Apple Baked Oatmeal
Apple Baked Oatmeal is full of warm spices, tender apples, and comforting caramel. It’s the perfect autumn breakfast!
AN APPLE FALL RECIPE
Have you ever made or tried baked oatmeal? If not, you absolutely must give it a try at least once. I promise it will be come a new favorite. It has a slightly chewy texture and the edges get a little crispy (my favorite part!). With this Apple Baked Oatmeal, we’re adding apples to it with some fall inspired spices – it is just phenomenal! It’s easy to throw together, bakes in under 40 minutes, and reheats beautifully!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Yes! Apple Baked Oatmeal is perfect for making ahead. Prepare and bake as directed, then let it cool completely. Store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the whole dish in the oven when you’re ready to serve.
You can! While brown sugar adds a richer, molasses-like flavor that pairs nicely with the apples and spices, white granulated sugar will still work. The texture will stay the same, but the flavor will be slightly less deep and caramel-like.
To make it sugar-free, you can substitute a sugar alternative like monk fruit sweetener, erythritol, stevia, or a sugar-free brown sugar substitute (like Swerve or Lakanto). Be sure to check the package for proper conversion, as some substitutes are sweeter than others. You can also omit the caramel sauce or use a sugar-free version to keep the sweetness in check.
Since the caramel sauce is totally optional, you can trade out the toppings. The caramel just gives it a more caramel apple flavor. Personally, I love to warm up a little whole milk or half and half and pour it on top. It’s so yummy! It’s even delicious all by itself with no topping. Maple syrup, heavy cream or milk poured on top like cereal is also great with this.
Only use old-fashioned rolled oats or it may not set up correctly.
Yup, just use a larger pan (like a 9×13 and an 8×8) or bake in batches.
Keep refrigerated for up to 4 days, freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers can be reheated in the oven or microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- old-fashioned rolled oats– be sure these are the oats that you use. Other options will not set properly (so don’t grab those quick cooking oats!)
- light brown sugar– I shared more on sugar options above in the Frequently Asked Questions section.
- baking soda – this might seem like a strange ingredient but this gives it a slightly softer texture and a little less dense.
- apple pie spice – if you don’t have apple pie spice, you can make some Homemade Apple Pie Spice or just use a bit of cinnamon if that is all you have on hand.
- salt
- large eggs
- milk – whole milk works best for this, but in a pinch you could use 2% milk. I do not recommend using skim milk as it’s just too watery.
- caramel sauce – this is an optional ingredient that I used as a topping. You can even use Homemade Caramel Sauce or use different topping options that I shared in the FAQ’s.
- vanilla extract
- unsalted butter– salted butter could be used, but just remove ¼ teaspoon of salt if using salted butter.
- small diced Granny Smith apples– You can use whatever kind of baking apples you like, including Honeycrisp or Braeburn.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE BAKED OATMEAL:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, baking soda, apple spice, and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ¼ cup caramel sauce, and vanilla extract.
Stir in the butter.
Pour the wet ingredients into the oat mixture. Stir to combine.
Fold in the apples.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth it out. Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and golden brown.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving with more caramel sauce on top.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup caramel sauce (plus more for garnish, optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups small diced Granny Smith apples (about 2 large apples – see notes below)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/4 cup caramel sauce and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Stir in 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the oat mixture. Stir to combine.
- Gently stir in 2 cups small diced Granny Smith apples.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth it out.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until set and golden brown.
- Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving with more (optional) caramel sauce on top.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- I did not peel my apples but if you are not a fan of apple peel, just go ahead and peel them before dicing.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
My husband and I loved this! Wow! It has such great flavor! He’s asked me to make it again 🙂
We love to use fresh apples from our apple trees.