APPLE BAKED OATMEAL
The perfect autumn dish, this apple baked oatmeal combines sweet apple sauce with healthy oats and warming spices. A great dish to make ahead giving you breakfast for the next few days.
Recently I have been making a lot of baked oats as I fancied a little change-up from the usual porridge. Don’t get me wrong, porridge is a brilliant meal in the morning, but every once in a while, baked oatmeal feels nearly like a dessert, and why not starting your day with that? It is really easy to put together - I have used apple sauce here, but to be fair you could easily substitute it with other fresh or frozen fruit. Pumpkin puree is a good option too. You are probably likely to have the other ingredients in your cupboard, so it could mean 5 minutes of preparation and then 30 minutes in the oven.
You will need:
Oats
Cinnamon
Baking powder
Dried cranberries
Salt
Flaked almonds
Milk of choice
Apple Sauce
Maple Syrup
Vanilla Extract
Apple
Almonds
How to make Apple Baked Oatmeal:
First toast the almond flakes.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, add the toasted almond flakes.
Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl, then add this to the dry mix.
Pour the mix into a greased ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the extra chopped apple and some whole almonds.
Bake in the oven at 180C/350F/gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes.
Serve warm with yoghurt iof choice.
How to store Apple Baked Oatmeal:
Baked oatmeal is best enjoyed warm and I like to add a good spoonful of a plantbased yoghurt alternative on top, as well as some fresh fruit. It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. but you can also freeze this dish. Just make sure the oatmeal is cooled down before you cut it into individual squares. Then freeze the squares on a baking sheet before popping them into a freezer-proof container. By freezing them this way, the portions won’t stick together and you can then take each one out as and when needed. You can bake them again from frozen for about 8-10 minutes, you may have to add some extra milk as it could be a little drier. Otherwise, defrost at room temperature and then reheat in the microwave before consumption. It is definitely nicer warmer!
I have used apple sauce from a jar but you can also use homemade sauce if you have some. I would recommend using apple sauce that has little chunks of apples instead of a smooth puree, as it adds a nice bit of texture to the dish.
The recipe below yields 5-6 portions depending how hungry you are. You could easily increase the quanity if you are cooking for a larger crowd, or you could split it up and bake it in two individual dishes, which will look very pretty on the breakfast table.
Apple Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/3 flaked almonds
- 2 cup oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 chopped apple and a handful of whole almonds
- 2 cups milk of choice
- 1 cup apple sauce (I like to use a chunky one here, not completely smooth)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Yoghurt of choice
- Fresh fruit
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Toast the sliced almonds briefly in a hot pan.
- Mix oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cranberries and flaked almonds in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients, then add this to the dry mix.
- Grease a baking dish, then add the mix to it. Decorate with the chopped apple and the extra whole almonds.
- Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Less than that and it will be too wet, more than that and it risks being too dry, so keep an eye on it.
- Remove from the oven. Serve warm with some yoghurt of choice and extra fresh fruit on top.
Notes:
* Ideally served warm. It will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days, it's best to reheat it then before consumption.
* Instead of chopped apple, you can also decorate the top with apple slices.