This easy apple cinnamon baked oatmeal is a perfect meal prep breakfast, packed with diced apples, pecans & plenty of cinnamon and vanilla. Even better? It’s Gluten free & vegan!
Apple Crumble, But Make It a Cozy Breakfast
Apple season always puts me in the mood for goodies like Apple Crisp and Apple Crumble Pie, but for breakfast, there’s nothing like this cozy gluten-free Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.
Happy cooking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
One thing I LOVE about this easy recipe is the simple ingredients list. Let’s take a look:
How To Make Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×9 or 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten-free oats, chopped pecans, ground flax, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until evenly blended.
- Add Wet Ingredients. Next, add almond milk, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, and the diced apples. Stir to combine. (It’ll look soupy at this point!)
- Bake. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Cool & Serve. Let oatmeal cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy warm with a splash of almond milk and a drizzle of pure maple syrup, if desired. Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.
FAQ + Tips And Tricks For The Best Apple Baked Oatmeal
What Are The Best Apples For Oatmeal? I recommend the same kinds of apples that work well for apple crisp or apple pie. You want juicy apples that hold their shape and won’t get mushy, so stick with reliable varieties like honey crisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Pink Lady, or Braeburn. They all work like a charm in this baked apple oatmeal recipe!
Can I Use Steel Cut Oats or Quick Oats Instead? No. I LOVE to make 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 for this baked oatmeal recipe.
Nut-Free Option. Feel free to skip the pecans! You can substitute raisins instead, or just omit them all together. Then, use whatever milk you typically drink–soy milk, oat milk, dairy-milk, and rice milk would all work!
Extras For Serving. Honestly, just a little splash of milk & drizzle of maple syrup is all I need, but try dressing your cinnamon apple oatmeal up with a little drizzle of peanut butter or almond butter, a dollop of Greek yogurt, or more chopped apples!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rolled Oats gluten free, as needed
- 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans (or Raisins)
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seed
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1 3/4 cups Milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 2 Tablespoon Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup diced apples
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×9 or 2-quart baking dish and set aside.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine gluten-free oats, chopped pecans, ground flax, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until evenly blended.
- Add Wet Ingredients. Next, add almond milk, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, and the diced apples. Stir to combine. (It'll look soupy at this point!)
- Bake. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
- Cool & Serve. Let oatmeal cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy warm with a splash of almond milk and a drizzle of pure maple syrup, if desired. Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days.
Notes
- Spice Blend Shortcut – You could totally swap in apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon/nutmeg combination I used above.
- Gluten Free Notes. 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.Â
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/apple-cinnamon-baked-oatmeal/This recipe was originally shared Sept 2018. Recipe has been updated with improved notes and tips, new photos, and video and republished Sept 2026.
Question: could you prepare this in the pan the night before, refrigerate it overnight and then bake in the morning?
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!
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?
Not at all! That sounds delicious!