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!
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.
What Makes This Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Amazing
How To Make Apple 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 oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2 quart (8″x8″) baking dish with cooking spray, coconut oil, or butter (if not vegan).
- Make Chia Egg. 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.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and pecans or raisins. Stir to combine well.
- Add Wet Ingredients. Next, add milk, applesauce, chia “egg,” diced apples, and vanilla. Stir to combine well.
- Bake. Pour mixture into your prepared baking dish. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until just golden on top.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy warm with a drizzle of maple syrup and milk. Store leftovers covered (or in an airtight container) in the fridge 2-3 days. When reheating leftovers, you’ll likely want to add a splash of milk.
FAQ + Tips For The Best Apple Cinnamon Baked 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!
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free 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 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon 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 Tablespoon chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water (or 1 egg instead of this chia egg!)
- 1 cup diced apples
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To serve:
- Maple Syrup
- Almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2 quart (8"x8") baking dish with cooking spray, coconut oil, or butter (if not vegan).
- Make Chia Egg. 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.
- Combine Dry Ingredients. In a large bowl, combine oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and pecans or raisins. Stir to combine well.
- Add Wet Ingredients. Next, add milk, applesauce, chia "egg," diced apples, and vanilla. Stir to combine well.
- Bake. Pour mixture into your prepared baking dish. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until just golden on top.
- Serve & Store. Enjoy warm with a drizzle of maple syrup and milk. Store leftovers covered (or in an airtight container) in the fridge 2-3 days. 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.
- 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/
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!