Want to start your day off with a healthy meal that won’t leave you hungry again before lunch? Well, try our overnight oat groats. Overnight you say? But it’s breakfast, right? That’s the beauty of this recipe. You start it before you go to bed, and in the morning you just heat, eat, and go. Try it with fresh berries, yogurt, honey, or whatever your taste buds tell you sounds good.
Overnight Oat Groats
Author: Gluten-Free Prairie
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Want to start your day off with a healthy meal that won't leave you hungry again before lunch? Well, try our overnight oat groats!
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cups Gluten-Free Prairie Oat Groats
- 1 peeled apple (like gala)
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter (optional)
- 1 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- The night before, bring water to a boil on the stovetop in a medium saucepan.
- Add oat groats, cover, and return to a boil for 1-2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, cover with lid, and go to sleep.
- In the morning, heat the overnight oat groats over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until heated through and no water remains.
- Add your peeled apple and cook over low heat until apple softens.
- Add butter (if using), brown sugar, and cinnamon to the groats and stir to combine.
- Microwave Method:
- In the morning, transfer the overnight oat groats to a microwave safe bowl.
- Add your peeled apple, stir, and microwave on high for 3 minutes.
- Add butter (if using), brown sugar, and cinnamon to the groats and stir to combine.
I don’t have a microwave. How long should I cook it on the stove?
Thank you
Hi Susan,
Sorry for the delay. Do you have a rice cooker? That works great. Otherwise – bring to a boil on the stove, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 min. For overnight, simply bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover overnight.
Thanks for the inquiry.
Deb
This is differen instruction than above. When you mean using the rice cooker, should we use it as we would with rice? Leaving it the entire time?
Hi,
Yes we cook the Groats in the rice cooker just like rice. They are so low in starch that leaving them in the rice cooker is fine. They shouldn’t get gooey or sticky like rice. Hope that helps.
Deb
I love, Love, LOVE the chewy, nutty taste of groats. Try with 3-4 green cardamom pods, vanilla, ceylon cinnamon, half dozen all spice berries, a star anise.
Another seasoning combination is ginger, cinnamon & a pinch of cayenne pepper is good when your throat is sore.
Hi Carol,
That sounds absolutely delicious. Also, I have discovered that I can POP the Groats. I’ll be posting a video soon.
Thanks for sharing.
Deb
This looks so yummy..Awesome recipe !! Thank you! Very easy to follow instructions!
Overnight Oat Groats , my new favorite! Used your recipe (except did all the cooking in the microwave) & it was delicious! Now am “playing around” changing spices, fruit and liquids. FABULOUS!
Can you just soak Oat groats overnight and eat it the next morning? Or do you have to cook it first?
Hi,
The best way to do that is just to bring them to a boil first, then cover them overnight. They will be soft, a bit crunchy and delicious in the morning. Check out our recipe for “Crazy Breakfast”. It’s our favorite. Thanks,
Deb
Is it possible to make a granola from oat groats by boiling them first and then bake in over after stirring in maple syrup, honey, nuts and seeds etc? Will it be crunchy enough if baked at about 140-150°C for about 30 minutes?
Hi Purvi,
Absolutely. I could them in a rice cooker too. So simple. Then simply add your syrup etc. I think that would work better than baking – as they need a little moisture to soften.
Thanks for your inquiry.
Deb
What is the difference between oat Groats and steel cut oats?
The oat groat is the whole seed of the oat plant. Steel cut oats are oat groats that have been cut. Our unique variety of oat groat is very small and looks and cooks just like rice. It is also raw and sproutable too.
Hope that helps.
Thanks,
Deb
We have been eating overnight oats every morning for 3 years.
We buy our oats in 50 pound bags delivered to the door by Amazon and drag the bag to the pantry.
We use a rice cooker and cook for one hour and just keep them in the pot.
Next morning they are cooked and cooled down. We break up the cooked groats .
We add cut up apples or bananas or whatever and add lime juice from one lime.
Now the good parts.
I am a male over 70.
I lost 40 pounds, groats fill you up .
Hi Tom,
Sounds delicious. Thanks for sharing. And this is how we prepare our groats too. But I’ve never added lime. I’ll try that. Do you buy our Groats?
Deb
I like to soak the Oats overnight. The next morning I blend them in a vitamin with water. Can be eaten raw with cinnamon dates and coconut milk.
Sounds delicious!
I tried the Rice cooker on overnight. The Groats were fine buy the Rice Cooker was a mess! I will cook them for an hour from now on!
Hi Ruth,
How much water did you use? I have never had a boil over with the groats. Please let me know. I use 2 cups water to 1 cup groats and they’re perfect every time.
Also, have you checked out the groat recipes on our website? There are some yummy choices for sure.
I normally use milk to make porridge from quick (rolled) oats. Is it possible to use milk with groats too?
Best,
Mattho
Hi Mattho,
You am sure you can use milk instead of water. However, I would not boil the milk – as we do with water in the Overnight Oat Groats recipe. A slow simmer would be better – as you don’t want to milk to burn. Then turn it off for overnight. Another idea might be to cook the groats in water following the recipe. The next morning the liquid will be completely absorbed and you can add your milk then.
I hope you’ll let me know what you decide and how it turns out.
Thanks,
Deb
Founder Gluten-Free Prairie
I have just had My typical bowl of groats: boiled water ( using your 2-1 ratio) added groats boiled until all absorbed, 15 minutes; added same amount of milk, high simmered for 15 minutes; all absorbed. Added honey and yoghurt. Will be full for 8 hours.
Yum! And Yes, I agree – full for 8 hours! I usually add yogurt, I’ll have to try a little milk and honey.
