About Me: I have more than 20 years of cooking experience & share my favorite recipes on this blog.
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This apple cinnamon baked oatmeal recipe is perfect for busy mornings. Filled with tender apples, spices, and oats, it always hits the spot! Serve it with maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream.
Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast ideas, especially during the cooler months of the year. Often I’ll make maple brown sugar oatmeal on the stovetop or this creamy steel-cut oats recipe, but lately, I’m really into baked oatmeal. I love that it can be made ahead and feeds my small family for the week.
This baked apple oatmeal is a twist on my baked blueberry oatmeal recipe. The base recipe is the same, but I added spices and instead of blueberries we’re going to briefly cook apple slices in a mixture of butter and cinnamon sugar. Once tender, the apples are mixed in with the oatmeal mixture and other ingredients, then everything is baked in the oven. It’s so easy!
If you love cozy, warming breakfasts in the morning then definitely give this baked oatmeal a try.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Oatmeal Recipe
There are many reasons to love this baked apple oatmeal but here are the top ones:
- Easy. It takes less than 15 minutes to assemble this recipe, then your oven does the rest.
- Satisfying. Baked oatmeal will keep you full for a while thanks to the fiber in the oats. Plus, once you add in your favorite toppings, every bite is just so satisfying.
- Can be made ahead. This is one of my go-to make-ahead breakfasts. I make it on a Sunday and then we enjoy slices throughout the week.
- Flexible. Everyone can eat a slice of baked oatmeal with their preferred toppings. I prefer mine with whipped cream and fresh fruit, while my family likes theirs with a drizzle of maple syrup. Whatever pancake toppings rock your world will work here.
Recipe Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make this recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
For the apples:
- Apples – Any kind of apple works. My favorites are Jona gold, Braeburn, Honey Crisp, and Pink Lady. You can also use tart apples like Granny Smith.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter but you can use salted if that is what you have on hand.
- Sugar – I used regular white sugar, but you can also use light or dark brown sugar.
- Ground cinnamon – Note that if you have a jar of cinnamon sugar on the counter you could use an equal amount of that in place of adding the cinnamon and sugar separately in this recipe.
- Water – You can also use apple cider or apple juice for even more apple flavor.
For the oatmeal:
- Old-fashioned oats – Don’t substitute for any other kind of oatmeal.
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Spices – Ground cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves, and freshly grated nutmeg.
- Milk – You can use any kind of milk, including plant-based milk (like soy, oat, or coconut milk).
- Applesauce
- Agave – You can also use an equal amount of honey.
- Eggs
- Vanilla
How to Make Apple Baked Oatmeal
Are you ready to make a stellar baked oatmeal? Here’s how to make this recipe:
- Prep your tools. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with PAM. Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Cook the apples. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium low heat. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon and water. Stir to coat, then cook, stirring occasionally until the apples have softened and the liquid has evaporated , about 5-8 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the oats, baking powder, kosher salt, and spices. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, agave, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk well until everything is combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the wet ingredients and mix well until you don’t see any dry bits of batter.
- Fold in the apples. Just gently mix them in.
- Bake. Pour into your prepared 9×13 baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center of your baked oatmeal is set. (So when you press on it lightly with your fingertips it will feel firm.)
- Serve. Let the oatmeal cool for 15 minutes, then slice and serve with your favorite pancake toppings. I recommend whipped cream and maple syrup.
Do I Have to Cook the Apples?
If you want the apples to be soft and tender, then yes they should be cooked on the stovetop first. It only takes a few minutes and adds tons of flavor thanks to the butter and cinnamon sugar.
If you must use uncooked apples, then I recommend cutting peeled apples into a small dice about the size of blueberries. Toss them with some cinnamon sugar before folding them into the oatmeal mixture. They won’t get as tender as if they had been cooked in advance, but this does cut down on the prep time a bit.
Note that if you skip cooking the apples you may also need to increase the amount of applesauce in this recipe. When you cook the apples on the stovetop they release liquid that has been taken into account when determining the liquid-to-oats ratio.
Tips for Success
- Grease your baking dish. It is important to grease your 9×13 dish with PAM or by rubbing about a tablespoon of butter all over the insides of the dish. This prevents the oatmeal from sticking after it is baked.
- Add extras. You can add up to 1 cup of extras to this recipe as long as what you are adding is not watery. For example, you could add a cup of berries or a cup of chopped walnuts. I would not recommend adding chocolate chips or something like that as it would increase the sweetness of this baked oatmeal a bit too much.
