Apple Baked Oats

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Apple baked oats offer a deliciously warm breakfast option featuring tender chunks of cinnamon and brown sugar-spiced apples mixed into a moist, oat-based batter. The addition of Greek yogurt and milk keeps the bake soft and creamy, while the mix of ground and whole oats adds texture. It’s a straightforward recipe for anyone craving a sweet yet wholesome start to the day.

Recipe Info

This recipe is:

• Comforting and naturally sweet. The combination of cinnamon-spiced cooked apples and brown sugar gives these baked oats a cozy, autumn-inspired flavor.
• Easy to make ahead. Perfect for meal prep—bake in ramekins, then store in the fridge to enjoy warm or cold throughout the week.
• Flexible and customizable. Use any milk or yogurt you prefer, swap out oils, or adjust sweetness to your taste.

Making apple baked oats for the first time? Read the ingredients notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re familiar with the recipe, feel free to jump to the recipe card.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Rolled oats. Use old-fashioned oats for the best texture.
• Salt. Enhances and balances the flavors in the baked oats.
• Cinnamon. Adds warm, aromatic spice that complements both the oats and the apples.
• Baking powder. Acts as a leavening agent to make the baked oats fluffier.
• Brown sugar. Sweetens and adds moisture. You can substitute it with white sugar or other natural sweeteners.
• Milk of choice. Provides moisture and binds ingredients; any dairy or plant-based milk works.
• No-fat Greek yogurt. Adds moisture and a slight tang, improving texture and protein content.
• Oil. Keeps the baked oats moist. Mild-flavored oils like vegetable or canola work best.
• Apple. Adds natural sweetness and texture.
• Lemon juice (optional). Adds brightness to apples. Especially useful if you’re using sweet apples.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Apple Baked Oats

1. Prep the apple. Peel and chop the apple into small chunks. Heat a non-stick skillet over low heat and cook the apple pieces for about 10 minutes. You’re looking for the apples to become soft and for their volume to reduce by about 50%. Once soft, sprinkle in a tiny bit of salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and add a squeeze of lemon juice if you like. Stir well and taste—adjust the sweetness or spice by adding more brown sugar, cinnamon, or lemon juice if needed. When they’re nicely softened and flavorful, remove from heat.

2. Grind half of the oats. Take half of your oats and grind them until they get a fine, flour-like texture. If you’re using a blender, blend on high speed for 20-30 seconds or until the oats look like a powder.

3. Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 180°C (350°F) so it’s ready when your batter is mixed.
4. Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the ground oats, remaining whole oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir these dry ingredients together until they are well combined.

5. Add wet ingredients and stir. Pour in the milk, yogurt, and oil. Mix everything thoroughly until you have a smooth batter with no dry spots.

6. Add the cooked apples. Fold most of the slightly cooled, cooked apple mixture into the batter, saving a few chunks to use as a topping.

7. Prepare the ramekins. Lightly grease your ramekins with a small amount of oil to prevent sticking.

8. Fill and top the ramekin(s). Pour the batter evenly into the ramekins and place the reserved apple chunks on top for a lovely finish.

9. Bake. Put the ramekins in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. To check if they’re done, insert a clean toothpick or knife into the center; it should come out mostly clean with maybe a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
10. Cool slowly. Turn off the oven and crack the door open slightly. Leave the baked oats inside for 5 to 10 minutes to cool down gently, which helps the texture stay nice. Remove from the oven.
11. Serve or store. Once cooled, enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later. They taste great warm or cold.

Variations

Vegan variation

Make these baked oats fully plant-based by swapping out dairy ingredients:

• Use any plant-based milk such as almond, oat, or soy milk instead of skim milk.
• Replace no-fat Greek yogurt with an equal amount of a thick vegan yogurt (coconut, almond, or soy-based).

