Rice Cooker Oatmeal
The rice cooker is your best friend whenever you want creamy, comforting oats but haven't got the time to stand and stir at the stove.
Serves4 to 6
Makesabout 5 cups
Prep5 minutes
Cook45 minutes to 1 hour
It’s not that cooking oatmeal the regular way is hard — but rice cooker oatmeal is so much easier. And who wants to spend the time standing over a stove stirring a pot anyways?
Plus, most rice cookers also have the benefit of easy-to-clean nonstick pots. That’s right — no more scraping scorched oats off the bottom of a saucepan. And if your rice cooker has a timer, feel free to set up your steel-cut oats the night before and wake up to a piping-hot bowl of creamy oats.
The Best Toppings for Rice Cooker Oatmeal
There are endless ways to top off a bowl of warm, nutty, oatmeal — whether you prefer savory or sweet flavors (or a mix of both).
Savory Toppings
- Poached egg
- Crumpled bacon
- Breakfast sausage
- Smoked fish
- Avocado
- Sautéed greens
- Furikake
Sweet Toppings
- Maple syrup
- Honey
- Brown sugar
- Fruit compote or jam
- Cream
- Nut butter
- Nuts or seeds
- Fresh or dried fruit
How Long Can You Keep Oatmeal in the Rice Cooker?
As long as the keep-warm setting is on, it is safe to leave your oatmeal in the rice cooker for up to 10 hours. However, the longer it sits, the more the texture will be compromised.
Rice Cooker Oatmeal Recipe
The rice cooker is your best friend whenever you want creamy, comforting oats but haven't got the time to stand and stir at the stove.
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 45 minutes to 1 hour
Makes about 5 cups
Serves 4 to 6
Equipment
- 2 cups
steel-cut or rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 4 to 7 cups
water
Instructions
Place 2 cups steel-cut or rolled oats and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a rice cooker.
If using a rice cooker with a porridge setting, add 7 cups water for steel-cut or 5 cups for rolled oats. If using a rice cooker with a standard setting, add 6 cups water for steel-cut or 4 cups for rolled oats.
Stir to combine and set to cook. (The quick-cook setting would work for rolled oats, too.) When the cook time is up, gently stir the oatmeal, it’ll thicken up as you stir. If you’d like a thinner oatmeal, thin out with water or milk to the desired consistency.
Recipe Notes
Small batch: This recipe can be halved and made in a smaller rice cooker.
Storage: The oatmeal can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months. Reheat with a splash of water or milk on the stovetop or in the microwave.