You can make apple cinnamon steel cut oats in the Instant Pot in just 30 minutes! Instant pot oatmeal is great for breakfast and meal prep and is super easy to customize.
If you’re like me and love cozy but simple breakfasts in the cooler months, then you are going to love making Instant Pot steel cut oats!
In the quick 30-minute cook time the apples break down, making the oatmeal sweet and full of fresh apple flavor. Cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon add warmth and make this meal perfect for fall!
Looking for a summer version of this recipe? Check out my Instant Pot Lemon Blueberry Steel Cut Oats!
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Recipe highlights
- Dietary features: dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free optional, nut-free
- Lightly sweetened and filled with apple cinnamon flavor
- Ready in just 30 minutes
- Makes 4-5 servings and can easily be doubled
Ingredients and substitutions
- Steel cut oats, not to be confused with rolled oats or instant oats.
- Apples: I like to use sweet apples like Gala or Honeycrisp but any kind works. I leave the peel on but you can remove it if you prefer. The peel will soften and be unnoticeable after pressure cooking.
- Milk and water: Because cow’s milk can scald/burn in the Instant Pot, I use non-dairy milk which make this recipe totally dairy free! Unsweetened, unflavored soy milk is my go-to but oat milk, almond milk, etc. are all great options.
- Cinnamon sticks add an extra punch of cinnamon-y goodness to the steel cut oats. Feel free to omit cinnamon sticks if you don’t have any on hand.
- Sweetener: Light brown sugar is my go-to sweetener but any kind works here. Maple syrup, white sugar, honey, agave syrup, etc.
How to cook steel cut oats
All of my Instant Pot recipes are made in a 6 qt DUO60 Instant Pot. Check out more of my Instant Pot recipes.
Pro tip: This apple slicer makes preparing diced apples so much easier and can cut down on prep time.
Combine all ingredients (diced apples, cinnamon, steel-cut oats, liquid) in the Instant Pot. You can use water or non-dairy milk, such as soy or almond milk. Careful, dairy milk may scald in the Instant Pot!
Press the "manual" button and set to high pressure for 4 minutes.
Allow the pressure to release naturally, which takes about 10-12 minutes.
Carefully remove the lid and give the apple cinnamon oatmeal a stir.
Top with additional apple, cinnamon, and pecans or walnuts. Add a pinch of salt or extra dash of brown sugar for added sweetness.
FAQ
Yes, using 100% water works well. Milk is used because it adds an extra creamy texture and adds extra nutrition like protein and vitamins.
No, cow’s milk and/or cream do not work here because dairy milk is at risk of scalding when cooked at high pressure in the Instant Pot.
Cassidy's tips
- Toppings: Fresh apple, toasted pecans or walnuts, and a dollop of nut butter (almond butter is a great option here) are all good ways to make steel cut oats more filling and nutritious.
- If your oats aren’t cooked all the way through, simply cook them for 1 more minute. Let the pressure release manually. You can add an extra splash of milk or water if the oats seem dry.
- Adjust sweetness to taste. The apple adds a lot of natural sweetness, so I recommend adding sweetener to taste.
- Flavor varieties: You can make basic steel cut oats instead of apple cinnamon flavor by omitting the apple and cinnamon. Feel free to add frozen berries, etc. to make this recipe your own.
Troubleshooting
How to prevent the burn error
Personally, I’ve never had the burn error when making steel cut oats in the Instant Pot. But I know that some readers do get it so these are my main tips for preventing and fixing the dreaded burn error (you can hopefully carry these tips across other Instant Pot recipes).
These are the two main ways to prevent the burn error:
- The Instant Pot container should be 100% clean. The most common cause of the burn error is bits of food getting stuck on the bottom of the pot, though this is more common if you are sautéing in the pot.
- Don’t stir the ingredients. Just add them in the listed order then put the lid on – don’t stir!
What to do if you get the burn error:
- Carefully do a quick pressure release. Carefully remove the lid and check for any stuck-on bits on the bottom of the pot. Remove them and return to cooking.
- Add an extra ½ cup of liquid, then return to cooking.
