Apple Baked Oatmeal is a healthy, make-ahead vegan breakfast casserole that is full of hearty oats, chopped apples and spices. Bake it up at the weekend and enjoy it served warmed or cold for breakfast all week long!
This Apple Baked Oatmeal is such a convenient and easy-to-make vegan breakfast and one of my favourites. Chop the apples, mix everything up in a bowl, bake, then enjoy all week long. It's so good for meal prep!
If you aren't a fan of regular stovetop oatmeal but want to enjoy oats for breakfast this apple baked oatmeal, my Strawberry Baked Oatmeal, Peach Baked Oatmeal, or Banana Oatmeal Blueberry Banana Muffins are fantastic alternatives.
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Apple Baked Oatmeal has an oaty bar-like texture, punctuated with pieces of sweet chopped apple and crunchy nuts. It tastes like apple pie and is perfect for people who want to learn to like oatmeal because of the health benefits but dislike the porridge-like texture. It's nutrient dense and packed with fiber and healthy fats.
Ingredients
To make this dairy-free apple baked oatmeal recipe you need some basic pantry-friendly ingredients. No eggs are required! Here's a quick visual:
Ingredient Tip - Switch the individual spices for apple pie spice or pumpkin spice if you prefer.
You will also need an oven-proof baking dish. Anything from a ceramic casserole dish to a cast iron skillet to a cake pan. Just make sure it can hold about 2.5 quarts/litres.
Variations
Baked apple oatmeal is really easy to customize. Add a handful or two of fresh or frozen berries, chocolate chips, or dried fruits like raisins, dried cranberries and chopped dates. If you want to up the protein you could also add a scoop of protein powder.
How to make Apple Baked Oatmeal
Apple Baked Oatmeal is incredibly easy to make. Here's how:
- Stir the dry ingredients together in a large bowl then add the chopped apple.
- Whisk the milk, vanilla and nut butter together in a medium bowl or jug. Or you can blend it all together in a blender.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the oatmeal mixture and mix well.
- Spoon into an ovenproof dish and bake.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Apple Baked Oatmeal either cold, warm or hot. Pop it in the microwave for a minute or two to warm it up if you're enjoying leftovers.
My favourite way to eat it is with a dollop of vegan yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup. It's also good with some oat milk or cashew milk poured over and eaten more like traditional breakfast cereal. Other accompaniments that would work well with apple and cinnamon baked oats are:
- applesauce, stewed apples, or apple butter (I have Instant Pot Apple Butter, Slow Cooker Apple Butter, and Stovetop Apple Butter recipes)
- a drizzle of nut butter
- fresh berries or mixed berry compote
- ice cream for dessert ;O)
Storing Leftovers
Once cool, cover baked apple cinnamon oatmeal for up to 7 days in the fridge. You can even slice it up and pop it into individual-sized containers to make your mornings even easier. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
Baked oatmeal is not like regular stovetop oatmeal in texture. It is sliceable and firm, with a chewy and crispy top and sides and a soft, hearty inside, with added texture from the added fruit and nuts too.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Apple Baked Oatmeal
Author:Ingredients
- 2¾ cups (248 grams) rolled/old fashioned oats , (porridge oats in the UK) Use certified gluten-free if necessary
- ½ cup (100 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (55 grams) chopped walnuts , or pecans (omit for nut-free)
- 2 tablespoons (14 grams) ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon , or switch the spices for apple pie spice or pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 medium apples
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) nut or seed butter , of choice (or the same amount of oil)
- 1½ cups (360 mls) plant milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375° F (190 °C) and have a large oven-proof dish or pan ready. One that will hold a minimum of 2 quarts/ litres. The pan I use in the photos is 2.5 quarts. Anything ovenproof will do, such as a ceramic dish, skillet or 8 x 8 cake pan.
- To a large bowl add the oats, sugar, nuts, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Mix together to combine.
