Baked Apple Oatmeal
This post may contain affiliate links.
This baked apple oatmeal is a make-ahead breakfast that truly saves me on a busy morning! It’s a warm meal, but it only takes few minutes to assemble, and the apple cinnamon flavor is something everyone in my family enjoys.
I especially love that everyone can grab a square when they’re ready to eat, so I don’t have to stop what I’m doing to make separate breakfasts. It’s an easy way to have something homemade ready when our morning gets going.
Why This Recipe is a Family Favorite
Once everything is in the baking dish, the oven does the rest, giving you time to move on to whatever else your morning needs.
It’s especially nice that even on a busy morning, your family won’t have to eat a cold bowl of cereal or a quick grab-n-go breakfast. It’s a warm meal that’s comforting and filling!
You can customize individual servings, so the same batch can work for different tastes. There are loads of ways to top it—Greek yogurt, homemade honey peanut butter, fresh fruit, or a little maple syrup.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times, so I can save you from a failed attempt.
- Stick with old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick-cooking oats and instant oatmeal don’t work in this recipe. Steel-cut oats might work, but they haven’t been tested and will give you a chewier consistency and may require additional milk.
- Look at the center of the pan. The top should be set and lightly golden when the oatmeal is ready. If the middle still looks wet, it needs more time before you pull it from the oven.
- Let it cool before you start slicing. Giving the baked oatmeal a few minutes to sit after it comes out of the oven helps it set up so it’s easier to cut into squares.
Ingredients
You’ll want to add these ingredients to your grocery shopping list:
Apple: Honeycrisp works well here, but you can use any firm-fleshed apple instead. Grating it allows the apple to mix throughout the oatmeal rather than leaving you with larger pieces.
Rolled oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats for this recipe. I haven’t tested the recipe with steel cut oats, and quick cooking oats will be too mushy.
Milk: Either dairy or non-dairy milk will work, so you can use whichever option you prefer.
Greek yogurt: Use plain, unflavored Greek yogurt so you aren’t adding another flavor to the oatmeal. If you need to use a dairy-free yogurt, that will be fine.
Maple syrup: This sweetens the oatmeal and works with the apple and cinnamon flavors. If you need a substitute, honey will work as well.
How to Make Baked Apple Oatmeal
For the full instructions, see the recipe card! ⬇️
Jump to Recipe
- Whisk the milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla together until everything is well combined. Don’t worry about getting the mixture perfectly smooth. Just make sure the eggs are mixed in well.
- Add the dry ingredients. Measure the rolled oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into the baking dish and give everything a good stir. You want those smaller ingredients mixed throughout the oats before adding the wet mixture.
- Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients. Give everything a gentle stir, making sure to get all the way into the corners where dry oats like to hide.
- Keep stirring gently until all of the oats are coated and you don’t see any dry patches. It may look pretty loose at this point, but that’s okay.
- Fold in the grated apple. Spread it around as you go so you don’t end up with all the apple in one spot.
- Give everything one last stir, then spread the mixture evenly in the pan. Once the oats and apple look evenly distributed, you’re ready to bake!
Tip for Success
Grease the baking dish before adding the oatmeal mixture. It will help prevent the baked oatmeal from sticking.
Make it kid-friendly:
Cut the baked oatmeal into smaller pieces for little ones, then let them add their favorite toppings to make their serving their own.
Serving Suggestions
At my house, we serve the baked apple oatmeal with fresh fruit and a little Greek yogurt for a simple breakfast. For some extra protein, pair it with muffin tin egg bites or boiled eggs.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
To store: Let the baked apple oatmeal cool completely, then transfer the squares to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Once cooled, wrap individual squares or place them in a freezer-safe container with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Refrigerated squares can be warmed in the microwave until heated through. For frozen oatmeal, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Baked Oatmeal Recipe FAQs
No, you can leave the peel on before grating the apple. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can peel it first.
For the most consistent results, use the 9x13-inch baking dish called for in the recipe. A smaller dish will make the oatmeal thicker and may change how long it takes to bake.
For the best results, mix and bake the oatmeal when you're ready to eat it rather than assembling it the night before. You can measure the ingredients ahead of time to make morning prep quicker.
After you make this recipe, please give it a star rating below and comment to let me know how it went!
Baked Apple Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup Honeycrisp apple or similar firm flesh apple
- 1.5 cups milk dairy or non-dairy
- ⅓ cup plain yogurt
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups rolled oats see Notes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Grate 1 cup Honeycrisp apple and set aside.
- Add the 1.5 cups milk, ⅓ cup plain yogurt, ½ cup maple syrup, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- In another bowl, stir together the 3 cups rolled oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the grated apple.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour the batter in and spread evenly.
- Bake on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes, until the top is set and lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- This recipe will not work with quick cooking oats, steel cut oats, or instant oatmeal.
- Grease the baking dish first. Lightly grease the 9x13-inch baking dish before adding the oatmeal mixture to help keep it from sticking.
