An Irish-Inspired Cozy Brunch Recipe
Steel-Cut Oats with Whiskey Butter is an Irish-inspired brunch dish perfect for cozy weekends when your hot cereal would benefit from just a wee tipple of whiskey warmth. Steel-cut Irish oats are toasted in orange-zest speckled whiskey compound butter until golden and fragrant, then cooked down in water and milk spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg until creamy and soft (with just a little bite). I love to dress my bowls of steel-cut oats with brown sugar, a sprinkle of cracked hazelnuts, and an additional pat of whiskey compound butter.
How to make whiskey butter
Whiskey butter, or whiskey compound butter, is super simple to make -- Check out my guide to making compound butter and some of my favorite compound butter recipes here. However, you'll want to prepare it in advance for this recipe so that it has time to firm in the fridge. I usually make compound butter the day before I plan to use it, but 30-minutes of chill time should be sufficient if you are using it the same day.
Whisky compound butter Ingredients:
- 1 stick of softened unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or coconut sugar works too)
- 2 teaspoon Irish whiskey - I used Knappogue Castle for this but choose whichever you prefer (this recipe is also lovely with Bourbon or Scotch whisky if you prefer)
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
Instructions:
- Allow butter to come to room temperature. It should be soft enough that you can easily put a deep dent in it when you push down on it with your fingertip, but not melted.
- In a prep bowl or mixing bowl, whip butter with a fork until smooth and fluffy.
- For compound butter that uses spirits, I find that it combines much more smoothly if you first combine the spirit with the brown sugar before adding to the butter. I like to combine the brown sugar, whiskey, orange zest, and salt on their own and then add them to the butter. Stir to combine until well dispersed.
- Using a spatula, transfer butter to a square of parchment paper. Shape and roll into a log with a spatula then fold the parchment paper over the top of the log and roll into a tube. Fold the ends of the parchment paper over to close then secure with kitchen twine, a rubber band, or tape. Alternatively, you may spoon the butter mixture into silicone molds for individual shapes. Refrigerate until firm.
What kind of whiskey should I use for whiskey butter?
On a previous trip to Ireland, we went to the Irish Whiskey Museum and did an extensive tasting of Irish Whiskies. The one distillery that came out ahead of the others for us in our tasting was Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, so that's what I used in this recipe. Their 12-year, 14-year, or 16-year would all make great options for this whiskey compound butter, and as you only use 2 teaspoon in the entire batch of butter you don't have to worry about using a bunch of your lovely drinking whiskey to make this. If you prefer a different Irish whiskey, or, if you prefer a Bourbon or Scotch whisky to Irish whiskey, feel free to use one of those options instead as they are both very tasty.
Toast your oats for a major flavor boost
Toasting steel-cut oats (or pinhead oats) before cooking them in water and milk is a gamechanger. While you can dry toast your oats if you prefer, I like to toast them in a bit of the compound butter for exceptionally fragrant and flavorful toasted steel-cut oats.
How to toast steel-cut oats
Simply melt the butter in a pot over medium heat, then add the oats and toast, stirring frequently until lightly golden and fragrant -- They'll almost smell like popcorn! You'll want to keep a close eye on them as they can turn from golden and nutty to burnt quickly.
What toppings are best for steel-cut oats?
I like to keep things super simple for this Steel-Cut Oats with Whiskey Butter recipe as they're so flavorful on their own with the orange-speckled whiskey compound butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg. When topping the bowls, I like to add a sprinkle of brown sugar, chopped nuts (hazelnuts are one of my favorites), and an additional pat of the whiskey butter. If you prefer to dress your bowls further, fresh berries or cooked apples would be a really nice addition too. You can check out my recipe for brown butter spiced apples in this post.
What tools do I need to make this recipe?
