Oats, Steel-Cut and Whole

Where to buy them, how to use them, and more!

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Steel-cut oats – also called Irish oats, Scottish oats, or pinhead oats – are whole oats (also called oat groats) that have been cut into pieces a little smaller than a grain of rice. (In contrast, rolled oats are whole oats that have been rolled flat.) Steel-cut oats tend to have a richer flavor than rolled oats.

Steel-cut oats take longer to cook than rolled oats and have a more chewy texture.

Where to buy good oat groats and steel-cut oats.

Our favorite source for steel-cut oat groats and whole oat groats is Azure Standard. Their grains are always so fresh.

I also like these steel-cut oats from Bob’s Red Mill and these gluten-free steel-cut oats, but oats from Azure Standard are much less expensive.

Are oat groats and steel-cut oats a healthy food?

Oat groats are an extremely healthful grain and have been shown to help with weight loss, lowering blood sugar, and reducing risk of heart disease.

Different varieties of oat groats

Oat groats can be purchased in two different forms: whole oat groats and steel-cut oats.

(And, of course, you can also purchase oats in the rolled form.)

How do you use oat groats?

Oat groats are best used to make hot cereal.

I like to use oat groats when I cook cereal grains in a crock pot. Oat groats hold up to the long cooking times much better than rolled oats. And the result is a delicious, hearty breakfast with a slightly chewy texture and nutty flavor.

(When cooking oatmeal overnight in a slow cooker, be sure to use steel-cut oats instead of regular rolled oats or quick oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats cook down too much in a slow cooker and end up quite mushy.)

Oat groats do NOT work well to make recipes like granola and waffles, or baked goods.