Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
There is usually a morning when you notice it.
The air coming through the window feels a little cooler. The light looks different. And suddenly the breakfast that worked perfectly well all summer doesn't sound quite as appealing.
This is the breakfast for that morning.
Apple cinnamon baked oatmeal has everything we want from a fall breakfast: warm apples, plenty of cinnamon, a little maple sweetness and a kitchen that smells especially good while it's baking.
But perhaps the best part is what happens after breakfast. Make one pan and you've already made breakfast for several mornings.
Why Bake Your Oatmeal?
Baked oatmeal sits somewhere between a traditional bowl of oatmeal and a soft breakfast casserole. Instead of standing at the stove each morning, everything goes into one baking dish. Once baked, you can cut or spoon out individual portions and reheat them throughout the week. Eat it warm on its own, add a spoonful of Greek yogurt, pour a little milk over the top, or pair it with fruit.
It's meal prep that doesn't particularly feel like meal prep.
Pick Your Apple
You don't need a special apple to make baked oatmeal, but different varieties will change the flavor a little.
Honeycrisp → crisp, juicy and sweet
Gala → mild and naturally sweet
Granny Smith → tart and a nice contrast to maple and cinnamon
Pink Lady → sweet-tart and holds its shape well
Have two different apples in the fruit bowl? Use both.
Make It Sunday, Eat It Monday
Fall mornings often become busier before we even realize it. School schedules return, work routines shift, daylight changes, and suddenly breakfast becomes something we grab rather than something we think about.
A pan of baked oatmeal isn't going to reorganize the morning. But having breakfast already waiting can remove one decision from it. And sometimes that's enough.
Ready to Make It?
Serves: 6 | Prep time: 10 minutes | Bake time: 35–40 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 large egg
¼ cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups diced apple, about 1 large apple
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Optional: additional apple slices and cinnamon for the top
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
Combine the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, maple syrup, melted butter and vanilla.
Pour the wet ingredients into the oat mixture. Stir in the diced apple and half of the nuts.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top. Add a few thin apple slices and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon if you'd like.
Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is lightly golden.
Let the oatmeal rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Make It Yours
Think of apples and cinnamon as the starting point rather than the only way to make it. Try pears in place of apples. Add raisins or dried cranberries. Leave out the nuts if you prefer. Add a spoonful of Greek yogurt when serving, or warm a piece with a splash of milk the next morning.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat individual portions as you need them.
Sometimes making the morning easier begins the night, or even the weekend, before.
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