Baked Oatmeal with Apples
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Wake up to the cozy flavors of fall with this comforting baked oatmeal—a warm, make-ahead breakfast that’s perfect for chilly mornings.
Baked oatmeal is a traditional and comforting breakfast casserole. Unlike regular oatmeal, which is made on the stovetop and has a porridge-like consistency, or overnight oats, which are served chilled, baked oatmeal recipe is made in the oven and has a consistency similar to bread pudding. There are endless variations, like blueberry baked oatmeal and morning glory baked oatmeal, but this version with juicy apples, plump raisins, and warm spices is a classic. Bonus: it can be made ahead of time and reheats beautifully.
“FANTASTIC!! I sub peaches during the summer and add ginger and nutmeg. We cut into individual portions and top with Greek yogurt.”
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Oatmeal
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: The base of the dish; don’t substitute instant oats—they won’t give you the same hearty texture.
- Chopped walnuts or pecans, raisins & apples: These add-ins lend crunch, a touch of chewiness and sweetness, and tart, fruity flavor.
- Light brown sugar, cinnamon & vanilla: A well-balanced mix that sweetens the oatmeal and adds warm spice and depth of flavor.
- Baking powder: Helps the dish rise slightly.
- Butter, Eggs & Milk: This trio binds everything together and gives the oatmeal a rich and custardy texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, half of the nuts, raisins, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla until well combined.
Step 3: Combine everything. Pour the custard and melted butter into the oat mixture and stir until evenly mixed.
Step 4: Layer the apples. Arrange the chopped apples in a greased baking dish.
Step 5: Assemble and top. Pour the oat mixture over the apples and sprinkle the remaining nuts on top.
Step 6: Bake. Bake at 325°F for about 40 minutes, until the oats are set and the top is golden. It’s just as tasty cold from the fridge the next day, so be sure to save a slice!
ADDITIONAL PRO TIPS
- Make it your own: You can swap the raisins for dried cranberries, chopped dates, currants, or skip them altogether.
- No nuts (or different nuts)? Instead of pecans, use slivered almonds or walnuts. Pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds work too—or just leave them out.
- Meal prep win: Slice the baked oatmeal into squares, wrap individually, and store in the fridge or freezer for a grab-and-go breakfast.
- Best apple types: For the best results, use tart yet sweet baking apples, like Honey Crisp or Gala, which hold their shape when baked.
Got Oats? More Ways to use them
Baked Oatmeal with Apples
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
- ¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, divided
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the dish
- 2 tart yet sweet baking apples, such as Honey Crisp, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.3-cm) chunks (about 2 cups/232 g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease an 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23-cm) baking dish with butter.
- In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, ½ cup (60 g) of the nuts, raisins, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
- In another bowl, break up the eggs with a whisk; then whisk in the milk and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the milk mixture to the oat mixture, along with the melted butter.
- Scatter the apples evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oatmeal mixture over top and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup (60 g) nuts on top. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the oats are set. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Can I substitute almond or soy milk for dairy milk? Also would a stevia/agave blend liquid be a good substitute for brown sugar?
Yes Maria, I think either almond or soy milk would work. I haven’t tried this dish with anything but brown sugar, but I suspect the stevia/agave blend should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This was amazing!! I only used 1/3 cup of sugar, a little maple syrup, and the can (I know I’m a cheat… 🙂 ) of apple cinnamon apples I had on the shelf. That was a match made in heaven! Would this work with bananas?
So glad you liked it! And yes, the recipe is really flexible; you can use whatever fruit you have on hand.
I love this and make it almost every week now (on Sunday) and take it to work with me for breakfast. It is so easy. And I think it gets better as the week goes on.
I cut the sugar down a bit (but do top with a bit of maple syrup). I’ve tried increasing the eggs (or adding more egg whites) to increase the protein. (still working on this.). AND I’ve even made the dish up the night before (let it sit in the refrigerator overnight) and baked it in the morning. Delish.
Keep thinking I may try it with blueberries but every week I think of how tasty the apple / raisin combination is that I make it again.
Thanks so much – great recipe.
follow up – has anyone tried baking in muffin pans rather than a square dish? I really want a batch to be six servings and impossible to cut a square into six same-size servings. If anyone has tried this, let me know how it worked (and how long you baked it)! thanks.
Donna
I now bake this every week in a large muffin pan. . so I get 6 servings and have breakfast all week. Love this recipe.
How long did you bake? And did you add an extra egg?
Just made this for breakfast this morning. I used dried cranberries instead because I didn’t have any raisins on hand. It turned out great, absolutely delicious. My kids also loved it and they are pretty picky. Thanks for another great recipe.
This was great! So good I had it for breakfast and lunch… I substituted maple syrup because I was out of brown sugar and used 1/2 as much as was called for but it was still too sweet for me. I might try just 1/4th cup maple syrup next time. It might even be good without any sugar… Jenn?
P.S. I made it a day ahead and stuck it in the oven … on a school morning, too!
Glad you liked it! I don’t think it would cause any problems if you completely eliminated the sugar/maple syrup, but a touch of sweetness is nice.
This is a great recipe to have in your arsenal for those cold winter mornings. Tastes great and is easy to prepare and toss in the oven.
Enjoyed. Very satisfying. Hubby and I had a portion for breakfast with maple syrup drizzled on it. Satisfied us all day long. Prefer it right out of the oven. (Not warmed up) Thanks for breakfast!
Can this dish be prepared the night before and cooked the next morning?
Definitely!
This fall we went apple picking and over did it on the picking. Wanted something different for breakfast so tried the baked oatmeal…HOLY MOLY! YUMMMMM! My husband loves this recipe! Between October and now (New Years Day) I have since made this using raspberries, blueberries, bananas, cherries, cranberries, craisins and raisins together, cherries and because I had a small can of mandarin oranges one day, I tossed those in with a bit of coconut and flax seed. So far every fruit I have used has worked to perfection. Thumbs way up!!!!
can this be made the night before?
Sure Jeanett, this dish reheats well.
Can I omit the eggs?
Hi Desiree, The eggs help thicken the custard and bind the oats together. If you want to omit them, I would suggest substituting ground flax seeds with water, applesauce or mashed bananas. I’d love to hear how it turns out!