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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This is my favorite recipe for baked oatmeal! I cut the brown sugar to 1/2 cup for guests who want it less sweet and put maple syrup on the table for people who like a little more sweetness. Easy to make and so, so good!
Yikes – I think I forgot to hit the 5 stars before I posted my comment!
This oatmeal is amazing. A few years ago, I made nearly 50 batches and delivered to friends, neighbors, and family as holiday gifts, and nothing I’ve made since can live up to this. It has become my go-to when looking to help out a friend after a new baby, illness, etc because it is nutritious, comforting, and delicious.
I have to admit I cut the sugar down to 1/4 cup, and it has never been missed. I also sometimes mix in cranberries with the raisins. I do apologize for rating and altering the recipe at the same time, but I can safely say that this has become a cherished family recipe that I expect my kids will be making with their kids. If you knew how picky my son is, you’d understand what a compliment that really is!
I love your recipes, and appreciate that they are so easy to follow. Thank you for sharing!
Can I use dried apricots in place of raisins? I have some I need to use up. Do I need to make any adjustments to the recipe? I’m looking forward to making this dish! Thank you Jenn.
Marianne
Hi Marianne, dried diced apricots are perfectly fine to use with no other adjustments. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so very much for this recipe. I used 3/8 c. Splenda brown sugar (which is essentially 3 Tbls. brown sugar) and pecans in place of walnuts just because I love the taste of pecans. Of course I toasted my nuts! No matter which way I made it – with or without raisins and/or apples – it was DELICIOUS!!! Even warmed up on day 2, just as yummy. Great recipe.
Can I use water in place of milk and just increase the butter a little bit?
Yep 🙂
This is by far the worst recipe I have ever made. I followed it to the letter (except no walnuts). It was tasteless and soggy, I threw most of it away. Where is the flour? Why do use baking powder if there is nothing to rise? Two cups of milk? What a waste of good ingredients.
This is not a bar recipe. This is closer to a custard recipe. It’s supposed to be “soggy” just like bread pudding is supposed to be.
This dish is delicious. Not certain I would like it, I cut the recipe in half. That was a big mistake. Should have made the entire dish, it was that good. Based on some other comments I reduced the sugar, increased the vanilla and added a splash of almond flavor. I’m not sure the sugar needed to be reduced. It depends on how sweet you like your oatmeal. I used a honeycrisp apple and it was perfect. I highly recommend not leaving out the apples. I baked it at 350 degrees for 45 minutes and it came out perfect. I warmed it up the second day in the microwave and it was just as good. I now have an oatmeal dish my husband will eat. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some caramel sauce and you’ll have an amazing dessert. I can’t wait to make this for my in-laws, they’ll love it.
Hi Jenn, I am not big on apples, do you think banana at bottom of dish would work? If yes, would I have to make any changes to compensate for no apple? Thanks in advance for your answer.
This recipe is pretty flexible, so you can get away with bananas here. I’d probably mix them in with everything though, instead of lining the bottom of the pan with them. Please LMK how it turns out!
I didn’t read the recipe all the way through and mixed the apples in and I didn’t add walnuts, I added 1 cup of raisins, couple Tlbls of wheat germ and some chia seeds. It was so amazing! It was even better warmed up the second morning! Loved it!
Always rapidly devoured, warm or cold, by our family. With picky little ones, I shred the apples (don’t have to peel!) and decrease the sugar to 1/4 cup. Once I forgot the and sprinkled it on top and that was good. Very forgiving/flexible recipe. Sometimes I’m too lazy to melt the butter and just skip it. I always bake it in an 11×7 inches (2 Qt, 1.9 L) pan and sometimes it takes a bit longer to bake (probably because of the extra liquid released by shredded apples).