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This wholesome and cozy Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is loaded with chunks of juicy apples, warm winter spices, maple syrup, and gooey rolled oats. Bake it fresh or make it ahead of time! Vegan, Gluten-Free and Nut-Free Options.
A chilly day calls for Apple Baked Oats, a wholesome breakfast you can make the morning of or prepare the night before. Chunks of apples are folded into a warmly spiced and naturally sweetened oat “batter” before it’s all baked to golden and gooey perfection. Serve the warm or cold scoops for a special weekend breakfast or a quick weekday meal.
Table of Contents
Hearty Baked Oatmeal with Big Apple Flavor
This Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is officially joining the cozy breakfast club along with my Healthy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal and my Apple Pie Overnight Oats.
Just like its pals, this recipe transforms a mixture of warm winter spices, chunks of juicy apples, maple syrup, and rolled oats into a perfect breakfast or brunch. The only difference is that the cinnamon oat “batter” is assembled in a casserole dish and baked until golden and gooey. It feels like you’re eating apple pie for breakfast but after only 35-ish minutes of baking!
Ingredients for Apple Baked Oatmeal
This simple breakfast requires a short list of pantry staples, fresh apples, and warm spices:
- Apples: just like in real apple pie and other baked apple desserts, we’ll need sweet-tart apples that won’t become too mushy after baking. Honeycrisp apples are my favorite but Granny Smith, Jonagold, and Pink Lady are also great options.
- Oats: you can use rolled oats, quick-cooking oats, or a 50-50 mix of the two! Rolled oats give the baked oats a chewy texture, while quick oats are creamier. I always go with a mix of the two because, when combined, they yield the perfect hearty and creamy texture.
- Ground Flax Seed: this binder prevents the baked oats from crumbling. Ground chia seeds work as a substitute if you’re all out of flax seeds.
- Milk: use your favorite unsweetened non-dairy milk like soy milk, almond milk, or oat milk.
- Spices: the vegan baked oats taste like fall thanks to a blend of warm winter spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg are must-haves, while allspice, cardamom, and ground ginger are optional (add them if you want the oats to have an extra cozy boost).
- Walnuts: these are optional but give the apple baked oats a nice crunch. If you’re out of walnuts, you can use an equal amount of pecans or almonds instead.
How to Make Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Add the oats, flax, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional spices, baking powder, and salt to a baking dish. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla over the dry ingredients. Stir in the apples and walnuts.
- Bake the apple oatmeal until the top is golden and the thickness is to your liking.
- Serve the baked oatmeal right away or set it aside to cool, then slice it into bars. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Making baked oats with the perfect texture: You have a couple of options when it comes to the texture of these baked oats. For a hearty and chewy texture, use a 50-50 mix of rolled and quick oats, bake them for the full 35 minutes, and let them cool fully before slicing and serving. For soft and creamy baked oats, use quick oats, only bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, and serve them right away.
- Adjust the sweetness: I find that the 1/4 cup of maple syrup adds the right amount of sweetness here but if you prefer an even sweeter flavor, use 1/2 cup of maple syrup instead. For a less sweet variation, substitute the maple syrup for an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce.
Serving Suggestions
A bowl or slice of apple baked oatmeal has plenty of fiber and complex carbohydrates to keep you full from breakfast until lunch. Top every serving with a drizzle of nut butter, maple syrup, a scoop of applesauce, or this Vegan Nutella to add a little more sweetness. If you’d rather keep it simple, pour some milk over the oatmeal, then dig in.
If you’re making this apple pie baked oatmeal for Sunday brunch or another special occasion, pair it with a few more breakfast and brunch classics. Your guests won’t be able to resist a spread made up of this oatmeal, this Overnight Vegan Breakfast Strata, and these Banana Bread Scones, as well as a fresh pot of coffee or brewed tea.
If you’re looking for more easy baked oatmeal recipes, you’ll also love this Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal, this Blueberry Baked Oatmeal, and this Maple Pecan Baked Oatmeal.
How to Store Vegan Baked Oatmeal
This leftover apple baked oatmeal will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. After the oats are cooled completely, slice them into bars and transfer them to one large airtight container or individual smaller containers for pre-portioned grab-and-go snacks.
The oat bars freeze well, too. Place any leftovers into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and serve cold or quickly reheat them in a toaster oven.
Substitutions and Variations
- Maple Syrup Substitutes: Substitute the maple syrup with an equal amount of coconut sugar, agave, or brown sugar.
- Nut-Free Option: Use pepitas instead of walnuts or omit the nuts from the recipe.
- Gluten-Free Option: Make this recipe with certified gluten-free oats if you need it to be gluten-free.
- Fruit Add-Ins: Add up to 1 cup of fresh or frozen fruit when you add the apples, such as blueberries or cherries. Or, toss in 3/4 cup of dried fruit, like cherries, blueberries, dates, cranberries, or raisins.
- Chocolate Apple Oatmeal: To make this oatmeal a little extra indulgent, add up to 3/4 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate.
- Add Protein Powder: Add 1 to 2 scoops of unflavored protein powder with the dry ingredients, along with an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup of non-dairy milk. If the protein powder makes the oatmeal taste too sweet, omit the maple syrup.
