Chocolate Peanut Butter Steel Cut Oats

These Chocolate Peanut Butter Oats use quick steel cut oats for a speedy, yet filling breakfast. Instant Pot recipe also included for grab and go meal prep!

Most Important Meal of The Day

After the holidays, there is nothing better than getting back to a routine. Don’t get me wrong, I love everything about the holidays! The food, the company, the time off from work – but I also love organization and routine. My favorite thing to do Sunday nights before a new week is plan out the menu. Having all my dinners planned out saves so much time on deicing what we need to shop for and the dreaded “what do you want for dinner?” “I don’t know” conversation.

I am also the WORST when it comes to eating breakfast. Give me an iced coffee and I will be good until noon. BUT, when I do happen to eat breakfast I am amazed how much energy I have and how less I snack!

I came to the conclusion that I either needed a quick fix or a grab and go option. Oats are perfect for that! One pot, less mess, hearty and endless combinations.

What are Steel Cut Oats?

While I love just simple oats with a sprinkle of brown sugar, this recipe uses that either love it or hate it (who are you people) combination of chocolate and peanut butter 😋.

We are also using steel cut oats. To be honest, I had never even heard of steel cut oats until a year ago when I accidentally bought them.

They typically have a longer cook time than rolled oats – 20ish minutes vs. 5ish. They also have a different texture than rolled oats as they are chopped into pieces and are a bit chewier. I love the almost “pop” texture they have when you eat them!

To read more about the differences in oats and if their nutritional values differ, check out this article from Quaker Oats.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Steel Cut Oats

For this recipe, I am using quick steel cut oats which I found at Aldi. If you only have traditional steel cut oats, just up the cooking time to about 20-25 minutes and use 3 cups of milk.

We will also need:

• 1.5 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat milk)
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons powdered peanut butter (real nut butter will work as well)
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon dairy-free dark chocolate chips
• walnuts (for topping)
• maple syrup (for topping)

Start by bringing 1.5 cups oat milk to a boil in a medium saucepan.

Next, add in 1/2 cup oats and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add in the cocoa powder, peanut butter, chia seeds, and chocolate chips.

Stir to incorporate, then simmer for another 5 minutes until it reaches your desired thickness.

Top with walnuts, maple syrup, additional chocolate chips, and you are DONE!

This decadent bowl will for sure keep you satisfied until lunch.

How to Cook Traditional Steel Cut Oats in the Instant Pot

If you don’t have quick steel cut oats or you want to meal prep breakfast for an easy grab and go option, try this recipe in the Instant Pot!

A few differences I learned the hard way:

• Use water instead of milk when cooking the oats.
• Stir in ingredients after the oats are done cooking.

The first time I tested out this recipe in the Instant Pot, I used milk instead of water and put all the ingredients in at once, which resulted in a burn warning.

For the Instant Pot, we will double the ingredients. You will need:

• 1.5 cups traditional steel cut oats
• 4 cups water
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons powdered peanut butter (or regular nut butter)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons dairy-free dark chocolate chips
• walnuts (for topping)
• maple syrup (for topping)

Start by adding the oats and water to the Instant Pot.

Set to High Pressure for 3 minutes. Be sure to seal the pressure release valve!

It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and then only 3 minutes to cook.

Once cooking time is done, naturally release pressure for 20 minutes, then quick release any pressure that is left.

Stir in the remaining ingredients and top with your favorites! Either serve immediately or portion out and store in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Favorite Products Used in This Recipe

*If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a small commission. Thanks!

Instant Pot – No explanation needed here. They may be a little intimidating, but they are the best time saver!

Save Now to Make Later

Be sure to save this recipe to make later! Check me out on Pinterest.

If you make one of my recipes, please tag me (IG @homemade_haley) or use the hashtag #homemadehaleyrecipes in your post or stories! I can’t wait to see how it turned out. 

Thank you so much for your support. From my home to yours,

xo Haley