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 freeze this?
Yep!
Has anyone double the recipe?
Did you just double ingredients or did you have to adjust some
Hi Alicia, you can definitely double this and bake it in a 9 x 13 dish. You may need to add just a few minutes onto the baking time. Enjoy!
Could this be adapted for stove top? I dont want to heat my house withthe oven
Hi Bethy, Unfortunately, this would not work on the stove– I’m sorry!
I just tried this. I put it in a glass 8inch square pan. I cooked it for the 40 minutes but it was still pretty much soup, even around the edges. How long does it need to cook in this pan?
I ended up having to bump the temp up to 350 and bake it for another 25 minutes
Thanks for the follow-up Sonya– I hope it was worth the wait :)!
I haven’t made this yet, but plan to have it this weekend when we’ll have houseguests. What do you serve with it? Thanks!
Hi Kay, it would be delicious with a side of bacon and some yogurt (on the side or a dollop on top). Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Sonya, I’m not sure why it would still be soupy after 40 minutes– are you sure you measured all the ingredients correctly? Also, while this typically takes 40 – 45 minutes in the oven, maybe you need to up your baking time to 50 – 55 minutes.
Thanks for the response. It did turn out tasting good. But I think I will need bump the temp up from the start and see if it helps. Yes I measured everything out like the recipe calls for
My guests and I love it! Made it 2 days in a row. A keeper!
Thank you for this recipe! We make it at least twice a week with various tweaks. I especially appreciate the easy-to-memorize proportions.
Hi Jenn, I have high cholesterol and despise traditional oatmeal but this dish sounds so good. Do you think I could use 2% milk and egg whites instead of whole milk and eggs and unsweetened applesauce for the butter?
Thank you for your help
Juliet
Hi Julie, Yes, I think you could get away with all those substitutions. This recipe is pretty forgiving. You will need to use something to grease the baking dish- cooking spray would work just fine if you can use that.
Thank you for answering me so quickly. I really appreciate your help.
How did it come out with those substitutions? I’m in the same boat I detest regular oatmeal but have high cholesterol?
This is a five star hit in my recipe book now. You were spot on when you said it was even better the next day, cold from the fridge.
Recipie tastes great but mine came out still pretty soggy and I overlooked it for a while. Also, it seemed like the eggs cooked and separated from the rest of the mixture? I cooked it in a glass baking dish would this be why? Thanks!
Natalie, the inside of the dish is supposed to be pretty soft, but a little crispy on top. Next time, if you feel like it needs to firm up more on the inside (but don’t want it too crisp on top) you could cover it with foil near the end of the baking time. I’m not sure why the eggs would have separated from the remainder of the mixture. (I don’t think baking it in glass would’ve made a difference.) Did you thoroughly combine it before baking?
The same thing happened to me, where the eggs curdled during baking. It wasn’t soggy, but the texture was not similar to bread pudding — it seemed more similar to apple crisp with a thick oat topping. I did mix everything thoroughly, but the oats/dry ingredients and custard didn’t really come together in the bowl. The flavors were good, so I’d like to try the dish again if there are suggestions for fixing the curdling issue.
This is a FANTASTIC recipe! The textures, the flavors, the baked aroma were a perfect mix. I used Almond milk in place of regular, dried blueberries instead of raisins and reduced the sugar by 1/3. Next time I’ll reduce the sugar even more as it was still a tad too sweet for me. Topped it off with a drizzle of cream before serving. My family scarfed it down. Definitely adding this recipe to my fabulous farmhouse breakfast menu for guests!