- A kitchen scale - OR - Measuring cups (for less precise measurements)
- Measuring spoons
- A small prep or bowl
- A medium prep or mixing bowl
- A fork
- A spatula
- A piece of parchment paper + ties, rubber band, or tape to secure
- A citrus zester
- A large pot
- A wooden spoon
- A butter knife
- Optional: A chef's knife and a cutting board -- OR -- a nut chopper, if your nuts are not pre-chopped
Are you looking to upgrade to your cooking tools or replenish your pantry? Check out my kitchen tools shop page and pantry staples shop page to find my must-have kitchen tools, pantry items, and other Whip & Wander favorites.
Looking for more brunch inspiration?
Love this Steel Cut Oats with Whisky Butter recipe? Here are some more brunch recipes that you might enjoy + a couple of whisky-infused dinner recipes you might enjoy too:
- Corned Beef Hash
- Hogwarts Scottish Porridge
- Oatmeal with Roasted Pears, Walnuts, and Toasted Cream
- French Hot Chocolate Oatmeal
- Honey Lavender Blueberry Granola
- Salmon with Whisky Cream Sauce and Cheddar Mashed Cauliflower
- Haggis Pizza with Potatoes and Whisky Cream Sauce
Steel-Cut Oats with Whiskey Butter
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Chill Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast & Brunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Irish
Description
Steel-Cut Oats with Whiskey Butter is an Irish-inspired brunch dish perfect for cozy weekends when your hot cereal would benefit from just a wee tipple of whiskey warmth. Steel-cut Irish oats are toasted in orange-zest speckled whiskey compound butter until golden and fragrant, then cooked down in water and milk spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg until creamy and soft (with just a little bite). I love to dress my bowls of steel-cut oats with brown sugar, a sprinkle of cracked hazelnuts, and an additional pat of whiskey compound butter.
Ingredients
For the whiskey compound butter:
- 4 oz / 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp Irish Whiskey
- ¼ tsp orange zest
- ¼ tsp Kosher salt
For the steel-cut oats:
- 1 tbsp whiskey compound butter, plus more to top as desired
- 160 g (1 cup) steel-cut Irish oats (pinhead oats)
- 24 oz (3 cups) water
- 8 oz (1 cup) whole milk
- a big pinch of Kosher salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- Optional toppings: additional whiskey compound butter, brown sugar, and chopped hazelnuts (or other nuts as preferred)
Instructions
For the whiskey compound butter:
- Allow butter to come to room temperature. It should be soft enough that you can easily put a deep dent in it when you push down on it with your fingertip, but not melted.
- In a medium bowl, whip butter with a fork until smooth and fluffy.
- In a smaller bowl, combine the brown sugar, whiskey, orange zest, and salt until well-blended. Add mixture to the butter and stir until well-combined.
- Using a spatula, transfer butter to a square of parchment paper. Shape and roll into a log with a spatula then fold the parchment paper over the top of the log and roll into a tube. Fold the ends of the parchment paper over to close then secure with kitchen twine, a rubber band, or tape. Alternatively, you may spoon the butter mixture into silicone molds for individual shapes. Refrigerate until firm.
For the steel-cut oats:
- In a pot over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon compound butter. Add the oats and toast, stirring frequently until lightly golden and fragrant -- They'll almost smell like popcorn. You'll want to keep a close eye on them as they can turn from golden and nutty to burnt quickly.
- Once the oats are nicely toasted, add the water, milk, and a big pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently. Once it reaches a simmer, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and add the cinnamon and nutmeg. Continue to stir frequently until the mixture has thickened and oats are tender, about 20 minutes. I prefer my oats to have a tiny bit of a bite to them, but if you prefer your oats to be more tender you can add an additional 2 oz/ ¼ cup water or milk and continue to cook another 5-minutes or so until they reach your desired softness.
- Serve warm with desired toppings. I prefer a sprinkle of brown sugar, chopped hazelnuts, and an additional pat of the whiskey compound butter on top.
Notes
Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
You will have leftover whiskey compound butter remaining. Check out this post for some ideas on how to use it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ of recipe (without optional toppings)
- Calories: 407
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 113 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 66 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
Keywords: steel-cut oats, whiskey, butter, hazelnuts
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