What are Oat Groats? Oat Groats are the whole, unprocessed form of the Oat grain. The most popular forms are Rolled Oats, Steel Cut, Quick Cuts, or even Oat flour, but the healthiest form of the grain is the Oat Groat.

Oats are one of my favorite grains. It can be used as porridge, in burgers, smoothies, or baked dessert goods, A bowl of Oatmeal is one of my favorite comfort foods. My Oat affection was changed for the better when I was introduced to the whole grain version, the Oat Groat. It has a mild nutty taste with a rice-like texture.
Not only is the Oat Groat tasty but it’s full of fiber and keeps you fuller longer. Most importantly the healthful benefits far outweigh its taste. Oats can help lower reduce cholesterol, control blood pressure, promote gut health, an appetite suppressant and reduces inflammation.

When it comes to eating healthfully, there are always good, better and best choices. The whole, unprocessed grain is higher in fiber which results in slower digestion and absorbed by the body at a slower rate, which helps stabilize blood sugar making the Oat Groat the best choice over the steel-cut, rolled, or flour versions of the grain.

The Oat Groat is versatile and is perfect as hot cereal, as a side, in stew/soup, or mixed in a salad. So the next time you have a taste for some oats, choose it’s most healthiest and most tastiest form – the Oat Groat.
Watch “How To” Video

"Instant Pot" Oat Groats
Ingredients
- 1 cup Oat Groats
- 1 1/2 cups Water
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the Oat Groats. Transfer to an Instant Pot. Add water. Engage the lid and seal the pressure valve. Cook on "Manual" mode for 40 minutes with a 30-minute "Natural Release. RINSE NOTE: Be sure to drain all excess water. After rinsing the groats, I like to place a couple of paper towels under the strainer to remove the excess water.
- Remove the lid. Fluff the Oat Groats and serve as desired. Enjoy!
Notes

