Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Overnight steel cut oats are a wonderful, hearty and satisfying breakfast that can be totally customized to your liking. This recipe not only cuts down on your time, but it also can make the oats more digestible. Enjoy these oats while you’re on the low FODMAP diet.

If you are like me and typically avoided steel cut oats because of the long amount of cooking time, then this recipe is for you!
When I first embarked on the low FODMAP diet, I bought a ton of steel cut oats because I knew they were a safe low FODMAP option.
The problem was, I rarely touched them. In the morning when my family is hungry, I don’t have 40 minutes to sit in front of the stove and stir oats! Who wants to do that?!
One day I had a lightbulb moment… “I wonder if I can create overnight steel cut oat recipe similar to how you can make regular overnight oats?” And thankfully, the answer is… YES!

What are Steel Cut Oats?
Steel cut oats are the inner kernels of whole oats cut into smaller pieces. They are a little chewy and have a slightly nutty flavor compared to regular oats.
Steel cut oats are less processed than rolled oats, giving them a lower glycemic index. This makes it more challenging for digestive enzymes to break down the starch found in them. This is a good thing as it slows down the conversion of the starches to sugar your the body, meaning you’ll stay satisfied longer!
Health Benefits Of Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oats are full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The contain iron, selenium, vitamin B1, and zinc. They also have a higher protein content in comparison to other grains.
Oats contain a type soluble fiber called beta glucan. Beta glucans can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. They might prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol from food, which is why you see the “heart healthy” advertisements on oatmeal containers.
Beta glucans might also stimulate the immune system by increasing chemicals that prevent infections. They have also shown antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-diabetic properties as well. (source)
Oats And IBS
The soluble fiber in oats can help to fight IBS symptoms. Oats are fabulous source of this fiber which helps to prevent constipation.
Specifically, soluble fiber slows movement down in the digestive tract, helping with diarrhea as well. If you are dealing with IBS-D, oats can be a helpful way to get in fiber while relieving your symptons.

Increased Nutrient Absorption
We’ve added in lemon juice as an acid in this recipe. (It is optional). Lemon juice provides an acid which helps to break down phytic acid in the oats.
Phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that prevents us from fully absorbing the nutrients in foods containing it. By adding lemon juice and soaking steel cut oats, you’ll reap even more benefits from these oats, and you won’t taste the juice!
Are steel cut oats inflammatory?
Steel cut oats promote anti-inflammatory integrity in the intestinal bacteria. They provide antioxidants that fight inflammation, and they have prebiotic fiber which helps to feed your good bacteria to keep them going strong.
Are rolled or steel cut oats better for overnight oats?
It depends! I like both. If you don’t want to use any heat whatsoever, you might want to go with rolled oats. Rolled oats don’t require any heat prep. I have also had success with steel cut oats and zero heat by decreasing the amount of water used. Still, I will say, I do prefer the method I use for this recipe which requires five minutes of heat.
If you don’t mind heating up the oats the night before, I really enjoy the taste and texture of steel cut oats. It’s a nice change up in the oatmeal for breakfast life. I find I like to switch between the two to keep oats interesting!

Tips For Making Overnight Steal Cut Oats:
- To add some healthy fat to this recipe, in the morning, gently heat up the oats and add a tablespoon of grass-fed butter and/or nut butter. Grass-fed butter has more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to conventional.
- This is recipe is just a jumping off point. You can add whatever ingredients you want the next day to make this recipe extra yummy. If you are low FODMAP, make sure the add-ins you are choosing are approved.
- If you just love creamy oats, in the morning after soaking add milk or cream. Use lactose free milk or a smaller low FODMAP portion of nut milks for low FODMAP.
- The oats need to soak at least 8-10 hours overnight for best success. This gives them the best texture.
- Make a big batch and then refrigerate in a air-tight container for up to 5 days. Making it a great and easy make ahead breakfast.
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Tools you may need:
Saucepan
Measuring cups and spoons

Overnight Steal Cut Oat Variations:
The recipe provided is a base recipe. Feel free to try any of these variations:
French Toast Oats: mix two eggs into a single portion and heat up on the stove top or in the microwave (about 3 min) until eggs are cooked through. Top with maple syrup and berries.
Banana Nut: Add sliced bananas, chopped nuts, and drizzle nut butter on top. For low FODMAP, you can add up to one medium unripe banana or only 1/3 of a ripe banana.
PB & J Oats: add a spoonful or two of strawberry chia pudding and nut butter.
Chocolate Oats: stir in a tablespoon of cocoa powder and nut butter.
Protein packed: In the morning after the oatmeal has soaked, place it over low medium heat. Add 2 eggs and stir quickly preventing it from cooking and creating unwanted chunks of egg. Cook for 3-5 minutes until eggs are totally cooked through. Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder or collagen peptides for a added boost of protein.
Cinnamon Apple: Add chopped apples and more cinnamon. I like to make the protein packed oatmeal and then add the chopped apples during the cooking process to soften them up a bit. And add a little butter. If you are on the low FODMAP diet, apples are considered a high FODMAP food and should only be consumed up to 1.5 tablespoons. Refer to Monash for serving sizes for different apples

How To Make Overnight Steel Cut Oats:

Boil water in pan on stovetop over high heat. Cover with lid to make this process faster.

Turn down heat to medium and stir in steel cut oats. Simmer for 5 minutes. You want to make sure the heat isn’t too high so the oats don’t burn.

Turn off stovetop heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.
In the morning there will be some liquid left on top, stir it all together and enjoy it cold or heat it up for a few minutes and serve it warm.
Add any additional topping like fruit, nuts, seeds, coconut, etc. Enjoy!
Storage:
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating:
You can throw this back on the stovetop or pop it in the microwave. I suggest adding a little liquid if you throw it back on the stovetop to help it mix up well.
Find More Yummy Breakfast Ideas:
Sourdough Breakfast Cookies (Snack Cookies)
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Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Steel cut oats are a wonderful and satisfying breakfast. This recipes cuts down on your time, and can make the oats more digestible for you. Enjoy these oats safely while your on the low FODMAP diet.
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 4 cups water
- 2 T maple syrup
- 2 T chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp salt
- squeeze of lemon juice (optional)*
Instructions
- Boil water in pan on stovetop.
- Stir in steel cut oats and cook for 5 minutes.
- Turn off stovetop heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.
- In the morning there will be some liquid left on top, stir it all together and enjoy it cold or heat it up
- Add any additional topping you'd like and enjoy!
Notes
* Lemon juice helps to break down phytates (anti-nutrients) to make the oats more digestible. This is optional, but you won't taste the juice if you use it.
**This is a good base recipe, feel free to mix it up with any ideas above or make it your own!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 305mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gProtein: 6g