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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We used as a springboard for what was on hand and doubled it. Because cooking once to get 2 meals is a sanity saver! Had frozen pears, small handfuls of dried apricots and figs, plus a lone Cortland apple (the best baking apple in my opinion). Did 1/2 cup sugar. And a bag of pecans. The sweetness was just perfect.
Forgot to mention in my comments adding orange zest brings this to the next level!
Hi Jenn; what do you think about adding some cranberries to this? I have a half bag leftover. Thanks! Love your site.
Sure, Sue, I think that would be nice. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Can this be made in individual servings- such as wide mouth canning jars or tartlet pans?
Hi Beth, Sure that should work (as long as you can put canning jars in the oven). Individual portions may not take as long to bake so keep a close eye on them. Hope you enjoy!
Is there a way to search comments? I want to see what changes others made with types of milk, fruit, frozen berries or not, sugar substitutes, and ways to eliminate – apples are already sweet. I do not drink cow’s milk and regularly make rice pudding with soy milk – so guess it would work here – but wondering if anyone tried dried buttermilk, soy, cow’s milk product, and how it was?
Hi Madeleine, unfortunately, there’s not a search function for the comments. You can use the find feature on your computer and type in a word that may take you to some comments that would be relevant to you. Regarding your questions: 1) I think a non-dairy milk would work here but wouldn’t recommend buttermilk. 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! 2) If you want to use berries, I’d recommend this recipe instead (and frozen blueberries will work). 3) I haven’t tried this with a sugar substitute but I think it would work. Hope that helps!
You could try Lakanto Monkfruit golden as a sugar replacement. I thought it was great!!
I love love love this recipe! We live in NE Washington and it was 14 degrees this morning (it’s only mid November). Our winters are long and very cold and this baked oatmeal is our go to most mornings. It’s a perfect start to our day! I’ve taken a couple of liberties and used dried cranberries instead of raisins and sometimes add ground flax. Thank you!
Can this be prepared, baked, and frozen for the future?
Yep — see the bottom of the recipe for freezer-friendly instructions. Hope you enjoy!
I make this recipe weekly for breakfast. It’s easily my favorite thing about the morning. If I bake this in my Kitchenaid Countertop Oven, how long should I bake it?
Hi Lauren, so glad this starts your morning off on the right foot! I’ve never used a countertop oven so I can’t say for sure, but I would assume that the timing is probably similar.
Hi there! Can this be make without nuts? Also as opposed to using fresh apples could one used diced up dried apple rings?
Hi Darrin, You can just omit the nuts, but I wouldn’t recommend using the dried apples. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Oh my gosh this was wonderful. I make several baked oatmeal this is so far the best.
I have made this recipe several times, and I love it! I noticed that several people mentioned that it is runny or takes a long time to cook–more than 40-45 minutes. This has not been my experience. I cook this recipe at 350-375 degrees. I have never cooked it at 325. I assumed that 350 was the correct temperature when I viewed the recipe, and I didn’t look. Living at high altitude, as I do, over 5k feet above sea level many times cooking takes longer. It cooks in 40-45 minutes.
Haven’t eaten it yet. Smells great but looks runny. I hope after it sits for a bit it’ll absorb the liquid. I’ll let you know
We love baked oatmeal at my house. Another similar recipe calls for a 400 degree oven. . This recipe at 325, was not nearly ready after 55 minutes. I raised it to 370 to completely cook. Great taste!
This is delicious. It reminds me of bread pudding. This is the best baked oatmeal recipe that I have ever tried. Thank you for sharing!
I always enjoy your recipes but this one needed tweaking for me. I used half the sugar called for. I didn’t care for the texture. I am going to try mixing all ingredients together and letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight and then baking it. I liked that the oatmeal had added protein.
This tastes amazing! I skipped the raisins and only added 20 grams of sugar. The rosted walnuts on top are my favourite part.