cooked with just water is okay, but the addition of almond milk really increases the creamy factor. Cow's milk seems to burn more easily so I avoid using it for oats.
- I prefer to use a strawberry jam that is sweetened with fruit like Smucker's Simply Fruit Seedless Strawberry Fruit Spread or sweetened with honey like Smucker's Fruit and Honey Strawberry Fruit Spread. Homemade strawberry jam would also be fantastic.
- The oats were sweet enough for us with just the addition of jam (the chocolate drizzle was also a bonus). If you'd like a sweeter oatmeal base, add 1/4 cup of maple syrup to the pot when cooking the oats.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE INSTANT POT STEEL CUT OATS
- Store: Store oats in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave with a splash of milk to loosen up the oats.
- Freeze: Chill the oats. Once cold and firm, scoop servings onto a lined sheet pan and freeze. Once frozen, the balls of oats can be stored in a freezer-safe bag. To serve, pull a few out the night before and they will be ready to warm and eat in the morning.
VARIATIONS OF STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM STEEL CUT OATS
Let the Fruits and Cream Quaker oatmeal variety pack be your guide!
- Peaches and Cream Oatmeal: Stir in peach jam and top with fresh chopped peaches and drizzle it with Nutpods French Vanilla Creamer or regular heavy cream.
- Blueberries and Cream Oatmeal: Add 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen) to cook with the oats. Top with a drizzle of Instant Pot Cinnamon Cream Syrup.
- Bananas and Cream Oatmeal: Chop up a banana or two and cook with the oats. It will be soft once cooked and ready to stir into the oats. Top with Nutpods Hazelnut or Caramel Creamer and a drizzle of peanut or almond butter.
WHAT TO DO IF OATMEAL IS STICKING/BURNING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE POT
If oats burn to the bottom of the pot, this can typically be remedied by adding more water to the cooking liquid. Another option is to add HOT water to the oats to cook which may help it to come up to temperature more quickly, reducing the risk of a burn warning.
However, I have made this recipe several times without any issues.
If I succeed at nothing else in a day (namely, patience and love at homework time), knowing that I at least got my kids' day started off with a healthy and filling breakfast makes me feel like a mommy rock star.
I do believe this one will go into regular rotation in your homes like it has mine!
Enjoy your new found freedom from Quaker Instant Oatmeal packs!
MORE OATMEAL RECIPES FOR YOUR INSTANT POT PRESSURE COOKER
- Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats
- Instant Pot Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
- Instant Pot Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Steel Cut Oats
- Instant Pot Banana Custard Steel Cut Oats
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM STEEL CUT OATS
- Instant Pot
- Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats
- Smucker's Simply Fruit Strawberry Spread or Smucker's Fruit and Honey Strawberry Spread
- Nutpods Non-Dairy Creamer
Instant Pot Strawberries and Cream Steel Cut Oats
Creamy steel cut oats topped with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of cream made so quick and easy in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups steel cut oats
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk or lite coconut milk
- 2 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of kosher salt
- ½ cup strawberry jam or preserves (store bought or homemade, preferably seedless)
Optional toppings: cream or milk, fresh diced strawberries, Healthy Chocolate Syrup, mini chocolate chips, Vanilla Cashew Cream, etc.
Instructions
- Add oats, almond milk, water, vanilla extract, and salt to the pressure cooker pot and stir.
- Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position. Cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, use a natural release for 15 minutes (can also use a full natural release if not in a hurry). If liquid sprays through the valve, turn back to the sealed position and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Stir in strawberry jam.
- If desired, let oats cool for 5 minutes or so to thicken.
- Serve hot with a splash of cream or milk, fresh strawberries, and other desired toppings.
Notes
- If the strawberry jam is minimally sweetened, you may want to add ¼ cup maple syrup to the pot along with the water and milk.
- I prefer to use seedless strawberry jam that is sweetened only with fruit. With the addition of the chocolate syrup on top, the oats were plenty sweet for us.
- I have never had the burn warning with this recipe. If you do, you may want to try adding more water or using hot water to help it come up to pressure more quickly.
- I do not recommend using cows milk with this recipe. Almond milk and lite coconut milk taste better and are less likely to cause a burn warning.
Keywords: Instant Pot steel cut oats, strawberries and cream oatmeal, healthy breakfast
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