Hearty steel cut oats, lightly sweetened with fresh strawberries and a touch of maple syrup. Strawberry oatmeal doesn’t get much better than this!
Strawberry season in the United States is only a few months away and we are excited.
Every year, Kim and I buy tons of strawberries for all sorts of recipes, like strawberry salad and fresh strawberries with mascarpone whipped cream.
One of our favorite breakfast recipes is our strawberry oatmeal made with steel cut oats. We also like to switch things up and make steel cut oats with blueberries, too!
A lot of people tend to shy away from steel cut oats and use instant oats instead. However, steel cut are not that hard to work with in the kitchen.
Sure, they might require an extra step, but nothing worth having comes easily. So, Kim and I use steel cuts when cooking for each other.
Check out the tips below if you need a little guidance or ideas for working with this hearty grain.
How to make strawberry oatmeal with steel cut oats?
First, I recommend soaking the oats overnight. I know that may sound strange, but it makes a difference in the texture.
Next, chop or dice the strawberries and set them aside.
Now, in a medium or large sauce pan (depending on the amount you decide to make) stir together the milk, water, and steel cut oats.
Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low.
Then, let the steel cut oats simmer for about twenty-five to thirty minutes. The cook time may differ if you soaked them the night before. See my tips below.
Once the oats have cooked and reached a texture you like, turn off the heat and stir in the diced or chopped strawberries.
Last, stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. That’s it, your strawberry oatmeal is done!
Serve it with fresh strawberries on top or anything else you want. Kim and I hope you enjoy this breakfast offering.
Recipe Tips:
- As I said before, some people believe steel cuts are tricky to cook with. However, soaking them before use cuts down on the cooking times, makes the oats softer, and some people claim easier to digest.
- If you soaked the steel cut oats the night before, then they may only need to cook for ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes. But, you want to keep an eye on them as they simmer. Otherwise, you may still over or under cook the grain.
- Usually, we salt the oats before they cook. With that being said, when you cook meals for other people, it’s best to let them decide if and how much salt they want. So, for the purposes of the post, we decided to let you add the salt at the end of the recipe.
Looking for another recipe using fresh summer ingredients? Check out our honey vinaigrette salad dressing!

Strawberry Oatmeal with Steel Cut Oats
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup strawberries fresh, divided
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Chop ½ cup strawberries into small pieces. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the water, milk, oats, and salt to a boil, then immediately turn the heat to low.3 cups water1 cup whole milk1 cup steel cut oats¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Simmer the oats for 25 to 30 or until the desired consistency is reached.
- Remove the oats from heat and stir in the chopped strawberries, maple syrup, and vanilla.¼ cup pure maple syrup1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Serve in individual bowls and top with additional sliced ⅔ cup of strawberries and any extra toppings.