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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I love your site. Have not tried a recipe I didn’t like. Could you give me a substitute for the egg in this recipe? We have an egg allergy. Thanks so much
So glad you like the site! Two of the best substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder, and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both. I would assume many recipes would also work with some kind of store-bought egg substitute. Hope that helps!
We also have an egg allergy and this recipe worked well with Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacement.
I was wanting to start eating oatmeal for breakfast but never cared much for the gloppy texture of it. This recipe is the solution!
As others have mentioned, I reduced brown sugar to1/4 cup and substituted some agave nectar. I used oat milk and dried cranberries. Now I can actually have oatmeal for breakfast!
Sorry. I used almond milk, not oat milk. I baked more like 55min to 1 hour.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. We enjoyed it this morning for breakfast and look forward to having some for dessert with vanilla ice cream.
I’ve been enjoying your recipes for a number of years now. You empower me with confidence every time! Thank you for your sharing your talent.
💗
Jenn, did you change this recipe? Several years ago, I had friends to a ski house, one of whom didn’t eat sugar. I could have sworn I made this for breakfast, for certain I made a baked oatmeal breakfast from your recipes. Can I make this omitting brown sugar, maybe a bit of maple syrup instead?
Hi Allise, the post has new pictures but the recipe itself hasn’t changed. And I do think you could replace the brown sugar with maple syrup. Enjoy!
Great recipe Jenn. We used to live near Lancaster PA and Sugarcreek OH, true Amish country. Your recipe is spot on and tastes just like the oatmeal they would serve on the breakfast buffets at the Amish restaurants. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
I made this today. This is what I’ve been looking for. I like to eat my breakfast on my commute to work. I wanted an oatmeal that stayed together. I’ve been looking at oatmeal bars, but that really wasn’t what I wanted. I found a couple of apples today that were soft and I almost threw them out. Then I searched a baked Apple oatmeal and came across your recipe. I made it this afternoon and it is the recipe I have been wanting. I left out the nuts (don’t like them). I kept everything else the same. Next time I probably won’t include the raisins, but it is a good basic recipe I can see making with peaches or blueberries too.
My family loves it. Super easy to make, great texture and it’s a nice change from the mundane ordinary oatmeal.
I love this recipe. Every time. Just as written or changed up. Always great! Thank you for the recipe.
LOVE THIS! With many food allergies/sensitivities, this recipe was so easy to make with simple substitutions and tastes wonderful! I love anything cranberry so I substituted 1 cup dried cranberries (I prefer Trader Joe’s brand as they are organic, more moist and plump than other brands). I increased the amount as I had to omit the nuts due to an allergy. With a milk sensitivity (No not the lactose) I substituted Oat Milk (or Oat Beverage as they are now required to label it as!) Came out perfectly!
I had to dump out a lot of liquid after minutes of baking. It was also too sweet for my taste buds, but still very delicious. Maybe 1 cup of milk next time and less sugar?
Hi Lisa, How many minutes did you bake it? (I think you forgot to mention that in your comment.) Also, did you make any adjustments to the recipe? Did you use either an 8 or 9-inch baking dish?
I made this for breakfast this morning. It was so delicious and comforting. I am trying to reduce my sugar intake so I used 2/4 cup Stevia instead of light brown sugar. I substituted the walnuts for pecans, used Granny Smith apples and dried cranberries. I served it with a dollop of yoghurt and sugar free maple syrup.
This is so annoying with these constant alerts to post a message when I’m simply trying to read the reviews. Not to mention the plethora of ads… I’m try to make it but so frustrating…. I’m posting and hopefully this will stop. Review possibly coming later.
I make this time and time again, it’s always a crowd pleaser! I love to make it to bring into work and share with my colleagues. We just warm it up in the microwave. I’ve made it with almond milk. I usual use half golden raisins half cranberries. I don’t usually add the apple or nuts they’re not out usually on hand in the pantry. I do like to add a splash of nutmeg and clove in the winter months.