Updated 05.16.25
Many say, me included, that breakfast may be the most important meal of the day. I believe wholeheartedly that it is, and I remember only skipping breakfast a few times. In all honesty, I could easily eat a large breakfast every day. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, bread, fruit, juice, milk, coffee etc., but I don’t. Why not? Too many calories, too time-consuming and too expensive to be totally honest.
Key Ingredient in This Recipe

You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Steel-cut oats
- Apples – you can use any type of apple you like; they provide natural sugars and thus sweetness to this oatmeal
- Dried cherries – dried fruits add a chewy texture. If you don’t have cherries, try cranberries, dates or apricots.
- Cinnamon
- Hazelnuts – almonds are a good alternative and so are walnuts, or pecans. You can also sprinkle some toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
When you like chewy grains, you will like steel-cut oats. Steel cut oats are whole grain oat kernels without a husk, that were cut into smaller pieces using a steel blade. They are coarser than rolled oats and chewier, even when they are cooked, you’ll have something to chew on. There are other types of oats you can use as well, take you pick.
How to Make Apple Cherry Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Step 1 – Cook/roast the steel-cut oats in a dry pan, over low heat, for just a few minutes until fragrant. It will enhance the flavor of your breakfast.


Step 2 – Then add water, or milk if you prefer. Also add the peeled and chopped apples, dried cherries, cinnamon and salt. I used Granny Smith, because I love tart apples. When you prefer sweeter apples, use those or a mix of tart and sweet.
Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer for about 25-30 minutes. Stir frequently, as you want to avoid that the oats stick to the bottom of the pan.
Step 3 – Your breakfast is ready when the oats are creamy and have fully absorbed the water and the juices of the apples. The cherries are also soft, as they absorbed the liquid as well.

- Step 4 – Turn off the heat and allow the oatmeal to cool just a little bit. Taste it – be careful not to burn your tongue! Depending on your preference, you may want to add something sweet, like brown sugar, honey or maple syrup.
- Step 5 – Divide over 2 bowls. Sprinkle with chopped roasted hazelnuts, pecans or pumpkin seeds or your favorite nut. You can also add some protein powder if you like a high protein breakfast.

This recipe creates a dairy-free, vegan (if you’re not using honey), sugar-free (if you’re not adding sugar) and gluten-free (if you’re using gluten-free steel-cut oats) breakfast.
Apple Cherry Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Pin Recipe FacebookIngredients
- 1/2 cup steel-cut oats
- 2 cups water
- 2 apples (NOTE 1), peeled, cored and cubed
- 1/2 cup dried cherries (NOTE 2)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts (NOTE 3), roasted and coarsely chopped
- brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, optional
Instructions
- Transfer the steel-cut oats to a dry pan and cook/roast them on low until fragrant. Stir constantly for a few minutes.
- Add water, apples, dried cherries, cinnamon and salt and bring mixture to a simmer. (NOTE 4)
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes. Stir frequently until the oats have absorbed all the liquid and are creamy, the apples are softer and cherries are full and moist.
- Remove from heat and allow the mixture to rest and cool just a little bit. Oats will thicken.
- Depending on the type of apples you used and depending how much of a sweet tooth you are, you may want to add some brown sugar, honey or maple syrup at this point.
- Divide the oatmeal over 2 bowls, sprinkle with the roasted chopped hazelnut and enjoy. (NOTE 5)
Notes
- You can use any apple you like; a tart apple, like Granny Smith, or a sweeter one, like Honeycrisp or Gala.
- Alternatives to dried cherries are: apricots, cranberries, dates, raisins.
- Instead of hazelnuts, try pecans, almonds, walnuts.
- You can use milk instead of water.
- You can add toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds if you like. At this point, you an also add protein powder if you want a high protein breakfast.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.