Since uncooked oats show up in granola and folks even blend them into smoothies, it’s natural to ask, are oats safe to eat raw? Could doing so make you sick? The answer is that it raw oats are technically edible when raw. Some people may find them a bit harder to digest than cooked oats and different types of raw oats may pose a risk of food-poisoning. The safest type of oats to eat raw are rolled oats, the most common type found in most home pantries. Not only are rolled oats considered free of foodborne pathogens, they are somewhat easier to digest than oat groats or steel-cut oats when eaten raw.
Raw oats are often eaten in granola and muesli. They also find their way into no-bake cookie and brownie recipes. People even put raw oats into smoothies. The best type of oats to use for any of these are rolled oats, which are often called old fashioned oats or regular oats. These oats have been steamed and then rolled between heavy rollers to make the grains flat and easier to cook. The steaming kills foodborne pathogens that may be present on the oat grains and partially cooks them, making them easier to digest and easier to work with when raw.
Groats are the name for whole oat kernels. These are hulled but otherwise unprocessed. Steel-cut oats are oat groats cut into smaller pieces. Both of these types of oats are not steamed or cooked in any way. Although they are technically edible when raw, they may harbor harmful pathogens or other bacteria. You can read more about the difference between rolled oats, steel-cut oats, and groats here on CulinaryLore.
If you want to use raw oats but are worried about potential pathogens, you can heat the groats or steel-cut oats in the oven to sterilize them. Spread a layer of oats on a sheet pan and heat them in the oven at 225 F for (107 C) 45-60 minutes. This is sufficient to kill any bacteria without toasting the oats very much, if at all. If you do want to toast the oats, which will enhance their flavor, heat them in a 300- or 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.
Raw oats will contain some phytic acid (myo-inositol hexakisphosphate), an anti-nutrient compound found in legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains. Phytic acid binds to certain minerals like calcium, zinc, magnesium, thus making it difficult for the body to absorb these nutrients. There is no need to worry about the amount of phytic acid that may be present in raw oats when they are used for occasional baked goods or granola. But when you are want to consume a large amount of raw oats in smoothies, it may be a good idea to soak your oats in cold water or milk for several hours. This will activate enzymes in the oats that will break down the phytic acid. Soaking will also make the oats easier to incorporate and give a less grainy texture. Regular cooking in boiling liquid will eliminate much of the phytic acid, as well.
