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Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

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Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal – This easy baked oatmeal is a perfect meal prep breakfast, packed with diced apples, pecans or raisins & plenty of cinnamon and vanilla. Gluten free & vegan!

A bowl of baked cinnamon apple oatmeal with milk.

September is HERE, so I’m ready to jump head first into all things fall. Pumpkin recipes are on the way (believe me!), but today, I wanted to share an apple recipe. (September = apple season!) This Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal is all the things a fall breakfast should be. Packed with warm spices and diced apples, this delicious breakfast is and easy as it is cozy.

Baking dish of gluten free vegan apple cinnamon baked oatmeal.

What Makes This Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Amazing:

Less Fuss. Baked oatmeal (for me) is less fuss than standing at the stove and stirring. I love that I can mix up the ingredients, pop it in the oven, go get ready or empty the dishwasher and cut up some fruit and the oatmeal will be ready for us when I’m done!

It’s fantastic for meal prep. I love that I can make breakfast for our little crowd in one go, or for me to eat for a few days. It reheats really well–you can warm it in the microwave or oven. I add a splash of milk and a drizzle of syrup and it’s FANTASTIC.

The spice blend. I love the warm mix of spices in this oatmeal. It makes this apple cinnamon baked oatmeal taste like a breakfast take on apple pie or apple crisp. You could totally swap in apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon/nutmeg/cardamom combination I used below.

It’s Forgiving. You can easily play with this a bit. Swap the pecans for almonds or raisins. Switch the spices out for a spice blend, grate your apples instead of dicing them, or use a mix of different types of apples for a more complex flavor.

It’s lower in sugar. This is sweetened with apples and unsweetened applesauce, which, when paired with vanilla and warm spices, really tastes great on it’s own. Instead of adding any sweetener to the actual oatmeal we just finish things off with a little drizzle at the end. You can sweeten it to taste as needed, but I love that we usually end up needing and using less syrup than we would otherwise.

Bowl of Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal with milk.

Notes on this Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal:

What the heck is a chia egg? A chia “egg” is a vegan egg substitute made from chia seeds and water. Chia seeds expand and “gel” when they’re mixed with liquid, and in this recipe, the chia “egg” is used as a binder and gives the oatmeal part of it’s texture. You can use a flax egg (swap ground flax for the chia seeds and use the same ratios) or powdered egg substitute (follow your package direction) if you prefer, or if you don’t have an issue with regular eggs, you can totally go that route.

Can I substitute steel cut oats or quick oats? No. I LOVE steel cut oats and cook them all the time, but they don’t work in this recipe. They don’t have enough liquid or time to soften and typically burn before they’re cooked through. So what you’re left with is a dry, crunchy mess. I don’t recommend them.

Similarly, I don’t recommend quick oats because they can easily get mushy. Rolled oats seem to be the sweet spot.

Gluten Free Notes – Oats themselves doesn’t contain wheat gluten, but are often farmed and processed in a way that cause cross-contamination. If you’re avoiding gluten, be sure to buy certified gluten free oats. We like Bob’s Red Mill or Trader Joe’s brands.

Nut Free? You can totally omit the pecans, or add additional apples or some raisins. You can also use any milk you like here–whatever you drink!

Oatmeal Fan? You Might Like…

A bowl of baked cinnamon apple oatmeal with milk.

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Baking dish of gluten free vegan apple cinnamon baked oatmeal.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal


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  • Author: Emily
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4-5 servings 1x

Description

This easy baked oatmeal is a perfect meal prep breakfast–packed with diced apples, pecans or raisins & plenty of cinnamon and vanilla. (Gluten free & vegan!)


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups rolled oats (gluten free, as needed)
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom (or more nutmeg)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans or raisins
  • 1 3/4 cups milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1/2 cup applesauce (I like unsweetened)
  • 1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water
  • 1 cup diced apples
  • 1 tsp vanilla

To serve:

  • Maple Syrup
  • Almond milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2 quart (8″x8″) baking dish with cooking spray, coconut oil, or butter (if not vegan).
  2. In a small bowl, make your chia “egg” by combing 1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to gel, while you mix up your other ingredients.
  3. In a large bowl, combine oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and pecans or raisins. Stir to combine well.
  4. Add milk, applesauce, chia “egg,” diced apples, and vanilla. Stir to combine well.
  5. Pour mixture into your prepared baking dish. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until just golden on top.
  7. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup and milk.
  8. When reheating leftovers, you’ll likely want to add a splash of milk.

Notes

Spice Blend Shortcut – You could totally swap in apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon/nutmeg/cardamom combination I used above.

What the heck is a chia egg? A chia “egg” is a vegan egg substitute made from chia seeds and water. Chia seeds expand and “gel” when they’re mixed with liquid, and in this recipe, the chia “egg” is used as a binder and gives the oatmeal part of it’s texture. You can use a flax egg (swap ground flax for the chia seeds and use the same ratios) or powdered egg substitute (follow your package direction) if you prefer, or if you don’t have an issue with regular eggs, you can totally go that route.

Can I substitute steel cut oats or quick oats? No. I LOVE steel cut oats and cook them all the time, but they don’t work in this recipe. They don’t have enough liquid or time to soften and typically burn before they’re cooked through. So what you’re left with is a dry, crunchy mess. I don’t recommend them.

Similarly, I don’t recommend quick oats because they can easily get mushy. Rolled oats seem to be the sweet spot.

Gluten Free Notes – Oats themselves doesn’t contain wheat gluten, but are often farmed and processed in a way that cause cross-contamination. If you’re avoiding gluten, be sure to buy certified gluten free oats. We like Bob’s Red Mill or Trader Joe’s brands.

Nut Free? You can totally omit the pecans, or add additional apples or some raisins. You can also use any milk you like here–whatever you drink

  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Oven, Baking
  • Cuisine: American
Baking dish of gluten free vegan apple cinnamon baked oatmeal.

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4 Comments

  1. My favourite baked oatmeal recipe before I went vegan contained maple syrup in the batter and I liked the sweetness. If I added 3-4 tablespoons in the bake do you think that would mess with the recipe too much?

  2. Question: could you prepare this in the pan the night before, refrigerate it overnight and then bake in the morning?

    1. Caitlyn – I haven’t tried it this way yet, but I think you could. The only thing you’ll want to watch for is dryness. The oats will absorb liquid overnight, so there may not be as much residual liquid in the pan. If yours is looking a bit dry/soaked in in the morning, you may want to add a splash more of milk so it doesn’t bake up dry 🙂

      If you give it a try, I’d LOVE to know how it turns out for you!

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