Wholesome vegan baked oatmeal filled with pieces of warm baked apples and spices. It's a recipe that's quick and easy to make, it's great for vegan breakfast meal-prep, AND, this apple baked oatmeal recipe is oil-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, if you use gluten-free oats!
If all of that that didn't make you want to make this recipe right away, you should also know that you can bake it in a dish, or you can make it as vegan baked oatmeal cups by baking in a muffin pan. You can also customize your add-ins. All the details are below!
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I think you'll agree that the best fall flavours are cinnamon, spices, apple, and pumpkin.
Each fall, I like to add a few more apple and pumpkin recipes to my website, this year, the first recipe happens to be vegan baked oatmeal with apples and spices.
Apples and pumpkin are two things I love baking and cooking with. Have you seen some of my other apple recipes?
- Vegan Gluten Free Apple Waffles
- Vegan Gluten-Free Apple Upside Down Cake
- Slow Cooker Applesauce
- Baked Apples
- Mini Gluten Free Vegan Apple Muffins
- Apple Spice Steel Cut Oats
- Baked Cinnamon Apple Slices
- Vegan Apple Bread
Today, it's all about apple cinnamon baked oatmeal that you can serve warm or cold, plain or with toppings, and you can bake it in a baking dish or in a muffin pan.
Ingredients You'll Need
This recipe is simple, there are no unusual or hard to find ingredients, you can see them all below. To keep these baked oats vegan, you'll be using non-dairy milk and flax eggs.
Peel and core your apples and be sure to not chop them too large or too small, keep them similar to the size shown in the images below so they have enough time to cook through during the baking process.
Ingredient Notes
Oats - You may be wondering what kind of oats you should use for this recipe. You'll need to use old-fashioned rolled oats, no substitutions, gluten-free rolled oats if you're gluten-free.
You do NOT want to use quick-cooking / instant oats (the recipe will be too mushy) or steel cut oats (the oats will not cook through). (But if you have some steel cut oats to use up, check out my banana and apple steel cut oat recipes!)
Apples - Use your favourite type of apple, I tend to stick with Gala, but any type of firm apple that's good for baking will work.
Applesauce - You'll need plain unsweetened applesauce for this recipe. Avoid sweetened applesauce so you can control the sweetness of the oatmeal.
How to Make It
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step for this easy baked oatmeal recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions at the end of this post.)
It's easy! First, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl, mix the wet ingredients in another bowl and then combine the two.
The mixture will be very loose and runny but the longer it sits, the thicker it will get as the oats will absorb the liquid.
A little absorption is okay, but don't let it sit so long that all the moisture soaks into the oats, work quickly to get it into the oven as fast as possible.
Can The Mixture Be Made Ahead of Time and Baked Later?
No, as mentioned above, the oats will absorb the liquid the longer it sits, so if you want to save time, what you can do is mix the dry ingredients and set aside in an airtight container and mix the wet ingredients and place in the refrigerator in another airtight container.
When you're ready to make it fully, chop the apples, give each mixture a stir, add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir in the apples, and any optional add ins, and go from there.
Add-Ins
Since this is a recipe for baked apple oatmeal, you're going obviously add chopped apples. After adding the apples, you can stop there, but if you want a little extra added natural sweetness, you can choose to add some raisins, like I did for this batch.
If you want a little contrast in texture, chopped nuts are also great to add in, but this is an optional addition.
Oatmeal Casserole OR Oatmeal Cups?
It's up to you and what you prefer! The baking times for both are different, I've included all the details in the recipe directions below.
What's the Texture Like?
Before I started making baked oatmeal, I didn't think I'd like it. I love oats, I love fruit, so what could be wrong with baked oatmeal with fruit? I thought I wouldn't like the texture. But I was wrong.
The texture is not fluffy and light like cake or a muffin, it's more dense and solid. If you like oats and fruit mixed with warm spices, you're going to love this delicious, filling recipe.
How to Store
If you aren't going to serve it right way, make sure it's fully cooled and then slice, place in an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze it for up to a month, just be sure to wrap each slice or cup individually and store them in an airtight container.
When you're ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in the morning in the oven or microwave. You can skip warming it up and serve it cold, but I recommend warming it up.
How to Serve
This recipe is not overly sweet, but to me, it's sweet enough with the little bit of maple syrup the recipe calls for, the applesauce, and the chopped apples. If you choose to add raisins, you'll have a little more sweetness.
I find that those ingredients make the recipe perfect and it doesn't need any additional sweeteners, so I prefer to eat it plain.
However, if you prefer a little more sweetness, you can top with maple syrup, like in the picture below.
You can also make it a little fancier by topping with any of the following:
- fresh berries
- baked apples
- coconut whipped cream
- vegan yogurt
- blueberry sauce
If You Make This Recipe...
...please let me know about it in the comments below. You can also share a pic on Instagram and tag me so I can see!
If You Like This Recipe...
...you may also like these vegan gluten free brunch recipes or these other vegan gluten free breakfast recipe ideas:
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos
- Pumpkin Spice Overnight Oats
- Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Strawberry Baked Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Blueberry Oatmeal
- Flaxseed Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Vegan Gluten Free Pancakes
- Vegan Gluten Free Waffles
You can help others to find this recipe by pinning it to one of your food boards on Pinterest. Click here to pin it now!
