When you need a delicious breakfast in a hurry, try this Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats recipe. It’s an easy, hands-off breakfast, or you can make it ahead.

Mornings. I think that is the bane of my existence. I depend on some of my favorites in order to survive mornings – things like these Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Oats. They’re quick and delicious, and they taste just as good reheated as it does the first day.

Don’t get me wrong, I could get TONS of stuff done in the morning, but I’ve also got young kids and an inability to be a reasonable, responsible adult and go to bed at a good time. To top it off, I’m not much of a morning person. Well, that’s not completely true. I *sometimes* like being awake in the morning, but only when I am left completely alone in peace and quiet. I do not, however, enjoy the actual getting out of bed part of it.

Right now I have two children who sleep through the night in their own beds and one small toddler who falls asleep in his room with his brother every night. And then comes in a few hours later, complete with his stuffed bunny and blanket, to move into our bed for the rest of the night.

Watching him toddle into our room with all his precious things to make himself comfy in our bed is about the cutest thing you’ll see at 1:34 AM, but it’s less cute when he proceeds to spend the next few hours thrashing around and kicking the covers off. (After all, he likes to snuggle up next to me in order to get full body contact and is warm and toasty. He doesn’t need covers. Get over yourself, mom, and tough it out).

As a result of staying up irresponsibly late and a toddler who doesn’t like to sleep all night, I don’t like mornings. At least, that’s what I blame it on right now.

However, this dislike of mornings also leads to a dislike of making actual breakfast. I typically make myself some sausage, ham or other meat and a couple of fried eggs every morning. I only have to wash one pan and it has plenty of fat and protein to get me off to a great start.

This means that I also tend to feed the kids quick and easy breakfasts as well. Currently, the kids are on a pancake kick, Mr. E doesn’t like pancakes, but will eat yogurt and fruit or eggs. The big kids like their pancakes with dark chocolate chips. Don’t judge me. They’ve got magnesium, antioxidants, fiber and less sugar than a serving of syrup. Less messy too.

Occasionally I get tired of making the same pancakes or fruit and yogurt for breakfast. When that happens, I’ll dig out some apples and we’ll have an absolutely delicious breakfast – Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats.

Which Type of Steel Cut Oats should I use?

I prefer steel cut oats over the old fashioned rolls oats. I like that steel cut oats are more chewy once they’re cooked. My current favorite steel cut oats are the ones I can get at Costco, which are Bob’s Red Mill Quick Steel Cut Oats. I’m ambivalent on the quick versus regular steel cut oats, but anytime you can get them in a giant bag for a good price, I’m all for it.

Not only do I like the texture of steel cut oats, but making them in the Instant Pot is my all-time favorite. It’s so incredibly easy. I toss everything in, turn it on and go get ready (or more rather, get everyone else ready) and then breakfast is ready. This means I don’t have to stir it and it doesn’t burn when I get distracted by an argument over what someone is going to be wearing or who gets to play with the toy first.

The Best Apples for Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

I tend to use tart, crisp apples for this Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Oats because that’s what I usually have on hand. My favorite apple is Cripps Pink Lady, which is a great blend of tart and crisp without being too pucker-worthy. It also works perfectly here. You are welcome to use any type of apple you like or have on hand, but keep in mind that softer, sweeter apples will cook down more and you will get more of an applesauce texture. A harder, crisper apple will be tender but you’ll still have chunks of apple in your oatmeal.

You can leave the peels on or peel them if you prefer. I have done it both ways over the years. Leaving the peels adds some color to the oatmeal. It also makes it very easy to prep, as you just have to core and chop the apples. I have found that, sometimes, the apple peels will get a little hard, so if I have the time I will peel the apples. I haven’t noticed this every time, so I don’t worry too much about it, but it can happen.

Tips & Tricks for Making Oatmeal in the Instant Pot

One note here – I have included in the instructions to use a pot that fits on the rack and goes into your instant pot. I always do it this way for a couple of reasons. At first I always did it this way because if I didn’t, it would burn to the bottom and I would get super irritated and have to cook it on the stove. This defeats the purpose of a quick and easy breakfast. I also do it this way because you can heat the water while preparing the apples and it will take less time to come up to pressure.

Mom came to my rescue. My parents love this oatmeal too, and my mom figured out what was wrong. You have to add the ingredients in a certain order – water, maple syrup and apples go in first. Then the oats, salt and cinnamon get VERY CAREFULLY sprinkled on top and DON’T STIR IT. If the oats end up on the bottom, they’ll burn. Sprinkle them on top and everything cooks nicely and it all works great.

Another reason I use a pot that fits on the rack is because I love to make these oats with the delay start function on my Instant Pot. I’ll put everything in my stainless steel bowl and place it in the liner pot with the rack and water. I set the pressure and time and then do a delay start so that it starts in the morning whenever I want it to. This works great when I’m feeding Mr Brambles and his dad or other guests when they’re up early to work on projects but I don’t want to get up that early.

I have a silicone rack that I found at Walmart, but I’ve also used the metal cooking rack (the one with the handles) that comes with the Instant Pot. Both work great, just use what you have. Technically, you wouldn’t even need one with handles, it just makes it easy to get the bowl in and out of the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal – A quick & easy family favorite

Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is definitely a big hit in our house. I love the flavor and the easy breakfast. The kids all love it. It’s easy to make, and the leftovers are just as good as the first day.

The next time you know you’re going to be in a hurry in the morning, give this delicious, easy and hands-off Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats a try. Trust me, it’ll be a favorite with your family too.