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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Thank you, Jenn! Perfect oatmeal breakfast! I only put half the nuts in, really not a fan of them for breakfast. Next time, no nuts! I alone eat this, so I refrigerate it and portion it over four to five days.
Excellent and easy but too sweet for my taste. I just decrease the sugar. Have made it with pecans and/or dates too
I made it this morning. Outstanding! I didn’t peel the apples and used Lakanto Monkfruit golden sugar to substitute for the brown sugar. Just a little lower glycemic index. Hubby loved it. Win/win!
I passed on the nuts, because one of my grandkids is allergic.
I used Georgia bell peaches off my tree last year
It came out excellent! Thank you it’s a keeper👌
Absolute fave. THIS is what a warm hug tastes like.
I’ve made this recipe four or five times now—we like it that much! I usually bump it up to 1.5 recipes and bake it in a 9×13” pan. I sometimes increase the eggs to up the protein content a bit. But yesterday I made it as written and baked it in an 8” square. No problem whatsoever with baking time, it was firm to the center after 45-50 min. And delicious again.
Since I have type 1 diabetes, I eliminated the brown sugar altogether. Since I’m not crazy about raisins, and prefer foods tart rather than sweet, I used whole cranberries instead. Otherwise I followed the directions and it turned out perfect for me. I loved it and will surely make it again.
This recipe turned out wonderfully! I used 1 cup 2% milk and 1 cup almond milk. I also added 1 cup frozen blueberries. (Going to do half cup of blueberries and half cup of strawberries next time). The taste is just delightful! It’s a keeper and will become my go to breakfast casserole!
Yep. I was really disappointed with the really runny result. I’m going to look for a different recipe.
325 degrees at 40-45 minutes did not work for me. I use a typical Pyrex 2 qt. 8″ x 8″ pan. I would up turning up the oven to 370 and pushing the oatmeal in the center down to make the egg/milk mixture rise, wanting to not eat raw egg.
I will probably make this again but use my larger Pyrex 3 qt. 9″ x 13″ pan and try 350 degree oven while watching carefully.
I was so hungry, waiting more than a hour for this to cook and feeling so disappointed by the directions. I can only give you 4 stars.
I had the same issue using a 8×8 pan. Had to bake an additional 30 min. @325 to set the center. Will use larger pan next time. Other than that it’s a great recipe that I will surely make again.