Looks great! Can this recipe be doubled or more for batch cooking?
Hello Caroline! Yes, most definitely. I double the ingredients all the time to batch prep. I use 2 cups of Oat Groats and 3 cups of water. Same cooking time and natural release time. It will yield about 6 cups of cooked grain. Enjoy!
I usually use 2 cups of water to 1 cup of oat groats. It’s a little mushy but I usually have it for breakfast with my berries. Next time I’ll try your recipe and eat it for lunch. Thanks!
Hello Patty! That’s the beauty of Oat Groats – they are so versatile. Enjoy!
I’ve been eating oat groats for some time. I have always fixed them in the crockpot with a mixture of water and almond milk plus spices. Can I do the same in the instant pot?
Hello Janie! Sure I don’t see why you couldn’t use the Instant Pot for your recipe. The cooking time will probably vary from your crockpot. Try using my instant pot cooking time for with your recipe in the Instant Pot and see how they come out! Sounds yummy! Enjoy!
Trying oat groats for the first time and this was so easy! I’m always looking to explore more of a variety of whole grains and the oat groats seem very versatile! Thanks !
The only concern I would have would be that the almond milk might burn. I’d do a small test by pressure cooking the same mixture of water and almond milk, at least one cup for a 6 qt. and 1.5-2 cups for an 8 qt. and see if it burns. Depending on the almond milk formulation you use and the proportion, it may or may not. The fat and sugar components may influence your result.
I cook mine with (1 cup) oat milk and (1/2 cup) water. No problems at all 🙂
Hello Kathleen! My pleasure! Enjoy!
Do you have a recipe using these to make a baked rice pudding? Comfort food for me! 💖
Hey Sharon Collins! Mmmmm, now that sounds yummy! No, I do not! But that sounds like a great recipe to come up with!
Thank you! I have been slow to really learn how to use my Instant Pot and this was perfect timing. I want to up my game on more grains and beans . Just put my oat groats on and can’t wait to try them.
Hello Barbara! So excited that you are starting to use your Instant Pot! I can’t imagine my Plant-Powered life without my Instant Pot! Enjoy your Oat Groats!
Hi there! Thanks for this! Where do you normally buy your oat groats? I’m not able to find them when I look at the grocery store.
Hello Liz. Oat Groats can be purchased from Amazon. I have actually also seen them sold in my local Asian markets. I personally purchased mine from a local health food store in bulk a few years ago.
How soft are these? Is it as soft as rice ?
Hello Sherrie. Yes, Oat Groats are soft like rice when cooked to the right water to grain ratio.
Oat groats are firm, chewy, and a little nutty. If you’ve ever had the kind of brown rice that is minimally processed and firm and chewy, you can compare these. However, they are larger and perhaps even a little chewier. I buy gluten-free organic oat groats and cook them with lentils or split peas, making a hearty dish that is just moist enough and just dry enough to serve as is or with some olive oil drizzled on top or with homemade yogurt poured on top, topped by a drizzle of olive oil, some smoked paprika, and freshly grated black pepper, sometimes accompanies by slivers of home pickled hot peppers. They are also good with milk and honey, fruit, and ground or slivered nuts for breakfast or dessert.
My Instant Pot doesn’t have a “Normal” setting. There is a Porridge setting. Would that be the best one?
Thanks.
Theodora
Hello Theodora. I am uncertain if the “Porridge” mode would work as I am not quite sure if that is a lower temperature setting. Check to see if your Instant Pot has a button that says “Pressure Cook” or “Manual”. If so either of these two will work.
My 8 qt. Ultra has a porridge setting that sets the IP to “high” pressure. So, any setting that uses “high” pressure should work, so long as she sets the time correctly.
I have a question about rinsing the groats. This recipe yields the best results over other recipes, in my option. But most recipes I see don’t say anything about rinsing before adding water.
So I’m wondering, if you preferred to not rinse, then would that increase the amount of water to add? How much?
Are there benefits to rinsing that are worth considering? If you do rinse, how do you accurately account for the amount of water that’s been added to the groats left over from straining?
Thanks for any insight!
Hello Troy. I personally prefer to rinse the oat groats to remove any loose debris from the packaging process. I do like to ensure that the excess water is drained thoroughly by patting the bottom of the oat groat filled strainer with a paper towel. This is purely a personal preference of mine.
Making these tonight! Thanks!!!
The pleasure is all ours! Enjoy!
I usually like to soak my steel cut oats o’nite with ACV + rye flour to reduce phytic acid before cooking in Instant Pot.
Wondering if did same with groats would it change amount of water needed?
Hello Sue! Honestly, I am unsure. Try your method of overnight preparation, maybe cut back on the water by 1/4 cup and see what happens. See how they come out. Have a great day because you simply can!
I followed your recipe and doubled it so 3 cups of water to 2 cups of groats. Well guess what ? You have no idea of what you are talking about. That is not nearly enough water and I destroyed my fairly new Mealthy multicoocker Now I get a ERR6 code witch means the low pressure sensor is destroyed because the unit got too low on water and overheated. It got too low on water because some idiot told me the wrong ratio of grain to water. So basically some idiot cost me $100 for a new multicooker
Hello Joan. First of all, my name is NOT “idiot”. My name is Faith. My recipe was specifically for the “Instant Pot”, hence the name “Instant Pot” Oat Groats. I am sorry to hear that your “Mealthy Multi-cooker” has been damaged. Different appliances have cooking variations, and I would recommend that you reference the manual for your specific appliance and adjust accordingly. Have a super fantastic day because you simply can!
I have a recipe that calls for 2 cups of cooked oat groats. Is 4 servings = 2 cups?
Hello Andrew. Yes, I would consider 2cups of cooked oat groats to be 4 servings (1/2 cup each).
Hello Steve! That is great to hear that your Oat Groats come out to your satisfaction in less cooking time. I always say that there is more than one way to peel an onion (lol). There is no right or wrong, just preference. Have a super fantastic Plant-Powered day!
Hello Donald! Sorry for the oversight. I use the High-Pressure setting. Thanks for stopping by our website. Hope you enjoy your Oat Groats! Have a super fantastic Plant-Powered Day!