Start your day with a comforting bowl of Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, a sweet and fruity fall breakfast treat that your whole family will love! This creamy oatmeal topped with buttery spiced apple pieces is ready in less than 30 minutes on the stovetop. It's perfect for busy mornings and great for meal prep!
Disclosure: This post was originally published in October 2020, but has since been updated with better photos, clearer instructions, and a tastier recipe. We hope you enjoy the new look!
Savor fall flavor with this delicious oatmeal alongside a warm cup of coffee. This breakfast oatmeal recipe features the best of autumn flavors- apples and cinnamon! The blend of fruity sweetness and earthy warmth is like a cozy hug on a chilly morning.
While flavored instant oatmeal packets are convenient, we'd encourage you to try our homemade version. Nothing beats a meal made of fresh, wholesome ingredients in our book.
You may also like this chocolate baked oatmeal, this peaches and cream oatmeal, these protein overnight oats, and these baked oatmeal cups.
Take advantage of apple season and also try healthy apple cinnamon muffins, our homemade unsweetened apple sauce, this Instant Pot apple butter, this blueberry and apple crumble, or this apple crisp cheesecake.
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Quick and easy recipe using simple ingredients. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so make it extra special. This healthy dish comes together in less than 30 minutes using simple pantry staples and sweet, juicy apples!
- Caters to different dietary requirements. This recipe is made with wholesome ingredients, and can easily be made gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and even low sugar.
- Customizable sweetness level. If you prefer things without much sugar added, this recipe is for you. Add as much or as little sugar as you like to suit your preferences.
- Prep in advance. If you are anticipating a hectic morning, you can make this recipe in advance for meal prep and reheat it throughout the week. It can also be served as overnight oats!
🍎Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Apples. You can use any type of apple you like. Honey Crisp, Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith are great options because they hold their shape well during cooking. *If using Granny Smith Apples, it may be better to peel them as the peels can be quite tough and unpleasant when cooked.
- Unsalted butter
- Ground cinnamon.
- Pure maple syrup.
- Kosher salt.
- Milk. Any milk of your choosing. Adds a creamy texture.
- Water
- Brown sugar
- Rolled oats. Also known as old-fashioned oats.
- Chia seeds. To add texture to the oatmeal base, it helps thicken up the oatmeal and adds fiber, but they are optional.
- Vanilla extract.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Swap the oats. If you have other types of oats like quick oats, instant oats, or steel cut oats, you can use them, but please know the cooking time will vary based on the variety you use. Be sure to follow the package instructions to ensure proper cooking time.
- Use natural sweeteners. You can use your favorite sweetener in place of the brown sugar. Some popular choices are maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, or agave nectar.
- Out of cinnamon? You can also use nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, or cloves instead. Just make sure to go easy on those spices as they are much stronger tasting than cinnamon. You can also use homemade or store bought apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice. (affiliate links)
- Using salted butter. If all you have is salted butter, you can use that and just omit or lessen the amount salt added to the recipe.
- No chia seeds? No worries! Just replace it with more oats to get the perfect consistency.
- No fresh apples. If you don't have fresh apples, you can use homemade applesauce, or even use frozen apples. If using frozen, we recommend thawing and draining beforehand to prevent them from being too soggy.
- Use less or no added sugar. There are a lot of sugar alternatives that you can use. Brown Swerve is our go-to. You can also swap out the maple syrup for a sugar free maple syrup.
✨Variations
- Make it vegan. This is possible with just a few simple swaps! All you have to do is use vegan butter or coconut oil to cook down the apples. Swap the cow's milk for your favorite non-dairy milk like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk, or oat milk.
- Gluten-free. Just be sure to find oats that were produced in a facility without any other items with gluten if you are celiac. Bob's Red Mill has a great gluten-free rolled oat! (affiliate link)
- Low carb. Follow all of the instructions to make the oatmeal low sugar, and then swap out some of the apples for peeled and diced zucchini. You may want to also use unsweetened nut milk in place of regular whole milk.
- Add a nutty crunch! Add crunchy pecans, almonds, or walnuts to add texture, but they also boost protein and healthy fat content!
- Add seeds. If you have a nut allergy or just want to add more filling ingredients, try adding hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or flax seeds.
- Add nut butter. For more flavor and added protein, you can add a scoop of peanut butter or almond butter.
- More protein. That's a few ways you can bump up the protein in this recipe! We have tried making this recipe on the stovetop with whey protein powder, and it just clumps up, so we don't recommend that. Instead, we prefer using collagen peptides that dissolves really easily. You can also stir in your favorite nut butter, some Greek yogurt, and/or hemp hearts for extra protein.
- Extra creaminess. Love extra creamy oats? Add an extra splash of milk, half and half, or heavy cream.
- Other fruits and berries. Try adding berries and other fruits will make it even more colorful. Some great choices would be blueberries, raspberries, and pears.
