When there’s a chill in the air, sometimes the same ol’ eggs and bacon breakfast just won’t cut it. I want something warm and cozy. This Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal fits the bill. It’s done in the Instant Pot to “set it and forget it” while you get ready, making it perfect for busy fall mornings loaded with work, school, or whatever is on your plate.
Choosing Oatmeal
When I was a kid, there were two kinds of oatmeal on the market. Good old Quaker Oats in the big cylindrical barrel or in the instant flavored packets. But now there seems to be a million kinds. Let’s take a closer look at some of the more popular versions.
Traditional Rolled Oats:
This version is also known as “Old Fashioned” and comes in both a typical and a “thick variety”. To create these oats, oat “groats” are steamed and then put through a roller to create a flat flake.
Quick Cooking Rolled Oats:
These oats are a more processed version of traditional oats. They are rolled even thinner and even cut up, to allow them to cook in about half the time of traditional oats. These are the oats most often used in baking.
Instant Oats:
Instant oats have actually been pre-cooked, and then dried. It makes them cook the fastest; by only adding boiling water. Instant oats are often pre flavored and sweetened, where the others are not.
Steel Cut Oats:
In this version, the oat groats are not steamed and flattened, but are merely chopped up from their whole form. This oatmeal version takes the longest to cook, but is also highly regarded as the most nutritious due to it being the least processed.
Scottish/Irish Oats:
Another name for steel cut oats. Most often eaten as a “porridge”, cooked slow over a long period of time.
Gluten Free Oats:
While all oats are innately gluten free, when oats are processed they can often be cross contaminated. If you have a gluten sensitivity, allergies, or celiac disease it is very important to look for oats that are Certified Gluten Free.
For this recipe I chose traditional rolled oats. These oats digest slower than most other types and with the Instant Pot, these oats cook quicker than they would on the stove, making a hearty, healthy breakfast more attainable on busy mornings.
Making Healthier Choices
In addition to using a less refined type of oats, this recipe includes coconut oil that is rich in fatty acids and plant sterols and free of refined sugar by using maple syrup. Cinnamon is also added as a way to help stabilize blood sugar while adding flavor.
This oatmeal, cooked under pressure, is a flavor BOMB. So much more than those sugary packets of instant oatmeal. When you bake like I do, it’s really important to keep a balanced diet. This oatmeal fits that ticket. Let me know in the comments if you try this apple cinnamon oatmeal.
If you’re looking to indulge in apple flavor that isn’t quite so healthy, make sure you check out my recipe for Gluten Free Chai Dutch Apple Pie.
Gluten Free Instant Pot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1½ teaspoons Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
- 3 small Apples cored and diced
- 1 cup Traditional Gluten Free Rolled Oats (not quick cooking)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot.
- Stir to combine.
- Close the lid.
- Switch the stopper on the lid of the pot to "sealing"
- Push "Pressure Cook" or "Manual", cook on high pressure, for eight minutes.
- When time is up, quick release the pressure (switch the stopper from sealing to venting).
- Stir to combine and serve.
