Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal is made with a few simple ingredients from your pantry! This hearty oatmeal simmers on the stove to create a healthy breakfast meal.

bowl of apple cinnamon steel cut oatmeal

Steel cut oats are creamy, filling and versatile for breakfast. Add your favorite flavors and toppings to create a delicious meal any day of the year. Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal combines fresh apples, cinnamon and a few other simple ingredients. We love topping it off with a handful of crunchy pecans for additional texture and flavor.

apples and cinnamon for oatmeal

What are steel cut oats?

Steel cut oats, also known as Irish or Scottish oats, are processed differently than rolled oats. The steel cut oats are processed by chopping the whole grain groat into a few small pieces, thus creating a relatively unprocessed product. The oats look similar to small pieces of rice. They take longer to cook and have a thicker texture than rolled oats.

We love steel cut oats because they are creamy, comforting and filling. You can easily add your own ingredients to the oats to create a variety of delicious flavor combinations.

Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe

This recipe comes together easily in a medium saucepan.

  1. TOAST THE OATS. Heat one tablespoon of butter in the saucepan over medium heat. You can use a butter substitute to make this recipe completely vegan. Add steel cut oats and stir for two minutes to toast. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  2. ADD THE LIQUID. We use a combination of hot water and apple cider. You can omit the apple cider and use an additional 1/2 cup of water instead. Or use 1/2 cup of milk, if desired. Stir the mixture, bringing it to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low. Cook the oats for 20 minutes.
  3. ADD APPLES AND SWEETENER. After 20 minutes, remove the lid and add chopped apples and maple syrup. Continue cooking uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the oats thicken to your desired texture.

Substitutions

  • The apple cider really enhances the apple flavor. But you can use milk or water instead of apple cider.
  • You can make this as sweet as you want, by adding more maple syrup or brown sugar.
  • Top the oatmeal off with a handful of your favorite nuts. We use a handful of pecans because we love the extra crunch. You can also use sliced almonds or chopped walnuts.

Reheating apple steel cut oats

To reheat, place the oatmeal in a microwave safe bowl or a saucepan. Add a small amount of milk or water. Reheat slowly on the stovetop or microwave, stirring and adding more liquid as needed.

apple steel cut oatmeal in a bow with chopped apples on top

If you love apple cinnamon oatmeal and are looking for a recipe that requires no cooking, then try Easy Apple Overnight Oats. Or this Baked Apple Oatmeal is a great choice the weekends as it bakes in the oven and reheats well.

With the oatmeal, apples and nut topping, this oatmeal is very filling. You know that you have started the day off right, when you’ve had a big bowl of this hearty oatmeal.

Try it and let us know what you think!

bowl of apple cinnamon steel cut oatmeal

Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
This is a classic breakfast recipe made with fresh apples, cinnamon and a few simple ingredients from your pantry!
4.75 from 4 votes

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup steel cut oatmeal
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 1/2 cups hot water
  • 1/2 cup apple cider
  • 2 medium apples, chopped (I use Gala or Fuji)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans for garnish

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat butter until melted. Add steel cut oats and stir for 2 minutes to toast.
  • Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  • Add hot water and apple cider and stir, bringing to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to low; cook oats for 20 minutes.
  • Remove lid and stir in chopped apples and maple syrup. Continue cooking, uncovered for 15 minutes, or until oats thicken to your desired texture.
  • Serve immediately and garnish with pecans, if desired.

Notes

  • You can make this recipe vegan by using a vegan substitute for the butter.
  • Use your favorite type of nuts for extra crunchy topping. Pecans, almonds and walnuts are great choices.
  • Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat prior to serving. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0g, Calories: 230kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 176mg, Potassium: 241mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 24g, Vitamin A: 135IU, Vitamin C: 4.5mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 0.9mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Ashley C.
If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review below or share a photo and tag @spoonfulofflavor on Instagram.

14 comments on “Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal”

  1. Has anyone adapted this for the slow cooker or the Instant Pot. I’ve become such a “lazy” cook and use my Instant Pot most often and the slow cooker nearly as much. Right now I’ve been making a baked steel cut oatmeal which is awesome but this one sounds like a winner as well and I would really love to try it. I appreciate any help. Thanks! = )

  2. Does this fridge well ? I wanted to make it today for my breakfast tomorrow and Friday . Just wondering how I would go about that

    • Hi, Stephanie! Yes, it does. I sometimes make a batch on the weekends to last me for a few days throughout the week. Enjoy!

  3. I absolutely love this recipe!!!! I made it for the first time yesterday and my kids loved it and I loved it and I had to wake up at 4 o’clock this morning and make another pot because it was so good. The only difference is instead of using maple syrup I used light brown sugar and it was a really good substitute. And then also I put the apples in with the oatmeal as it was boiling because I like the cooked apples and I like the flavor of the apples with the oatmeal instead of just having the diced apples on top with the pecans. Today I’m toasting pecans in the oven and I’m going to try them on top. So we’ll see how that turns out. I’m not usually one who likes any kind of nuts in her oatmeal, but with this recipe, I think it will be a very nice touch.

    • So glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe, Val! Brown sugar is definitely a good substitute. Enjoy your second batch 🙂

  4. I love eating oatmeal for breakfast – it’s one of my favorites. And I love that this has apple cider in it! This weekend is going to be busy for me too – way too much to get done!

  5. I’m always looking for new ways to enjoy oatmeal – this is great, thanks for sharing!

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