Baked Apple Oatmeal

Here’s how to make the best baked apple oatmeal! This irresistible breakfast recipe pairs the sweet fruit with cinnamon, allspice and maple.

Here’s our very favorite way to eat apples for breakfast: this Baked Apple Oatmeal! When the mornings start to get cooler, this is the best morning treat to break out. It’s easy to make with ingredients you might already have on hand. And the flavor of tender, sweet apples paired with maple syrup, cinnamon and allspice…well, you’ll want to make it every day! It works as a brunch recipe for entertaining, or you can make a big pan and eat off of it for breakfasts all week. Here’s how to make what we think is the very best baked apple oatmeal you’ll find.

Also try: Banana Baked Oatmeal or Perfect Oatmeal

Ingredients in baked apple oatmeal

Baked apple oatmeal is a little like a healthy version of apple crisp for breakfast! It’s made with whole oats and sweetened gently with maple syrup, instead of loaded with sugar like the dessert version. If you’re like us, you might even have most of the ingredients already in your pantry. The ingredients you’ll need for baked apple oatmeal are:

• Apples: you can use whatever you have! We like a sweet tart variety like Jonathon or Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith.
• Rolled or old fashioned oats: Do not substitute steel cut oats, as they have a much different texture!
• Pecan pieces or walnuts
• Cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla
• Baking powder
• Egg
• Milk
• Maple syrup

How to chop apples: the fast way!

This baked apple oatmeal bakes the apple in chunks right in the oatmeal: no need to peel! Here’s a little time saving trick when you go to chop your apples. There’s no need to core them or do round cuts around the core! This method makes it quick and simple. Do the following:

1. Holding the core of the apple, use a large chef’s knife to slice off four sides of the apple, cutting as close to the core as possible (see the video below).
2. Take one of the quarters and place it flat side down. Then cut it into thick slices (thicker than the video), then cut cross-wise into chunks.
3. Repeat with the remaining quarters!

How to make baked apple oatmeal: basic steps

This baked oatmeal with apples is a breeze to make. Here are the basic steps and a few notes about the process:

• Whisk the dries: Combine the dry ingredients, and place them in a pan with the chopped apples.
• Whisk the wets: Whisk together the wet ingredients, then pour over the top.
• Bake: Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minute until set.
• Drizzle maple butter: Pour over a mix of melted butter and maple syrup to add moisture and the final sweet, rich flavoring! Don’t skip this step: it adds just a touch of decadence.

Vegan variation

You can easily make this into vegan baked apple oatmeal with a few simple swaps! Here’s what to do to make this recipe into a vegan breakfast:

• Use a flax egg instead of egg. Make a flax egg with ground flax seed and water! It takes just 15 minutes, and it’s a trick used in lots of vegan baked goods.
• Use your favorite non-dairy milk. We like almond milk or oat milk.
• Use coconut oil instead of butter. Use coconut oil for the final flavoring.

Make ahead instructions for baked apple oatmeal

Want to make this baked apple oatmeal in advance? We don’t recommend making up an entire pan and refrigerating it overnight. While some recipes like overnight oats call for this, the oats will absorb all the liquid. Instead, you can mix the dries and wets and store in separate containers (refrigerate the wets) until you’re ready to bake.

Even better? Make up a big pan the night before, then refrigerate it and eat off of it all week. You can refrigerate leftovers for up to 1 week, and re-warm them in a 300 degree oven or the microwave.

More apple recipes

This apple baked oatmeal is a great way to use the fruit of the season! Apples are in season in the fall, but they store well and are available all year round. Here are some of our favorite apple recipes to try next:

• Classic Apple Crisp or Apple Crumble Stunners! Golden crumbles top a luscious fruit filling. (Or try it gluten-free.)
• Apple Cinnamon Pancakes Deliciously wholesome, they’re made with 100% oats.
• Sauteed Apples (a la Mode) The perfect easy dessert! It takes just minutes to make.
• Dried Apples This healthy snack is crispy and cozy spiced…and your kitchen smells like heaven.
• Apple Muffins with Streusel The streusel topping adds a sweet crunch to each bite.
• Vegan Apple Crumble This cozy dessert is also gluten free and tastes simply incredible.
• Best Apple Pie It’s got flaky lattice pie crust and a tender, perfectly spiced apple filling.
• Easy Applesauce Cake Light and moist, scented with cinnamon. Mix it up right in the pan!
• Classic Applesauce Making applesauce at home is easier than you think: and it skips the extra sugars of the store bought kind!

This baked apple oatmeal recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, see the swaps below.

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