- Core the apples and chop into small ½ inch chunks. There is no need to peel them unless you want to. If you want to decorate the top of the oatmeal keep half an apple aside and slice it thinly. Add the chopped apple to the oat mixture.
- To another smaller bowl add the nut/seed butter then gradually add the milk to work out the big lumps until it's mostly combined. Some small lumps are fine. Mashing with a fork makes it easier. Then add the vanilla. If you have a blender you can blend it altogether instead.
- Pour the milk mixture over the oaty apple mixture. Mix together well.
- Spoon into the oven-proof dish, push it down with a spoon or spatula to level the top and add some apple pieces for decoration if desired then bake for 40 minutes.
NOTES
NUTRITION
Hungry for more?
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Lauren says
WHat could I substitute for the nut butter/oil? My husband is oil and nut free.
Melanie McDonald says
Seed butter is given as an option in the recipe.
Barb Masitis says
Hi I am needing to boost the protein quite a bit, and see that you said that I could use the protein powder; however you did not provide the amount. Would you be able to supply that information? I love all of the ingredients that make up this recipe and I am anxious to make it and eat it. Thanks,
Barb from Boise, Idaho
Lacey says
This is amazing! I had to double the recipe because I had 7 smaller grannies. I used walnuts, golden raisins and tons of pumpkin spice and this really hits the spot for fall! Mel, your recipes are always spot on!
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you Lacey. I'm really pleased you're enjoying it!
Genevieve says
This oatmeal bakes turned out great! Thank you for the recipe. I used 3 apples and used applesauce instead of the nut butter/oil. I used maple syrup instead of sugar as well, I used 1/3 cup but 1/2 cup would work if you want it sweeter.
Jen says
Hi there! Is there a way to minimize the sugar in this... I am trying to move away from it towards more natural sweeteners. Wondering if I used maple syrup instead if it would mess it up?
TIA :0)
A Virtual Vegan says
You can use any type of sugar you like so coconut sugar would be fine. And maple syrup will work too.
aeriadne says
Hello! To help keep the fat down, what would you think about replacing the nut butter with apple butter? Or would that make it too apple-ly?
A Virtual Vegan says
I think flavour-wise it would be ok if you don't mind it being a little more apple-y. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It might affect the texture a little though because apple butter contains a lot of moisture. Nut butter acts a bit like glue and holds it together too so it might not slice as well.
If you're ok with that then go for it. Hope you enjoy it!
aeriadne says
Thanks! And one more question: would almond flour possibly work in lieu of almond butter? Trying to avoid the oil that a lot of nut butters are made with.
A Virtual Vegan says
I wouldn't use almond flour. It will make it drier. Almond butter works as glue to hold it all together. Most almond butters just have one ingredient. Almonds. They don't have any oil added, so basically it's the same nutrition-wise as eating almond flour.
Hope that helps!
elena says
Hi,
I may try to make this Apple Baked Oatmeal, and considering:
How would it work if I replace part of the Oatmeal by Quinoa flakes, say half of each, thanks.
All vegan recipes from "A Virtual Vegan" I have tried are delicious, nutritious, healthy practical to make, thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you're enjoying my recipes! I've never tried replacing the oatmeal with quinoa flakes so I can't say how it would turn out. They have very different absorbencies though so I would think the liquid in the recipe might need adjusting a little. It's hard to say without trying it though. Maybe start with just a third the first time and if it turns out ok increase it a little the next time. Hope that helps!
elena says
Thanks for advise, I will try with 1/3 of quinoa flakes and see...
elena vito says
Well, I have finally made the Apple Baked Oatmeal. I have mixed 200gs oats and only 50gs quinoa flakes and it appears the two didn’t hold evenly together. While the quinoa is lighter when dry it becomes heavier when mixed with milk and ends up in the bottom of the pan. However, it tastes lovely and I will make it again with just oatmeal and perhaps more walnuts.
Thanks for your advised not to use too much quinoa in the mixt. I'm not an experienced cook, only started cooking when became vegan so "the virtual vegan" recipes well explained are my favorites to try, Thanks again.