High fiber version

To boost fiber content and maintain moisture and sweetness, alter the following ingredients:

• Add 1 tablespoon chia seeds (+4 g fiber) to the dry ingredients.
• Add 2 tablespoons milk to help keep the oats moist due to the chia absorbing liquid.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar to restore sweetness lost when adding chia seeds.

And adjust the preparation process:

• Combine all dry and wet ingredients together (but exclude the apple) and mix.
• Let the batter rest for 5 minutes to allow chia seeds to absorb liquid and prevent clumping.
• Give the batter a quick stir, add the apples, then transfer to your baking dish as usual.

Tips

• Ensure apples are perfectly softened before mixing in. Cook them low and slow, and taste to adjust sweetness and spice. A splash of lemon juice can really brighten up dessert apples.
• Cool apples slightly before folding into the batter. Adding hot apples can affect the batter’s consistency and lead to uneven baking. 2 to 3 minutes in a single layer on a large plate is usually enough.
• Use you own spice mix. Feel free to use your favorite spices when cooking the apples. A homemade (or store-bought) apple pie spice mix is a great option to try.

Storage

After cooling, store the apple baked oats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

Similar Recipes to Try

Looking for more? Check out the following recipes:

• Pear Upside Down Baked Oats. A bit more involved than this recipe, but the result is totally worth the extra couple of minutes of prep.
• Raspberry White Chocolate Baked Oats. Looking for a fruity twist with a creamy, dessert-like feel? These oats mix fresh raspberries and sweet white chocolate for a delightful breakfast upgrade.
• Blueberry Baked Oats. Another fruity option, this time with blueberries. Super simple, delicious, and best of all, works with fresh or frozen blueberries.
• Lemon Baked Oats. Baked oats flavored with fresh lemon juice and zest. As simple as the one above.
• Chocolate Banana Baked Oats. Classic banana chocolate combo in a super simple (mix & bake) baked oats recipe.

Apple Baked Oats

Comforting baked oats with cinnamon-spiced apples, moist texture, and simple wholesome ingredients for a warm, fruit-forward breakfast.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Bake: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple, Baked Oats, Cinnamon

Servings: 1 serving

Calories: 377kcal

Author: Marcin Skrzypiec

Equipment

• 8 oz ramekins
• Food processor

Ingredients

• ½ cup rolled oats 50 g
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• ¼ cup milk of choice 60 g
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt no-fat, 30 g
• ½ tbsp oil
• ½ apple medium
• lemon juice optional

Instructions

• Prep Apple: Peel and chop the apple into small chunks. Cook apple pieces in a skillet over low heat for 10 minutes until soft and reduced.
• Season: Sprinkle a bit of salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and add lemon juice if using. Stir well and adjust seasoning to taste. Remove from heat.
  lemon juice
• Prep Oats: Grind half the oats to a fine flour-like texture using a blender or spice grinder.
• Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
• Mix Dry Ingredients: Combine ground oats, whole oats, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and brown sugar in a bowl.
  ½ cup rolled oats, ⅛ tsp salt, ¼ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp baking powder, 2 tsp brown sugar
• Mix Wet Ingredients: Add milk, yogurt, and oil. Mix until smooth with no dry spots.
  ¼ cup milk of choice, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt, ½ tbsp oil
• Add the Apple: Fold most of the cooled apple mixture into the batter, reserving some for topping.
  ½ apple
• Prepare Baking Dish: Lightly grease ramekins with oil.
• Fill: Pour batter into ramekins; top with reserved apple chunks.
• Bake: Bake for 25 minutes. Test doneness with a toothpick; it should come out mostly clean.
• Cool: Cool in the oven with the door slightly open for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve: Serve warm or cold, or refrigerate for later.

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Notes

• Nutrition information calculated using skim milk. Treat it as an estimate.
• The ingredients listed make 1 portion that fits into an 8 oz ramekin.

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 58.1g | Protein: 13.7g | Fat: 10.7g | Fiber: 7.3g

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