Easy Apple Overnight Oats (So Good!)

This recipe for Apple Overnight Oats is flavored with the apple pie flavors, has chunks of real honeycrisp apples, and is super simple to make thanks to soaking overnight! With a little prep work the night before, you can have this Apple Pie Oatmeal in less than 10 minutes for your morning breakfast.

Creating this Recipe for Apple Overnight Oats

I love overnight steel cut oats. Soaking the steel cut oats overnight makes them cook up especially fast in the morning. And who doesn’t want to eat something that tastes like Apple Pie for breakfast?

If you find yourself rushed to get in a good breakfast in the morning before work or dropping kids off at school, you need to give this recipe for Overnight Apple Pie Steel Cut Oats a try!

I’ve had this recipe idea for Apple Pie Overnight Oats in my head for months but it’s only just recently been cool enough for me to want a bowl of hot cereal for breakfast. For the base recipe I used Cherry and Tangerine Oatmeal, another recipe that we love.

I definitely prefer steel cut oats to regular oatmeal, with the exception of my Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal.

I like texture in my oatmeal, something that I can chew. Steel cut oats provide that crunch. As far as nutrition benefits, from what I can see the steel cut oats have more fiber and they take longer to digest so you stay feeling full longer.

What I Love About Apple Overnight Oats

This is the perfect no-effort breakfast for me. I like to eat a healthy and delicious breakfast, but that doesn’t mean I always do it. What’s so great about this base is that it’s an overnight recipe, so the oats hardly take any time in the morning to cook.

We’re usually rushing to get out the door in time for school and if I haven’t eaten before the kids get up I’ll grab a string cheese and a granola bar to tie me over until I get home.

I like that this is easy to put together the night before and only takes a few minutes to cook in the morning.

What You Need to Make Apple Overnight Oats

You’ll need the following simple ingredients to prepare this recipe for apple oatmeal:

• Steel Cut Oats
• Milk
• Brown Sugar
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom
• Apple
• Pecan

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

What are the Best Apples to use in Apple Overnight Oats?

I like to use Honeycrisp apple in my apple pie overnight oats because they are my favorite variety of apple to enjoy during apple season, but Pink Lady, or Granny Smith would also work well. You want a crisp apples that have a nice crunch to it.

What Other Fruit Could I Use in this Overnight Oat Recipe?

You can easily substitute other spices and fruit using the same proportions featured in this cinnamon apple oatmeal recipe for different flavors of overnight steel cut oats.

Try pureed pears or homemade pearsauce instead of applesauce and chunks of fresh, ripe pears for another fall breakfast idea.

If you have a craving for oatmeal in the summer, try substituting pureed peaches for the applesauce with fresh chunks of peaches or even berries for the whole fruit pieces.

Can I Use Dairy-Free Milk?

Yes! You can easily substitute dairy-free milk when making these apple overnight oats. Unflavored Oat Milk or Unflavored Almond Milk would be the best non-dairy milk varieties to use in this recipe for apple pie overnight oats.

How to Make this Recipe for Apple Overnight Oats

Here’s a quick overview of the instructions to prepare this super easy recipe for creamy oats with apple and cinnamon:

The night before: combine the steel cut oats, brown sugar, applesauce, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl. Then, cover the bowl and let the oats chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

The next morning: Transfer the oat mixture to a medium saucepan. Add half of the apples. Cook the oatmeal until it boils, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until the oatmeal has a creamy texture.

To serve: top with the remaining apples, chopped pecans, and extra milk.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Overnight Apple Oatmeal Recipe Mix In Ideas

Like high protein breakfast recipes? To add extra protein to this apple pie overnight oatmeal here are a few ideas to mix in to your oatmeal:

• Add some vanilla protein powder or collagen powder to the milk mixture when preparing the recipe
• Add chia seeds to the oatmeal mixture before cooking
• Serve the apple overnight oatmeal with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top
• Add extra nuts for a garnish before serving (crunchy walnuts or pecans both taste great!)

How to Store Leftover Apple Overnight Oatmeal

This apple overnight oatmeal is a great recipe to use for your weekly meal prep and healthy eating in the morning!

You can make a big batch ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer, depending on how quickly you plan to eat it. You’l love this make ahead breakfast for busy mornings!

How Long Does Leftover Oatmeal Last in the fridge?

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I prefer using individual containers so I can quickly get a single portion for breakfast throughout the week.

Leftover steel cut oatmeal does thicken as it cools, so when you reheat your leftover apple overnight oatmeal you’ll likely want to add a splash of fresh milk on of your bowl of apple cinnamon overnight oats top to thin in out a bit.

Can You Freeze Apple Overnight Oatmeal?

Yes! This recipe for Apple Pie Overnight Oatmeal is great for stocking the freezer. It will make breakfast plans on those crazy mornings a breeze!

For best results, freeze the apple pie overnight oatmeal in individual portions. This makes thawing and reheating faster.

A freezer safe mason jar works great as a storage container that can also be used as a serving dish. Frozen oatmeal will last for about 6 months in the freezer. Don’t forget to date and label your containers

How to Reheat Frozen Oatmeal

1. Remove the container of oatmeal from the freezer the night before and let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
2. The next morning, reheat the apple overnight oatmeal in 30 second intervals in the microwave before eating.
3. Stir in between each 30 seconds. Serve topped with milk and fresh fruit if desired.

Try these Apple Overnight Oats!

Next time you’re looking for overnight oat recipes, give this apple pie oatmeal with steel-cut oats a try! Did you think it was the best healthy breakfast recipe? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this easy breakfast idea.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this recipe for apple overnight oats!

More Oatmeal Recipes for Breakfast

Looking for more hot breakfast ideas to try? Here are a few wonderful recipes for busy mornings:

For another overnight oats recipe, try this Cherry Oatmeal. It is full of great flavors like cinnamon and vanilla with tart dried cherries, tangerine, and almonds.

Spend 5 minutes prepping this Slow Cooker Chai Oatmeal the night before, and wake up to a delicious, hot bowl of oatmeal that is full of fall flavor! Don’t you love a make ahead breakfast?

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal is a great make-ahead oatmeal recipe for fall and winter. It has all the delicious flavors of pumpkin pie while still providing great nutritional value to start your morning off right.

This Oatmeal Pumpkin Smoothie isn’t a hot cereal, but it does have oatmeal in it and it is an easy breakfast to prepare, super healthy and full of all your favorite fall spices. What isn’t to love about a smoothie recipe that tastes like pumpkin pie?

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

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For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the How to Make Easy Apple Overnight Oats Story.