Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal
Healthy Apple Baked Oatmeal with cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts is full of flavor and texture, and makes the best cozy vegan breakfast the whole family will love!
Apples and oatmeal are the best! Two of my favorite ingredients are baked together and served warm, topped with a splash of almond milk and fresh fruit for a healthy, hearty breakfast.
I also have a thing for baked apples and love how they turn out soft and tender, adding texture and sweetness to the overall dish. They are a perfect addition to baked oatmeal!
This Apple Baked Oatmeal is everything you want in a cozy fall breakfast — warmly spiced, naturally sweet, and incredibly easy to make. It tastes just like a slice of apple pie, but in wholesome oatmeal form!
When you’re craving baked oatmeal with apples and a touch of cinnamon, this easy recipe is a sure thing, and I know you’ll love it as much as we do!
Love oatmeal? Be sure to see our Pumpkin Oatmeal, easy Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal, Healthy Cinnamon Oatmeal, favorite Everyday Vegan Oatmeal, or Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies. They are all delicious too!
How To Make Apple Baked Oatmeal
You’re going to love how easy this one-bowl Apple Baked Oatmeal is to make! It comes together in minutes and fills your kitchen with the most comforting fall aromas while it bakes.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I wanted to keep this recipe as simple as possible while still delivering big flavor. Feel free to customize it with any of the variations below!
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: The best choice for great texture. I don’t recommend quick oats for this recipe.
- Apple: Use your favorite variety! I love Honeycrisp here, but Fuji, Granny Smith, or Gala all work wonderfully.
- Banana (optional): One mashed ripe banana adds natural sweetness and moisture. You can also substitute it with unsweetened applesauce.
- Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk: I usually use oat milk, but almond, cashew, or soy milk work great too.
- Pure Maple Syrup: For natural sweetness. You can also use coconut sugar, date sugar, or your favorite sweetener.
- Walnuts: They add a lovely crunch. Feel free to swap them with pecans or almonds.
- Warm Spices: Cinnamon and nutmeg make it taste like fall.
- Vanilla Extract: Feel free to add a little extra (the more the merrier!)
- Baking Powder: Helps give it a nice lift (you can omit if needed).
- Salt: Just a pinch enhances all the flavors.
Optional Add-Ins: Stir in a handful of raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates.
***Prefer the recipe card? You’ll find the exact measurements and instructions just below.
Steps to Make Baked Oatmeal
Here are the simple step-by-step instructions with photos to help you along the way.
Mix dry ingredients. Start by adding the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt to the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish and mix to combine.
Whisk in wet ingredients. To the dry ingredients, add the milk, maple syrup, and vanilla, then add the optional banana and mix well.
Add apples & walnuts. Once dry and wet ingredients are combined, top with the apples and walnuts.
Bake. Place in a preheated oven set to 350 degrees F. on the center rack, and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve. Once slightly cooled, slice and serve with a splash of almond milk, apple slices, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. Cheers to a heart-healthy way to start your day!
Tips For the Best Apple Baked Oatmeal
- Add mashed banana or applesauce for sweetness. Not only does adding banana or applesauce provide extra nutrition, but it may also provide enough sweetness to omit the maple syrup. Test it, and if it’s not sweet enough, drizzle a little syrup over your serving.
- Choose the right apple. Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala are my favorites because they stay tender while baking. Granny Smith works great if you like a little tartness.
- Customize the sweetness. Start with the listed amount of maple syrup and adjust to your taste. You can also use coconut sugar or brown sugar instead.
- Make it ahead. This oatmeal bakes beautifully the night before. Just cover and refrigerate, then reheat in the morning or enjoy it cold.
- Add-ins for extra flavor. Stir in a handful of raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates.
- Grease the sides of the baking dish with oil. I don’t usually find the need to do this, but if you have trouble with the baked oatmeal sticking to the sides of the baking dish, lightly grease the sides with oil.
Storage & Reheating
This baked oatmeal stores and reheats beautifully, making it perfect for easy meal prep and busy mornings!
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4—5 days.
- Freezer: Apple-baked oatmeal can be kept in the freezer for 2—3 months. To freeze, let it cool completely, cut it into serving sizes, and place slices in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link) or baggies, with a piece of parchment paper between the slices.
- Reheat: Microwave single oatmeal slices for 30—45 seconds.
More Easy Breakfast Recipes!
Breakfast is one of our favorite parts of the day, and you can never have too many recipes in your back pocket. Here are a few more of our favorite breakfast and brunch ideas.
- Simple Tofu Scramble
- Crispy Breakfast Potatoes
- Vegan Buttermilk Biscuits + Country Gravy
- Best Vegan Pancakes
- Easy 5 Ingredient Vegan Waffles
Print Recipe
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HEALTHY APPLE BAKED OATMEAL
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Healthy baked oatmeal with tender apples, cinnamon, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup is full of fiber and deliciously healthy! It’s super simple and perfect for cozy mornings and meal prep!
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- pinch of mineral salt
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 3/4–1 cup mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce, optional
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 medium apple, use your favorite (I used Fuji), cored and diced
- 1/2 – 1 cup walnuts, chopped
To serve
- sliced apple
- pure maple syrup
- unsweetened almond milk
- unsweetened toasted coconut flakes (it’s delicious!)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease your baking dish with coconut oil if you like (generally, I skip this step and never have trouble with sticking).
Mix: In an 8 × 8 baking dish, add oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt, mix well. Add in the milk, banana, optional syrup, and vanilla, and gently whisk to combine. Top with chopped apples and walnuts, mix them in if you like.
Bake: Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 30 minutes. Once done, let cool slightly.
Serve: Slice and serve warm in individual bowls with toppings of choice. Voilà… enjoy this most delicious, worth-the-wait oatmeal!
Serves 4 – 6
Notes
Store: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, let it cool completely, cut it into serving sizes, and place slices in freezer-safe containers or baggies, with a piece of parchment paper between the slices.
Make it ahead: This oatmeal bakes beautifully the night before. Just cover and refrigerate, then reheat in the morning or enjoy it cold.
Add-ins for extra flavor: Stir in a handful of raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped dates.
Using banana or applesauce? Add the spices to either and mix well. This will help keep the spices from floating to the top and ensure a more even distribution.
Using a not overly ripe or tart apple? You may like to add 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup to the mixture when adding the wet ingredients. Or simply add extra maple syrup when serving.
Works with an 8 × 8 baking dish, and a 9 × 9 will work too (round or square).
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Breakfast, Entree, Oatmeal
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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This is lovely! I made a few slight changes to my version. I didn’t have an apple so I used pears instead, as well as the bananas. I also added some cardamom along with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Was very happy with how it turned out. Will make this again, thank you 🌸