Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Recipe
Posted: 03/01/2017
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Meal prepping at its best, this easy apple cinnamon baked oatmeal recipe tastes great all week long! One of the best ways to enjoy it is with a dollop of yogurt on top!
I’m sitting at a coffee shop writing this blog post right now and yawning. I can’t stop yawning. All the coffee in the world will not help me today.
Buuuut….
I read a really great article today (from Sarah Von Bargen) about how the things that make you busy/stressed/tired are often the same exact things that make you happy. It really hit home for me because it’s so true. Would my life be less stressful and less busy without this corner of the internet that I call home? Certainly. But would I be as happy if I wasn’t constantly trying to improve this site and my skills? Debateable, but likely not.
Is it sometimes exhausting hearing a 4-year-old call down, “Is it wake-up time?” before 6AM? YES. Yes, it is. Would I change it for the world? Never ever.
It really hit home and gave me a good dose of perspective that I needed this morning. I’m tired and yawning because I woke up at 4:45AM to work out today. But I’m so thankful for a healthy body and the ability to get up and work out. I’m thankful for the way working out makes me feel. Yes, it’s one more thing on my schedule, but it makes my life better and happier.
From here on out, I’m really going to take a minute to consider what it is that is making me feel busy or tired before I start grumping about it. Anyone care to hold me to that?
Also, I’ll keep on making easy recipes like this baked oatmeal recipe for all of us to enjoy. I’m simplifying those early mornings with make-ahead breakfasts that create a slightly more leisurely pace before the sun rises. A couple of my favorites are this Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Cheesecake or Chocolate Protein Pancakes (make ahead and freeze). This past week, I didn’t have anything prepped for breakfast and it really made a difference (not in a good way) in our morning. Ben hits the drive-thru for a much less healthy start to his day more often when I don’t have something ready for him to grab in the fridge.
This baked oatmeal recipe is unbelievably easy to prepare (SO SO SO easy!) and it’s great warmed up for a minute in the microwave and topped with milk or a dollop of yogurt.
Let’s all try to enjoy the busy a little more, but simplify where we can, at breakfast, with our oatmeal. If you’re an oatmeal fan like me, try it in all its forms! My Carrot Cake Slow Cooker Oatmeal cooks while you sleep (hooray!). If you love the idea of that, you might also like this CrockPot Make-Ahead Apple Pie Oatmeal from Kalyn’s Kitchen. Something that’s a little less common but I absolutely adore is to pour cooked oatmeal into a pan, let it cool, and then cut it out and pan-sear it. The partnering of a crunchy outside and soft inside is absolutely irresistible — you have to try Pan-Seared Oatmeal if you’ve never had it. If you’re feeling extra motivated, you can even use cookie cutters to cut it into fun shapes – I did heart-shaped Strawberry Steel Cut Oatmeal for Valentine’s Day! I haven’t tried overnight oats (in the fridge) yet, but this No-Cook Blueberry and Apricot Overnight Oatmeal from Belly Full looks like the perfect place to start! Or this recipe for Raspberry Mocha Latte Overnight Oats from Cupcakes & Kale Chips — YUM!
PS: I just yawned again. And I have a 2 1/2 hour drive this afternoon to see my accountant. When you find someone you love, it’s hard to switch! Maybe next year…
Used in this recipe:
- this baking dish
- whole nutmeg & a fine microplane – it makes SUCH a difference to grate it yourself!
- chia seeds
- ground flax seeds
- steel cut oats
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Get a nutritious head start on your mornings with this easy baked oatmeal recipe! The flavor variations guarantee that it won't get boring.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned)
- 2 cups milk (cow’s milk, almond milk, or oat milk)
- ¼ cup coconut sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup
- 1 large egg or 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds (flax meal)
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted or butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Variations
- Apple Spice: add 1 large apple, chopped (about 1 cup) + 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Berry: add 1 cup berries
- Banana Nut: add 1 cup sliced banana and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Maple Pecan: add 1/2 cup chopped pecans and use maple syrup as sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 8x8, 9×9, or 11x7 pan with nonstick baking spray or coconut oil spray.
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes or until set and golden brown. Serve warm with milk or yogurt, if desired.
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals or until warm.
Notes
- Nutrition information is based on using 2% milk, coconut sugar, egg, and coconut oil. It does not include variations.
- Vegan: Use non-dairy milk, coconut oil, and ground flax.
- Baked oatmeal can be frozen. Bake as directed, cut into pieces (if desired) wrap well, and freeze for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 296kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 199mg, Potassium: 332mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 182IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 235mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Husband’s take: He really liked this for breakfast. He had a boiled egg with it and said it kept him full all morning.
Changes I would make: None are necessary. And PS: I’ve forgotten the coconut oil (maybe I was busy yawning?) and it still turns out. Sticks to the baking dish a little, though.
Difficulty: Easy! Stir and bake, friends. You can totally handle it.
Cecile Beacham says
Trouble – it was horrible. The steel cut oats were not cooked. I am very very careful with new recipes and nothing was missed. It cooked for 55 minutes.
Rachel Gurk says
Hmmm, that’s strange. Sorry to hear you didn’t have success with this one.
Denise says
sounds filling
Sues says
It’s so true that the things the make us stressed our often also the things that make us happiest. So much of what we do (though not all!!) is really about choice :) Also, if I eliminated all the stress in my life, I’d probably be totally bored! This baked oatmeal looks awesome!! Perfect to make at the beginning of the week and bring to work for a delicious breakfast :)
KalynsKitchen says
I am such a huge oatmeal fan, and this looks amazing. Thanks for the shout-out for my oatmeal recipe too.
Jaynarti says
This looks awesome! I only have traditional rolled oats though. Would it work?
Rachel Gurk says
Should work, but I haven’t tried it! You could potentially decrease cooking time with rolled oats, but like I said, I haven’t tested the recipe that way yet. Let me know how it turns out!