- Double up on the apple goodness! Add a spoonful of our homemade apple butter and let the magic unfold with more warm cinnamon, apple, and spice.
🔪Prep work
- Cut the apples into bite-sized pieces.
- Bring the liquids to room temperature.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
In a small saucepan, melt butter, then stir in maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon. (Image 1)
Add in the diced apples, and stir to combine. (Image 2)
Saute for a few minutes until the apples have softened. Set aside. (Image 3)
Meanwhile, while the apples are cooking, bring the water, milk, and kosher salt to a soft boil over medium-low heat. Add in brown sugar, and stir to dissolve. (Image 4)
Add in the oats and chia seeds, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to thicken. (Image 5)
After the oat and chia seed mixture has thickened considerably, stir in vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon, along with about half of the cooked apples, reserving some for topping. (Image 6)
Simmer for another 3-5 minutes to thicken, or until the desired consistency is reached. (Image 7)
✨Pro Tip: The cooking time may vary depending on the type of oat you are using. Let it simmer until the mixture has thickened to your liking but consider that it will still set as it cools.
Now, pour on a little fresh cream or another splash of milk, the apple topping, more cinnamon, and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Keep the apple peel on. Leaving the apple skin on not only saves you time, but also makes this oatmeal more nutritious because they contain loads of vitamins A, C, and K, plus calcium and fiber.
- Do not overcook the apples. Cook only until the apples are softened with the insides still a bit crisp and intact. Overcooking the apples makes them mushy. Try cutting them into bite-sized pieces and avoid cutting them too small.
- Gently boil the milk and water mixture, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Milk can scald (burn) easily, and we don’t want that. With that said, we do need to gently boil the mixture for a few moments to dissolve the salt and brown sugar. After that, reduce to a simmer to avoid any burning. Keep a close eye on it and stir often. Don’t walk away from the pot!
- Be sure to use the package directions on your oats for guidance. Different types of oats will take different amounts of time to cook, so while you can use our recipe as a guide, please keep in mind we used rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats) so which will impact the cooking time. Other oats will have different cook times.
- Add more milk or water if needed. If the oatmeal base becomes too thick, don't fret! A splash of milk or water will help thin it out and give it a better consistency.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also cook both the oatmeal base and apple cinnamon topping in advance and combine just before serving. We don't recommend freezing this dish as it will affect the texture.
Simply follow all of the same instructions and scale the recipe up quickly and easily. Simply store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in a microwave-safe bowl.
Yes! Make this recipe into overnight oats by following the instructions to make the spiced apple topping, then combining all of the ingredients and putting them in an airtight jar or container for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
This is how we make our own apple pie spice at home, but feel free to adjust the spices according to your preference!
5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1.5 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1.5 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
This makes just under 7 tablespoons of apple pie spice. Store it in a dry airtight container out of the sun and use in your favorite recipes!
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Ingredients
Buttery spiced apples
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 large honey crisp apples, diced (we leave the peel on! You can use your favorite apple variety and leave the peel on or off)
Oats
- 1.5 cups whole milk (or any milk of choice)
- 1.5 cups water
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (to taste)
- 1 cup rolled oats (also known as old fashioned oats)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds (optional)
- 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon (to taste)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, then stir in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add in the diced apples, and sauté for a few minutes until the apples have softened slightly, but have still retained their shape. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, while the apples are cooking, bring 1.5 cups of water, 1.5 cups of milk, and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to a soft boil over medium-low heat in a dutch oven or large saucepan. Add in 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and stir to dissolve.
- Add in 1 cup of oats and 2 tablespoons chia seeds, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to thicken.
- Stir in the 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and 1.5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, along with about half of the cooked apples, reserving some for topping. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes to thicken, or until the desired consistency is reached.
- Now, pour on a little fresh cream or another splash of milk, the apple topping, more cinnamon and your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop. Do not freeze.
Notes
- Keep the apple peel on. Leaving the apple skin on not only saves you time, but also makes this oatmeal more nutritious because they contain loads of vitamins A, C, and K, plus calcium and fiber.
- Do not overcook the apples. Cook only until the apples are softened with the insides still a bit crisp and intact. Overcooking the apples makes them mushy. Try cutting them into bite-sized pieces and avoid cutting them too small.
- Gently boil the milk and water mixture, then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Milk can scald (burn) easily, and we don’t want that. With that said, we do need to gently boil the mixture for a few moments to dissolve the salt and brown sugar. After that, reduce to a simmer to avoid any burning. Keep a close eye on it and stir often. Don’t walk away from the pot!
- Be sure to use the package directions on your oats for guidance. Different types of oats will take different amounts of time to cook, so while you can use our recipe as a guide, please keep in mind we used rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats) so which will impact the cooking time. Other oats will have different cook times.
- Add more milk or water if needed. If the oatmeal base becomes too thick, don't fret! A splash of milk or water will help thin it out and give it a better consistency.
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