Vegan Baked Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 6 tablespoons water
- 3 cups (300g) rolled oats (gluten free oats, if needed)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ¼ cup (300ml) unsweetened dairy-free milk
- ¾ cup (185g) unsweetened, plain applesauce
- ¼ cup (60ml) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups chopped apples, peeled and cored (approximately 1 large apple or 2 small)
- ⅓ cup (43g) raisins (optional)
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F (177° C).
- Lightly grease the bottom and sides of 8 x 8 (2qt) baking dish or line with parchment paper. If using a muffin pan, lightly grease each cup or for oil-free, use silicone muffin baking cups.
- Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
- In a large bowl, mix the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flax egg mixture, applesauce, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract together.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix well to combine.
- Mix in the apples and if using, the raisins and/or nuts.
If Baking In an 8x8 Dish:
- Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes (until edges are slightly brown).
If Baking In a Muffin Pan:
- Divide mixture evenly into each muffin cup.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (until edges are slightly brown).
- Allow the baked oatmeal to cool slightly, serve warm.
Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the FAQ info above before making this recipe.
- Slice and store wrapped in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For more storage and freezing info, see above.
- Nutrition info listed below is for 1 of 9 slices (baked in a 8x8 dish, without any of the optional add-ins) and is only to be used as a rough guide. Click here for more info on how nutrition info on this website is determined.
SueskiNH says
My vegan nephew loved this over Christmas as did I, so I just made a 1/2 batch in a loaf pan for a good traveling breakfast I'll need this week. I am not vegan, but made it that way anyway. I used organic unsweetened applesauce with peaches (Vermont Village), original almond milk, a combo of Gala and Granny Smith apples, and added some chopped walnuts. Worked out wonderfully and is delicious!
Gwen Leron says
I'm glad you gave it a try despite not being vegan and I'm so happy to know it was enjoyed. I love it with chopped walnuts, too. Thanks so much for your review and rating, I appreciate it!
Dani B says
Fantastic recipe and will absolutely be making again!!
I added a scoop of pea protein and a touch more applesauce to offset the extra dry ingredient. I also added dry blueberries instead of raisins and it all turned out awesome!!
Gwen Leron says
I'm glad you liked it, Dani! And I'm happy it worked well with your modifications. Enjoy!
Heather says
Thank you Gwen for this wonderful recipe! I am really enjoying various versions of baked oatmeal. I have been searching for an apple version and found your site. When I read the recipe, I knew it would be good, but I have to tell you, it isn’t just good- it’s amazing!! So delicious with the raisins and walnuts added. I skipped the maple syrup and used 1 full cup of my homemade applesauce instead of the 3/4 cup the recipe calls for. It’s perfect!! I have made it twice already. Next time I will try the muffin pan idea just for fun. I am using golden delicious apples from my tree that had a bumper crop this year.. They are a lovely sweet variety, so are perfect for this recipe! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Gwen Leron says
You're welcome, Heather! I'm so glad to know you enjoyed it so much. I have a few other baked oatmeal recipes on my website, and I love all of them, but this one gets made the most. Golden Delicious apples are great in this recipe, you are lucky to have your own tree! Enjoy the recipes, Heather and please let me know if you ever have any questions about them 🙂
Abbey Cleary says
Can you double this?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Abbey! Yes, this recipe can be doubled, no problems there. Let me know how you like it, enjoy!
Amber D says
Do you peal the apples or leave the skin on?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Amber! The apples should be peeled. I've updated the recipe to clarify that, thanks! Let me know how things go 🙂
naomi says
this was really good! i actually switched the applesauce for pumpkin because i didn't have applesauce and it turned out really well, i still baked it for the normal amount of time and it's delicious. i'm glad i added the nuts even though they were optional because just the oatmeal itself can be kind of dense. but so good and definitely going to be a fall staple!
Gwen Leron says
Hi Naomi! I'm glad you like the recipe and that it worked well with your substitution. I've made it with pumpkin too and I agree, it's delicious 🙂 Thanks so much for your note and rating, I appreciate it!
V says
I love this recipe. The flavours are very balanced, and it's just lightly sweetened, which is perfect. I will definitely be making this regularly. It's great to have for a couple of days and makes breakfast a breeze! Note: I added extra apple and extra walnuts/pecans. So good!
Gwen Leron says
I'm very happy you like it! Extra apples and extra walnuts are perfect in this recipe, I do the same, often 🙂 Thanks so much for your note!
Mary Gault says
Omg! SO good. Definitely a keeper. Added MCT oil and dotted the top with plant butter. Upped the oven temp to 375. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Gwen Leron says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Mary! It's definitely a favourite over here, too! I make it often on the weekend to have for breakfast throughout the week 🙂 Thanks for your message!
Erika says
This sounds amazing. Could I used unsweetened vanilla plant milk? It’s what I normally have in the fridge.
Gwen Leron says
Hi Erika! I always use unsweetened, plain plant milk, but unsweetened vanilla will also work. Some of the flavour of the vanilla in the milk may come through depending on how strong it is, so keep that in mind. When you make it, let me know how things go! 🙂