
Did anyone else grow up living off packages of instant oatmeal? The kind you ripped open, added to a bowl with water and microwaved for about a minute. My sisters and I loved them. My mom would buy the variety pack and the Maple & Brown Sugar flavor always was the first chosen. Apple and Cinnamon was second and then before you knew it, all that was left was plain (yuck).
It is definitely a convenient breakfast but contains about 12 grams of added sugars. This oven baked oatmeal recipe was designed to mimic those yummy flavors while trying to reduce the amount of added sugars. Sure, it takes a bit longer to prepare (since it has to bake in the oven), but it can be made in advance and just reheat in the morning for a delicious breakfast.
Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups Rolled Oats (gluten free)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cups apples, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup almonds, chopped
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a baking dish with cooking spray (either a 9-inch by 9-inch or a 7-inch by 11-inch dish would work best).
In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients: milk, eggs, vanilla, applesauce and olive oil. Mix until well combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl: oats, chia seeds, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking powder. Stir until everything is well combined.
Carefully fold in the diced apples and chopped almonds.
Pour the oatmeal into your prepared baking dish and place in the middle rack in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until majority of liquid has evaporated, and oatmeal has set. See additional notes below.
Allow to cool slightly before serving. Oatmeal can be stored for 3-5 days in fridge and reheated in microwave. We like serving with dollop of Greek yogurt.
Recipe notes:
- If you like your oatmeal a little moister, then consider cooking for 5 minutes less. If you like it drier, then you may need to add 2-3 minutes.