Thanks for sharing.
Have you tried any of my savory recipes using the Groats? Check out some of the Groat-Sottos on the recipe page. So many ways to use this amazing little seed.
Deb
Fantastic – thank you Deb! I’d bought some oat groats as I know they’re so good for you, but was unsure about how to cook them; I’d tried a slow cooker recipe, but they overcooked and stuck to the basin! Anyway, I’ve just used your recipe for the first time, adding apple and honey. Delicious, and I loved the texture! I’ll be sure to check out some of your savoury recipes too. Many thanks again!
Hi Jen,
Great to hear. I hope you will try some of the savory recipes on the site. But honestly, the groats perform well in any recipe calling for wild or brown rice.
Thanks for sharing,
Deb
Can the groats be made in an instant pot? I make my steel cut oats in it and wonder if I can make the groats same way. Thank you.
Laura
Hi Laura,
I have not tried the Groats in my instant pot yet. I’ll add it to my list. I use my rice cooker and they turn out perfectly. And if you try them in yours Instant Pot I hope you’ll share your results.
Thanks,
Deb
I’m not seeing any reference to putting them in the refrigerator over night. Do you simply leave them out over night?
Hi Cheryl,
The cooked Groats are very shelf stable – as I don’t use any oil or butter in cooking them. However, if you have some leftover I would refrigerate them as, like any wet grain, they can get sour after a few days.
Hope that helps.
Deb
p.s. Have you tried the Tropical Groat Salad? Recipe is on the site. Truly delicious.
I always use my Instant pot to cook groats. You can cook it as porridge (4 to 1 for 25+ minutes)… but I prefer a drier, firmer result, similar to rice, as a base for all kinds of dishes. The following gives me the best result. Because it takes a while, I prefer to do this before I go to bed so it’s ready in the morning and I can free up the IP for all it’s other daily uses! Before bed put 3 cups of water and 2 cups of groats into the IP. Seal the lid, set cook time for 6 minutes, and set the timer for 6 hours. The overnight soaking and short cook time soften the grain, but letting it sit on keep warm for around 2 hours afterwards finishes cooking it without turning the grains to mush. Effortless hot breakfast, and a wonderful cooked grain for other uses. The result is similar to brown rice, but nuttier and even more delicious! To be honest, I usually double it because I use it in so many ways! Besides the obvious uses it’s awesome in veggie burgers, grain bowls, and my favorite way to make a huge salad a filling meal.. mix in a cup or so of cooked groats! I prep a huge bowl of greens twice a week, (I always include shredded purple cabbage, the best nutrient bargain!) so a healthy lunch is so quick and easy and I’m not tempted to chow some processed junk. Just grab a big bowl, add the greens and whatever else you like… tomatoes, onion, cukes, olives, chickpeas, grated carrot, peppers, etc., add some groats and a healthy dressing, and it’s an awesome, satisfying, and super healthy meal that’s quick and nearly effortless.
This recipe sounds delicious. So healthy! Have you tried my “Tropical Groat Salad”? Here’s the link: https://www.glutenfreeprairie.com/recipe-tropical-salad-with-oat-groats/
It’s very popular here.
Thanks,
Deb
Really Great Post. I hope you will try to some different savory recipes on the site. But honestly, the groats perform well in any recipe calling for wild or brown rice.
Thanks for sharing,
Thanks for this recipe. I think I did something wrong. I rinsed the groats before adding water and bringing them to a boil last night. I guess this added too much water to them? I now need to let the water evaporate as I cook them with the lid off. Should they be rinsed or not?
Hi Mary,
If you’re cooking them on the stove top – bring the water to a rolling boil before adding the Groats. And atually, I never rinse the Groats. I find I get the best results cooking them in a rice cooker – 2 to 1 just like rice.
Hope that helps.
Thanks,
Deb
Its Really Informative post thanks for sharing
Oh my goodness! I love this recipe and decided to explore the rest of the site, when I discovered you’re in my neck of the woods! Love to see thriving Montana businesses!
Thanks Kristi,
We truly appreciate your support! If you’re in the neighborhood, just let me know. We’d love to meet you.
Deb
I purchased a 1 lb bag of your oat groats from Amazon, Deb. I wanted to make just one serving, so I measured, rinsed and drained 40 grams (1/2 cup) oat groats and added them and some salt to 1.5 cups boiling water. I covered the saucepan and simmered for 35 minutes. I removed the lid and cooked on medium low heat an additional 25 minutes, as I wanted a softer texture. I added the cooked groats to some dairy free coconut yogurt, along with some collagen and a small amount of flax seed meal. Delicious, filling breakfast. I will definitely buy another bag of these groats. This was my first experience eating oat groats. Thank you!
Hi Shirley,
Great to hear! Your recipe sounds delicious.
Thanks for sharing.
Deb
Deb, you’ve been helping folks on oat groats on this page for eight years! … I’m a newbie who’s been doing a lot of online research. One conclusion I’ve come to is that I want to both cook, at least partially, the groats the day before and then, after they cool enough, put them in the refrigerator overnight. Refrigeration after cooking helps to make more resistant starch, which is a good thing. On the other hand, your headline overnight recipe looks terrifically convenient. But to add refrigeration after cool-down I’m guessing the return to a boil for 1-2 minutes would have to be extended. I’d love to know what you think!
Thanks — Steve
Hi Steve,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the Groats. I agree, refrigeration does help to make more resistant starch. Personally, I cook my groats in a rice cooker on auto – no salt or oil. I do refrigerate after they cool. I use them in any dish that calls for brown or wild rice. For breakfast, I simply reheat a portion and add fruit.
Thanks, Deb