- Mix well before baking. Make sure that you mix everything well before pouring the oatmeal mixture into the baking dish. In particular, make sure the eggs are thoroughly incorporated and that the apple slices are evenly distributed.
- Let it cool. After baking let the oatmeal cool for at least 15 minutes before digging in.
How to Serve Baked Oatmeal
- Getting a clean cut. The first thing to note about serving baked oatmeal is that, if you want to get a clean cut like the one above, you have to let it cool. This is NOT essential. I certainly have just scooped out a serving and gone to town. But if you want a pretty cut the best thing is to make your baked oatmeal in advance, chill it overnight, then slice it in the morning before warming it up as described below.
Once you have a slice of baked oatmeal and are ready to dig in, I recommend adding whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup on top. You can also add fresh fruit, chopped nuts, or even a sprinkle of confectioners sugar. If you want to get a little fancy, I recommend using this maple-vanilla whipped cream.
Making in Advance and Reheating
You can absolutely make baked oatmeal in advance. Simply assemble and bake as directed in the recipe, then let the baked oatmeal cool completely. Cover with saran wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
The next day cut out a slice and warm it in the microwave for about 1 minute, or until warmed through. Serve with your desired toppings.
Can I Freeze Baked Oatmeal?
Yes, you can freeze this recipe! I recommend freezing individual slices. To do this, chill the oatmeal in the fridge, then cut out individual slices. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then place the slices on the baking sheet with about 2 inches of space between each slice. Freeze them on the baking sheet until solid.
Once the slices are frozen you can transfer them to an airtight, freezer-safe container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to place pieces of parchment paper between the slices to prevent sticking.
Thaw frozen slices overnight in the fridge, or reheat from frozen in the microwave. The amount of reheating time will depend upon the size of your slices and whether they are frozen or just cold from being stored in the fridge.
Apple Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
For the apples:
- 4 apples, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons water
For the oatmeal:
- 4 cups old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon all spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
- 3 cups milk
- 1 cup applesauce
- ⅔ cup agave
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Prep your tools. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with PAM. Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Cook the apples. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the apples, sugar, cinnamon, and water. Stir to coat, then cook, stirring occasionally until the apples have softened and the liquid has evaporated , about 5-8 minutes.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine the oats, baking powder, kosher salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the milk, applesauce, agave, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk well until everything is combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well until you don’t see any dry bits of batter.
- Fold in the cooked apples. Just gently mix them in.
- Bake. Pour into your prepared 9×13 baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center of your baked oatmeal is set. (So when you press on it lightly with your fingertips it will feel firm.)
- Serve. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, then cut slices and serve with your favorite toppings. I suggest maple syrup and whipped cream.
This was delicious and not very sweet, which is nice so you can add your own sweeteners to make it to your liking. I added maple Syrup on mine and my partner added brown sugar on their’s. I will say sliced half the apples super thin and the other half, I sliced into matchbook sized pieces. That made it easier to fit all 4 apples into the bake.
Thank you for coming back to let me know you enjoyed this recipe. I love how everyone can add their own toppings and customize the amount of sweetness too. 🙂
Super healthy,.full of flavor..my tip: use only coconut sugar..is not refined as white sugar and very subtle flavor!
Thanks for share your recipe!😊🌻
So glad you liked the recipe! And I love your notes about the coconut sugar, I’m always delighted to hear how folks make a recipe their own. Enjoy!
What substitute can I use in place of the agave?
You can also use honey. 🙂 I wrote up all the possible subs and variations in the post itself but kept the recipe card itself short so it would print out easier.
Any idea of the nutritional values? Calories, carbs, etc
I haven’t calculated this, it’s not something I really pay attention to. But I know if you enter the ingredients into something like My Fitness Pal and then set the serving sizes it will tell you how much everything is. Sorry I don’t use these metrics myself!
Excellent recipe! I had never tried baked oatmeal before but with how groggy I am in the mornings (yes too groggy to combine instant oatmeal with milk) this is my new go to breakfast. It’s a lazy person’s dream haha.
So happy you love this recipe as much as we do! Baked oatmeal is my go-to for weekday breakfasts too. 🙂
What can I use in place of agave?
You could also use an equal amount of honey. 🙂
Our new favorite baked oatmeal recipe!! We all had a slice this morning. Easy and so good. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for coming back to tell me. 🙂