Apple Steel Cut Oats

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Apple Steel Cut Oats is an easy breakfast idea combining steel cut oats with fresh apples, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and a combination of milk and water. This pressure cooker steel cut oats is the only thing you’ll need for a busy morning and makes great meal prep too!

Pair this with a Caramel Latte or the best Pumpkin Foam Cold Brew! Try our Peanut Butter Banana Steel Cut Oats next!

Closeup on a bowl of creamy steak cut oats with apples.

Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats

Using an electric pressure cooker is my favorite way to prepare whole grains, including steel cut oats. While I’m certain you could use this appliance for regular oats or even quick oats, I love the nutty flavor of the steel cut version and so that’s my go-to now.

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I love using my instant pot for some other basic recipes too, including my Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice, and a healthy Mexican Quinoa Salad with Avocado Crema.

Why This Recipe Works:

  • QUICK – You can have this recipe complete in just a half hour or so. The best part is that it’s mostly hands off.
  • HEARTY OATMEAL – The texture of steel cut oats adds heartiness and will fill you up.
  • GREAT FLAVOR – The brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness and the chunks of apples are truly one of our favorite toppings. Add extra apples for even more flavor!
Overhead view of a bowl of steel cut oats with cinnamon, next to an instant pot.

What You’ll Need:

  • Steel Cut Oats – Make sure you don’t buy the quick version.
  • Unsalted Butter – You’ll need a couple of tablespoons to sauté the oats.
  • Milk + Water – Use the combo you prefer. I often use 2% but you could use your milk of choice, including whole milk or unsweetened almond milk or others.
  • Brown Sugar – For some sweetness. If preferred, use some pure maple syrup instead.
  • Cinnamon & Kosher Salt – You’ll need a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
  • Apples – I normally use honeycrisp apples but occasionally go for Granny Smith for more tartness.
The ingredients for the steel cut oats.

How to make Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats:

Step 1
Chop the apples. Wash and chop up the apples in bite-sized pieces.

A bowl of apple chunks.

Step 2
Sauté the oats. Heat up your instant pot under the sauté function. Add butter and when melted, add the oats. Stir for a couple of minutes to get it nice and toasty.

Step 3
Add liquids. Add the liquids – the water and milk – and stir well.

Step 4
Add remaining ingredients. Then add the rest of the ingredients – brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the chopped apples – and stir again.

Step 5
Seal instant pot to pressure cook. Turn setting to high pressure and cook for four minutes, making sure the vent is closed. The instant pot will take about 8-10 minutes to heat up. It will beep when it’s ready. Then it will start the pressure cooking.

Step 6
Do natural release. After the four minutes of pressure cooking, let the instant pot do a natural pressure release for about 12-13 minutes.

Step 7
Remove lid. When able, remove the lid and stir the apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Step 8
Serve – Serve this delicious breakfast with a splash of milk and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.

Step 9
Store – This is a great recipe for meal prepping. Store pre-portioned amounts in airtight containers.

My husband eats this breakfast (or another version of it) every single day before work. I often change up the add-ins to include raisins, blueberries, or other fruits. You can also top it with nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, etc.

A bowl of steak cut oats with apples and cinnamon.

Recipe FAQs

Ate steel-cut oats healthier that regular oats?

Steel-cut oats are minimally processed and contain more fiber and density than their counterparts. They are a very healthy breakfast.

Should I soak steel-cut oats before cooking?

I don’t soak my steel-cut oats before cooking with them. However, soaking them speeds up the stovetop cooking time if you are using that method.

Are steel-cut oats better if cooked in water or milk?

Milk makes the oats creamier. However, I prefer using a combination of both milk AND water for balance.

Side view of a bowl of steak cut oats with apples.

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xoxo ~Sue

A bowl of steel cut oats with cinnamon.

Apple Steel Cut Oats

Apple Steel Cut Oats is an easy breakfast idea combining steel cut oats with fresh apples, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and a combination of milk and water. This pressure cooker steel cut oats is the only thing you'll need for a busy morning and makes great meal prep too!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 378kcal
Author: Sue Ringsdorf

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups steel cut oats
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 large apples – chopped
  • serve with extra milk and a sprinkle of brown sugar and cinnamon

Instructions

  • Chop the apples. Wash and chop up the apples in bite-sized pieces.
  • Sauté the oats. Heat up your instant pot under the sauté function. Add butter and when melted, add the oats. Stir for a couple of minutes to get nice and toasty.
  • Add liquids. Add the liquids – the water and milk – and stir well.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Then add the rest of the ingredients – the brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and the chopped apples – and stir again.
  • Seal instant pot to pressure cook. Turn setting to high pressure and cook for four minutes, making sure the vent is closed. The instant pot will take about 8-10 minutes to heat up. It will beep when it’s ready. Then it will start the pressure cooking.
  • Do natural release. After the four minutes of pressure cooking, let the instant pot do a natural pressure release for about 12-13 minutes.
  • Remove lid. When able, remove the lid and stir the apple cinnamon oatmeal.
  • Serve – Serve this delicious breakfast with a splash of milk and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon.
  • Store – This is a great recipe for meal prepping. Store pre-portioned amounts in airtight containers.

Notes

  • You can use a different ration of milk to water. Milk will make the oats creamier but using more water is ok too.
  • You can use maple syrup instead of brown sugar, if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 378kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 398IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Suebeehomemaker or tag #suebeehomemaker!

4 Comments

  1. I would love to make this recipe but I don’t have an Insta Pot or pressure cooker. Is there another way I could prepare it?

    1. Suebee Homemaker says:

      I haven’t tested it any other way, but I’m sure you could make it on the stove top. I’m just not 100% sure on the amount of liquids you would need. I’ll report back if I test that method.

  2. I love these so much that I eat them daily for breakfast. It’s a great meal prep breakfast for those days in which you do not have extra time.

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