Recipe FAQs
This can happen if the liquid-to-oats ratio is off or if the oats are underbaked. Bake the oatmeal for the full 35 minutes, then let it cool to help it set and thicken fully.
It’s up to you! I like to leave the skin on the apples for more texture but you can peel them if you prefer softer bites.
Absolutely! Combine the ingredients in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bake the oats in a 350ºF oven for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 medium apples* chopped
- 2 1/2 cups 225 g quick-cooking or rolled oats, gluten-free if necessary
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice optional
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups 590 ml non-dairy milk of choice
- 1/4 cup 60 ml grade A maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup 50 g roughly chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F. Peel your apples if desired (I did not), then chop them into 1/2" pieces.
- Dry Ingredients: In a 9"x13" baking dish, add in the oats, flax, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional allspice/cardamom/ginger, baking powder, and salt. Whisk or mix well.
- Wet Ingredients: Pour the non-dairy milk over the oats along with the maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix in the milk mixture well, then stir in the apples and walnuts, if using. Make sure the apples are spread evenly throughout the oat mixture.
- Bake: Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 35 minutes, depending on how thick you would like the oatmeal to be. For a “runnier” oatmeal, serve immediately after baking. Otherwise, let the oatmeal cool completely, then slice into bars.
- Serve & Store: Serve as desired, warm or cold; leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or can be pre-sliced and frozen for up to two months.
Recipe Notes
- Apples: I used honeycrisp apples for my oatmeal, but granny smith, jonagold, and pink lady apples are also great for baking!
- Oats: Use rolled oats for a chewy texture, and quick-cooking oats for a creamier consistency. I personally prefer to use a 50-50 mix for a hearty and creamy texture!
- Substitutions: maple syrup can be swapped for coconut sugar, agave, or brown sugar. Walnuts can be replaced with pecans, almonds, pepitas, or simply omitted. See the blog post for other recommended flavor variations.
I had some apples I needed to cook and was looking for a simple recipe and came across this. The only thing I did different was use 1 tablespoon of maple syrup instead of 1/4 cup so it wasn’t as sweet. Also I eliminated the allspice because I didn’t have it. Other than that I followed the recipe. It did not disappoint. I have made other oatmeal bakes before with other fruit, but always find them to be too liquidy. This is perfect! I am going use this as a staple for any oatmeal bake for now on! Thanks for sharing
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ann!
Made this today and just finished a large bowl for brunch! It’s winter here in Tasmania and this is perfect for frosty mornings. So easy and delicious. I added a handful of dates and only used one tbs maple syrup as I’m not really a ‘sweet fan’. Love how the apples cook. I will add a bit more spice next time, definitely a keeper!
Very easy and tasty breakfast that gives you a change to the usual breakfast foods. Caitlyn always creates deliciousness.
Thank you for your kind words. So happy you enjoy the recipes, Lynda. ♥
Just made this and added pepitas and blueberries like Caitlin mentioned and a pumpkin pie spice mix. It came out so good and the texture was perfect! I just let it sit for about 15 minutes to firm up a bit, but I’d also like to try it right out of the oven :). I love that this is just lightly sweet so that I don’t have a sugar crash in the afternoon. Next time I’ll use honeycrisp apples to get some more fruit sweetness.
Caitlin, do you think chopped dates would work well in this?
Thanks for this delicious recipe!!
Chopped dates would work well in the Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal, adding natural sweetness and a chewy texture. Simply mix them in with the apples and other ingredients before baking. Thanks for your feedback and enjoy experimenting with the recipe!
Does the baking dish need to be greased?
Personally I find my ceramic ones do not need to be greased, but you could do it just in case if you’d like!
I didn’t grease my glass dish and the oatmeal was easy to remove 🙂
coming from a bunch of 5th-9th grade kids. It was excellent. I will be sharing your recipe and blog, thanks!!
Thank you so much, Lucinda! Happy the kids loved it!
Omit the flax seeds next time and add a little brown sugar. Other a wise nice recipe.
Quick easy and delicious recipe! Just made it again and swapped the apples for blueberries.
Thank you so much for the review, Carolyn!
I just made a big batch of this (I doubled the recipe and cooked it longer) and it is AMAZING!!! Seriously so, so delicious! Will be making this regularly. Thank you! 🙂
You’re so welcome, Erin!
Looks amazing! Can you prepare the night before and then pop in the oven?
Yes, you can!
Love this recipe! I was looking for an alternative to overnight oats (which I love but am getting a bit bored with) and stumbled on this post. I’ve made twice now and it was so good. It’s going to be part of my breakfast rotation! Thank you!
Thanks, Tricia! So glad to hear you loved it.
Perfect for this cool fall weather! Easy to assemble and love the apple and walnut combo!
Thank you for the feedback, Amanda!
Such a good and easy meal! So glad I found this tasty breakfast to make this morning 🙂 Perfect for fall!
Glad you liked it, Shawna!
This tastes amazing!!! Finally a new breakfast recipe 💚 Will do it definitely more often. My brother loves it too. Greets from Austria
Glad you loved it, Maria!