Replace the lid and resume cooking where the timer left off.
Storage notes
For best quality, keep leftover steel cut oats refrigerated for 3-4 days in a closed container. You may need to add an extra splash of milk to loosen the oats when reheating.
I usually reheat them in the microwave in 1-2 minutes, but you can also reheat them over medium/medium-low on the stove top.
Looking for more breakfast recipes?
If you like this recipe you'll want to try apple cinnamon overnight oats. Here are a few more of my favorite fall breakfast ideas:
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups water or non-dairy milk see note #1
- 2 cups steel cut oats see note #2
- 2 medium apples diced; see note #3
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar adjust to taste
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Add the water or non-dairy milk to the Instant Pot. Sprinkle in the steel cut oats, diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks. Don't stir together. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock into place. Set the steam release valve to "sealing".
- Press the manual button and set to high pressure for 4 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach pressure.
- Once the 4 minutes are up, allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. This will take another 10-12 minutes. The oats are ready when the float valve drops down. Carefully remove the lid and stir the oatmeal.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks before serving. Top with additional cinnamon, diced apple, and sugar. Add a splash of milk for a thinner oatmeal.
Video
Notes
- Milk: I do not recommend using dairy milk in this recipe, as it may scald in the Instant Pot. If you don't have non-dairy milk (soy milk, almond, oat) you can use water.
- Steel cut oats: This recipe does not work with rolled/old fashioned oats or instant oatmeal.
- Apples: I usually use a Gala or Honeycrisp apple. This apple slicer makes preparing diced apples so much easier.
- Leftovers: For best quality, keep leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days. You may need to add an extra splash of milk to loosen the oats up prior to reheating.
- Meal prep: Store in individual meal prep containers in the fridge for an easy grab and go breakfast.
Nutrition
Author's note: This recipe was originally shared September 2018. It was updated September 2021 with new photos, a video and more tips. The recipe remains the same.
Laura says
This has become my go to recipe to make on a Sunday and eat throughout the week. I use oat milk and 2 tablespoons brown sugar and it's perfect for me! Remember to add the ingredients in order and not to stir so you avoid to "burn" message.
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks for the review! 🙂
Mike James says
Totally bland and pointless. 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)? Ok, so being healthy and low-sugar is important, but this needs at least a 1/4 cup of sugar.
Also NO SALT? I've been cooking oatmeal for decades. ALL oatmeal needs salt to enhance the taste. This recipe needs at least a half teaspoon of salt.
Cassidy Reeser says
Hi Mike! I like sharing recipes that people can make their own, and it sounds like you did that with the salt and sugar. I also like adding brown sugar to my oatmeal, but I wanted the subtle sweetness from the apples to be the highlight here.
Amelia says
I cook my oats using this method all the time! Especially when I need to get my children (and self) back on track nutritionally. I omit the apples because my kids have a cooked apple food aversion. I reheat it in the microwave after adding some almond milk and it’s perfect! I add berries and sometimes chopped apples to it after cooked.
Cassidy Reeser says
Thanks so much for the review!
Ingrid says
Was very good... I added shredded coconut to my pot.. yum.
Cassidy Reeser says
Yum! Thanks for the review!
Antoinette says
So good and easy! I added chia seeds and pumpkins spice at the end. I also mixed 2 cups water & 2 1/2 of almond milk. It was a hit! My go to oatmeal recipe now! Thank you Cassidy!
Cassidy Reeser says
Thank you for the review! 🙂
Cindy Minich says
Perfect oatmeal and so quick. I prefer steel cut oats and this made them perfectly. Thank you,
Cassidy Reeser says
Thank you!
David Lyons says
Can you cook pearl barley with the steel cut oats? Standard recipes call for a cooking time of 35-40 minutes?
Cassidy Reeser says
The liquid ratio will be the same but I think pearl barley will take longer, maybe 15-20 minutes (I just checked a few different recipes on google)? I am not sure how cooking the steel cut oats for that long would affect them, but as far as liquid ratios go you should be fine.
Jenna says
This was delicious and cooked perfectly! Easy to reheat for breakfast all week. I didn’t have cinnamon sticks, so I just added ground cinnamon to taste.
