Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is a simple breakfast made with wholesome ingredients like oats, apples, milk, brown sugar, and warm spices, with minimal prep time, ready in under an hour!

A spatula holding a piece of apple cinnamon baked oatmeal over the baking dish.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is the perfect cozy breakfast for a holiday morning. I love this because it’s made with simple ingredients like gluten free oats, crisp apples, milk, and some brown sugar for sweetness. You can also add your favorite mix-ins like raisins or chocolate chips!

This is perfect for meal prep, or you can freeze it for an easy grab-and-go portable breakfast option. I like to serve this with extra fresh fruit like bananas and berries, along with a drizzle of maple syrup and a sprinkle of brown sugar. It’s insanely easy to make, and the perfect breakfast to feed a crowd!

If you loved this nourishing breakfast recipe, you may also love my Amish Baked Oatmeal, or my Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies!

Table of contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Weekly Meal Prep. This is the perfect recipe for a meal prep breakfast option, because you can make a lot of servings at once and it freezes and reheats really well.

Easy to Make. It’s so simple to make this, just mix together and bake!

Flavor! There’s a ton of flavor going on here, and you can add a lot of different baking staples to change it around, like nuts, chocolate chips, or dried fruits.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Individual ingredients for apple cinnamon baked oatmeal on a table.

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. I use rolled oats, because you want them to maintain some of their texture after baking.

If you’re gluten free, make sure you choose certified gluten free oats that come from a company that uses purity protocol (meaning they are grown in dedicated oat fields that aren’t mingled with other grains).

You can read more about that over at gluten free watchdog.

Brown Sugar. I like to use brown sugar because it adds more depth of flavor compared to granulated sugar. You can also use some maple syrup or honey for flavor and sweetness.

Apples. I’m using fresh apples and unsweetened applesauce to add a nice apple flavor, plus sweetness from the fresh fruit. The apple sauce also provides some moisture to help the oats cook.

I use large to medium apples, usually granny smith, but you can also use honeycrisp or Fuji apples.

You can either cut the apples into small pieces, or use a cheese grater to shred the apples (my favorite method). Just make sure to stop before you reach the core, we’re throwing the core away.

Eggs. This is a binder that helps hold everything together and adds a little protein.

Milk. You can use regular, 2% milk, or a non-dairy milk substitute like unsweetened almond milk.

Vanilla Extract. This adds a really nice vanilla flavor.

Baking Powder. This helps make the oatmeal bake fluffier and less dense. Choose a double-acting baking powder.

Spices. I like to add some warm spices like ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The nutmeg and cloves can both be very strong, so make sure to measure them correctly.

Kitchen Tools

For this recipe, you’ll need a 9×13-inch baking dish and a large mixing bowl.

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Time needed: 50 minutes

  1. Prep the apples.

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Either dice or shred the apples, removing and discarding the core. A rectangle container filled with shredded apples on a table.

  2. Mix the dry ingredients.

    In a medium bowl stir together dry ingredients until well combined. Add diced apples and applesauce to the oatmeal mixture.A glass bowl of oats, brown sugar, and spices on a table.

  3. Stir all ingredients together.

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients (eggs, vanilla, and milk). Add to the oat mixture and stir until everything is well combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish evenly and sprinkle with extra cinnamon.A baking dish with apple cinnamon oatmeal before being baked.

  4. Bake.

    Bake for 40-45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown on top. Top with extra apple pieces if desired. A baking dish with apple cinnamon baked oatmeal topped with fresh diced apple pieces.

Recipe Variations

  • For an even better flavor, try caramelizing the apples first in a saucepan with butter before baking with the oats.
  • Try making this baked oatmeal with other fruit like blueberries, raspberries, or bananas. You can also use frozen mixed berries!
  • Other mix-ins I like are dried cranberries, chocolate chips, ground flaxseed, or chopped pecans or walnuts.
  • Try adding a drizzle of warm peanut butter on top for an “apples and peanut butter” combo.
  • Try this with other spice combos like Pumpkin Pie Spice or Apple Pie Spice!
  • This also goes well with greek yogurt and extra fruit or nuts on the side.

Recipe Tip! If your baking dish is bigger, don’t worry! Use a ratio of 2 cups of liquid per 2 cups of oats. If you’re adding more oats, you can increase the spices as well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you use quick cooking oats in baked oatmeal instead of rolled oats?

While quick cooking oats will technically work, rolled oats are a better choice. They hold up better while baking, giving you a good chewy texture. Quick cooking oats will work in a pinch, but you won’t get the same chewy oatmeal texture, and they may turn out mushy. Steel cut oats likewise would not cook in time.

Recipe Tip! If you want a creamier texture, try mixing in some mashed banana or peanut butter. For a cake-like texture, reduce the liquid slightly or add more oats to the dry ingredients in the recipe.

More Breakfast Recipes

Storage

Refrigerate leftover apple baked oatmeal for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

You can also make this ahead of time! Mix everything together and add to the baking dish, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook the next morning.

Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. This freezes really well, making it easy to grab a piece from the freezer and microwave before work!

Cooking Tips

  • Remember to grease the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or unsalted butter, because this will stick to the pan once baked.
  • Try making this baked apple oatmeal recipe in a muffin tin for a grab-and-go breakfast! Reduce the cooking time by about half.
  • I don’t peel the apples, but you can if you don’t like the peel.
A fork holding a piece of apple cinnamon baked oatmeal up above a plate of baked oatmeal and apple slices.

If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!

A spatula holding a piece of apple cinnamon baked oatmeal over the baking dish.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is a simple breakfast made with wholesome ingredients like oats, apples, milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon, with minimal prep time and ready in under an hour!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Review
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Author: Jacqui
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 cups rolled oats, certified gluten free
  • 2 medium granny smith apples, shredded or diced, core discarded
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder, double acting
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Equipment

  • 1 9×13-inch baking dish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl stir together dry ingredients until well combined. Add the apples to the mixture and stir everything together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining wet ingredients. Add to the oat mixture and stir until everything is well combined.
  • Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with extra cinnamon, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
You can also make this ahead of time! Mix everything together and add to the baking dish, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to cook the next morning.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. This freezes really well, making it easy to grab a piece from the freezer and microwave!
Cooking Tips
  • Remember to grease the baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or unsalted butter, because this will stick to the pan once baked.
  • If your baking dish is bigger, don’t worry! Use a ratio of 2 cups of liquid per 2 cups of oats. If you’re adding more oats, you can increase the spices as well.
  • While quick cooking oats will technically work, rolled oats are a better choice. They hold up better while baking, giving you a good chewy texture.
  • If you’re very sensitive to gluten, make sure you choose certified gluten free oats that come from a company that uses purity protocol (meaning they are grown in dedicated oat fields that aren’t mingled with other grains). You can read more about that over at gluten free watchdog.

Nutrition

Calories: 404kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 79g (26%)Protein: 10g (20%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 68mg (23%)Sodium: 270mg (12%)Potassium: 549mg (16%)Fiber: 6g (25%)Sugar: 48g (53%)Vitamin A: 211IU (4%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 225mg (23%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish and tag #dishingdelish!

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