Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Steel-cut Oatmeal

• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 3 apples (I used 2 Granny Smiths and 1 Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, cut into ½ inch (1-cm) chunks
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups water
• maple syrup or honey, to taste (optional)
• Optional toppings: swirl of nut butter (almond butter or peanut butter), toasted pecans or pepitas, chopped fresh apples, dried cranberries, drizzle of additional maple syrup or honey, light sprinkle of ground cinnamon…

Step 1:

Melt the butter over stir function of Instant Pot (if you’re not using butter, just warm the pan). Add the steel-cut oats and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 2 minutes (this step enhances the flavor of the oats).

Step 2:

Add apple chunks, cinnamon, salt, and water. Stir to combine, cover the lid and set to Portridge function to cook for about 35 minutes.

Step 3:

Carefully remove lid and and let the oatmeal rest for 5 minutes before serving so it has more time to thicken up. Carefully taste (it’s hot!) and add maple syrup or honey if you’d like sweeter oatmeal (I used tart apples, so I added 1 tablespoon).

Step 4:

Serve with any toppings you’d like.

If you’re saving extra portions for later, let them cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave, and would likely reheat well on the stove if you add some extra water to loosen them up.

You can cook overnight in Instant Pot and serve the next morning.