Do you have any suggestions for making this with oat groats? I imagine it would greatly increase cooking time.
Cassidy Reeser says
Hi Jenna, thanks for the review! I've honestly never cooked with oat groats but you're right that they would take more time. I just checked and see recipes anywhere from 15 minutes to 40 minutes... cook on the lower end if you soak overnight. I think it might just take some experimenting!
Marisa says
Delicious and easy! The perfect combo 🙂
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
Thanks Marisa! Glad you liked it 🙂
Mary says
This was yum. It was a perfect addition to my food plan. I varied it by adding 1/4 tsp cloves. Thank you so much.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
Yum, I bet the cloves were a great addition! Thanks for making it!
Julie says
I made this for breakfast today and it is so easy and delicious! I did not have any Dairy free milk so I just used all water. I substituted a little maple syrup for the brown sugar and skipped the cinnamon stick. I will make this again as it is so easy and delicious!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
Yum, I am sure that the maple syrup was a delicious addition! Thanks for the review 🙂
Ruth says
I’m new to instant pot. Tried this first and we go through it quickly. Wonderful breakfast. Holds me fine till lunchtime!
I add some chopped date, walnuts, berries if I have them and maybe slices of banana. Yum! Love it!
Jasmin says
My insta pot has shown the burn message. This has happened twice now.
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
Hi Jasmin, I'm sorry to hear you got the dreaded burn message! Did you use soy milk or water? I think the best bet is to add the liquid then the remaining ingredients. Don't stir them together (the recipe is updated to recommend this). This article is a great resource: https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/instant-pot-burn-message/?fbclid=IwAR3782NPmrO4JZKwLBHqIGPt9ZsCN3224oB3c7m3Mdi6MBRi_n2MTqaQfuw#burnmessage1
Lynette says
This was the first recipe in my new instant pot. Followed the instructions exactly and got burn warning. Then I added 2 cups of extra water and got burn warning again after following instructions for burn warning. Had to tip uncooked porridge into a normal pot to cook on stove while instant pot is soaking in the sink with burnt porridge on the base that will take a lot of effort to clean up
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
I'm sorry to hear that. What model of Instant Pot did you use? Did you make any recipe changes? I'd like to help you figure out what happened if possible!
Emily says
I also got the burn warning multiple times trying this recipe. Followed it exactly. Wouldn’t recommend.
Laura says
I use pot in pot method to avoid the burn. I have a stainless steel bowl that I pot the ingredients in. Pot that on the trivet with water in the bottom of the instant pot. No burn!
Melissa says
Hi there. Just wondering where I can find the nutritional facts for this? It mentions them but I don’t see them on the page? And how much is one serving?? Says it serves 4 but doesn’t say what 1 serving is.
Thanks!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
Hi Melissa, the nutrition facts only contain the calories at this time which is 371 calories per serving. One serving should be about 1.5 cups of oats but may be a little more or less just depending on how big your apples are. Hope that helps!
Michelle says
Hi One more question, if I don’t have cinnamon sticks, should I put more ground cinnamon? Thanks!!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
You can add an extra teaspoon of ground cinnamon before cooking or just add extra cinnamon to taste after cooking (this way you can adjust how cinnamon-y you want it).
Michelle says
Can I double this recipe with the same cooking time?
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
Yes, you can just double the ingredients and keep cook time the same. Enjoy!
Vanessa says
How do you reheat this typically?
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
I usually splash the oats with a bit of milk to loosen them up and heat in the microwave for about a minute. You can also reheat in a small pot on the stove over medium-low heat.
Val says
Excellent! I was looking for an instant pot recipe to replace my stovetop apple cinnamon steel cut oats! Tastes great. I used water and no brown sugar. I added a dollop of greek yogurt, a teaspoon of maple syrup, and a tablespoon of chopped walnuts to my portion. I also liked that I have extra to feed my grandsons when they come or more breakfasts ready for myself!
Cassidy Reeser, RDN, LD says
Thanks for the comment! Your additions sound delicious, especially the dollop of Greek yogurt.