Vegan Overnight Almond Coconut Steel Cut Oats (The Best Way to Cook Steel Cut Oats)
Have you ever bought steel cut oats when you meant to buy the old fashioned rolled kind?
I made that mistake a few weeks ago. I didn’t know how to cook them and so I tried about 200 different ways.
It became and obsession of mine.
I tried soaking, baking, microwaving, topping, not topping, using more oil, less oil, eggs, baking powder, the list goes on…
The way that I found works the best and gives the best flavor involves soaking the oats overnight in coconut milk, mixing them with a little honey, flax, coconut oil and cinnamon in the morning and then baking them. Topping the oats with a mixture of almonds, almond meal and coconut towards the end of the baking gives a nice topping with plenty of texture. Oh, did I mention this recipe is vegan?
I find that these oats are much better when they are given ample time to set after coming out of the oven. I usually let them sit for about 45 minutes to an hour so that they cool down and they have a more set texture so that you can actually cut into and remove squares from the pan.
I like to make a pan of these at the beginning of the week (I soak on Saturday night and bake on Sunday morning, eating a reheated square on Monday morning). The best way to enjoy them is to briefly microwave a square and then hit it with a little extra coconut milk and some sliced bananas.
Here is the recipe! Have fun!
- 3/4 cup steel cut oats (not rapid cooking)
- 2 cups coconut "beverage" (not the full fat kind from the can, the kind from a carton- should have 4-5 grams of fat per cup))
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (liquid form)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp ground flax
- cooking spray for pan
- 3/4 cup slivered almonds (raw)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup packed almond meal (not flour)
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Combine oats and coconut milk in a large bowl, cover and set in the fridge overnight or for at least 12 hours.
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After the oats have finished soaking, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oats and milk with the honey, coconut oil, vanilla, salt, flax and cinnamon. Use a whisk to get any clumps.
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Pour the oatmeal into a prepared (sprayed) 9 by 9 glass dish and Bake for 25 minutes.
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Meanwhile make the topping by combing the almond, cinnamon, brown sugar, shredded coconut, coconut oil and almond meal in a medium bowl. Use your hands to really combine it all and break up some of the longer pieces of coconut. The mixture will be loose and not super clumpy but should get just a little bit darker and be a little moist. Set it in the fridge while the oatmeal continues to bake.
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After the oatmeal has baked for 25 minutes remove it from the oven gently (it will still be a little liquid-y in the center) and sprinkle on the topping to cover the oatmeal from edge to edge. Set back in the oven and continue to bake for 15-20 more minutes or until the oatmeal is bubbling through the topping a little bit and the almond and coconut have browned (but not burned).
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Let oatmeal sit for 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature so that it has time to set. It will be easy to remove squares from the pan and portion out after it has set long enough. Cover and set in the fridge when it has cooled enough. Enjoy throughout the week by reheating in the microwave and enjoying with more coconut milk and fruit.
