Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

August 12, 2021

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is a healthy fall breakfast that’s packed with fiber and protein to keep you energized all morning long! Stress less by preparing this make ahead breakfast in advance!

Gluten free, Nut free, Dairy free option, Soy free, Egg free

Fall is around the corner, so it’s time to get in the spirit and break out all the APPLE RECIPES!

Anyone else looking forward to apple picking this year? **hands up!**

Apple picking is one of my favorite memories with Lex (my now 2 year old) from last year… he walked around the orchard like he owned the place!

We’re headed upstate early fall to be closer to the orchards and getaway and I cannot wait!

But then the predicament is what do you do with all of the apples?!?

I love baking with apples because they’re…

Affordable
A sturdy fruit (so they hold up well and don’t fall apart!)
Packed with nutrients like filling fiber
Delicious – there are so many varieties to choose from!

This Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is a great use of apples AND a way to prepare a make-ahead breakfast with just a few hands-on minutes.

Because isn’t having breakfast ready to go a huge perk in the morning?! I know I love it!!

This Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is…

Delicious
Filling
Packed with flavor
Loaded with fiber AND protein
Easy to make with just 10 minutes hands-on time

The Benefits of Baked Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal is one of my favorite make-ahead breakfasts… even before it became trendy on TikTok (username: @chelseyamer)

I even think it’s worth turning on the oven for in the heat of the summer!

So what makes baked oatmeal so worthy?!

Honestly, it makes mornings so much smoother. I feel confident that my family has a high protein and high fiber breakfast to keep us full throughout our busy morning.

Any way I can reduce stress in the mornings (even just the teeniest bit!) makes a little prep work SO worth it!

Ingredients to Make Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

You only need 11 ingredients to make this recipe.

You’ll need:

Rolled oats (gluten free, if needed)
Chia seeds
Baking powder
Cinnamon
Protein powder (optional)
Milk or non-dairy milk alternative
Plain Greek yogurt (dairy free option: coconut, soy, almond-based yogurt)
Pure vanilla extract
Granny smith apple
Dried cranberries

Oats are the base of this recipe.

To make Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal you’ll need 3 cups of rolled oats. This makes approximately 6 servings, perfect for the week! But of course, eat more or less as you see fit.

Chia seeds add healthy fats, plant-based protein, and fiber

With a strong nutritious punch, don’t skip this step!

Milk or plant-based alternative

This helps you mix everything together to make the oats creamy.

Greek yogurt adds tons of protein.

In fact, it adds about 20 grams per cup! If you want to make this recipe dairy free, see the substitutions below.

Cinnamon and ginger are warm spices that add tons of flavor.

Apples are of course needed to make APPLE Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Protein powder is optional, but really helps boost the stay-full factor!

I prefer to use something unflavored or vanilla-flavored for this recipe.

Allergy-friendly ingredient swaps for this recipe

How to make this recipe DAIRY FREE

With just a few simple swaps you can make this recipe dairy free.

First, opt for a dairy free plant-based milk alternative. I love to use Ripple dairy free milk because it’s so creamy and packed with protein (not sponsored). It’s what I feed my son on the daily, so we always have it around too.

Some dairy-free milks do NOT contain any (or minimal) protein. Think almond milk, coconut milk, and many other nut milks too. Just keep this in mind if you think they are contributing protein to your meal.

Second, use a plant-based yogurt. Keep in mind that most dairy free yogurts do not contain protein either, so this will NOT be a good source of protein added to this recipe.

Keep in mind that there are some plant-based yogurts that do contain some protein, so just flip over the label to check it out.

However, instead of yogurt, you can swap in equal amounts of silken tofu for a protein punch.

How to Make Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

This is my favorite kind of recipe… a one-bowl, dump and mix and bake kinda recipe.

(And it’s honestly very hard to screw up!)

Literally dump all of the ingredients into the bowl. Mix together and then pour into a baking dish. I like to line my baking dish with parchment paper or use nonstick spray.

Sprinkle some extra cinnamon on top for good measure and bake!

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top gets golden brown and it looks set.

Perfect pairings for this Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Which this baked oatmeal is SO flavorful on its own, but I love to add a little extra something on top to truly be satisfied and stay full all morning.

This baked oatmeal is great paired with…

Yogurt
Cottage cheese
Nut/seed butter drizzle
Nuts or seeds