Baked Oatmeal with Apples, Raisins & Walnuts
Healthy baked oatmeal with apples is a nutritious and delicious breakfast option packed with flavor. It couldn’t be easier to prepare, and you can easily change up the fruits based on the season.
I’ve always loved oatmeal; it’s such a satisfying breakfast, especially in the winter when a warm belly feels oh-so-good. Even better is a big pan of creamy baked oatmeal with apples since it can easily provide you with many servings, meaning you bake it once and have breakfast ready for much of the week… perfect for busy mornings!
I made a simple baked oatmeal a few years ago that I absolutely adore. It’s simple, quick, and delicious. However, I was still drawn to this version while flipping through my copy of Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. I loved the addition of fruit, as well as the creamier texture, thanks to the addition of milk.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- So satisfying. It gives you the fuel you need to get your day going!
- Customizable to suit your tastes. Substitute your favorite fruits and nuts to make the baked oatmeal of your dreams!
- Make ahead. You can bake this oatmeal ahead and store it in the fridge to enjoy for breakfast all week long.
- Easy balanced breakfast. Oats are packed with protein and fibre, plus the fruit is rich in antioxidants.
While the original recipe called for a combination of bananas and blueberries, I substituted apples and raisins given what’s in season right now. This is the perfect recipe for playing around with and swapping out fruit combinations given the time of year and what’s in season in your area.
Ingredient Notes
- Old fashioned oats: make sure they are not quick cooking oats, as the texture would change.
- Walnuts: toast for extra flavor and crunch. See the tip below.
- Low-fat milk: anything from skim to 2% will work
- Pure maple syrup: try to find pure, as artificial maple syrup is sweeter with less maple flavor
- Egg: I use large eggs
- Unsalted butter: You can use salted butter if that’s all you have, just cut out the sea salt.
- Gala apples: Mildly sweet and crisp. Honeycrisp is another good option.
- Raisins: I like to add raisins for some natural sweetness. Use your favourite raisins. I like black raisins.
How to Make the Recipe
This baked oatmeal recipe is easy to prepare and can be made in under 1 hour.
- Prep the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C and grease and 8×8 inch or 9×9 inch square baking dish; set aside.
- Combine. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, half the walnuts, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
- Whisk. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together milk, maple syrup, egg, half the melted butter and vanilla extract.
- Arrange fruit. Arrange the sliced apples in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish and sprinkle 1 cup of the raisins over the top.
- Pour over the oat mixture and milk. Cover the apples and raisins with the oat mixture and use a fork or spoon to spread in into an even layer. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the top of the oats. Rap the baking dish on the counter a couple of times to disperse the milk among the oats.
- Sprinkle the top with the remaining walnuts and raisins.
- Bake. Put the dish in the oven for 35 – 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal is set. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the top and serve.
Tips for Recipe Success
Over the years as I’ve been making this recipe, I’ve discovered some easy suggestions to help make sure your baked oatmeal with apples turns out perfectly every time:
- Toast the walnuts. Toasting helps bring out the flavor of the nuts and makes them extra crunchy. To toast walnuts, place them on a baking sheet in your preheated oven (350F/190C) and bake for 7 – 10 minutes. You can also toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat on the stove top for 2 – 5 minutes. Remember to keep a close eye on your nuts so they don’t burn. They are finished when you start to smell their nutty aroma and they have turned a light golden brown.
- Rest before serving. If you want to serve your baked oatmeal in neat slices, you’ll have to let it sit for a bit to firm up. Check the consistency after 30 minutes before trying to cut it into slice.
- Tastes best served warm. You can certainly eat the oats cold straight from the fridge but warming it up first really brings out the amazing flavors.
How to Store Baked Oatmeal
One of the great things about this recipe is that it’s perfect for meal prepping breakfast. You can make a batch on a Monday and have it every morning for the rest of the week!
- Store in the fridge: This recipe will keep fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 -5 days.
- Store in the freezer: For longer storage, wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: You can easily reheat individual portions of the oatmeal in the microwave in 30 second bursts until it is heated through. If you want to reheat an entire dish of oatmeal, heat your oven to 350 F/180C and baked, covered with foil, for 15 – 20 minutes.
Variations
This healthy oatmeal recipe is very versatile, and you can easily switch up the fruits based on the season and add other mix-ins according to your preferences. Here are some suggestions:
- Raspberries
- Switch milk for coconut milk
- Blueberries
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Switch maple syrup for honey
- Switch the nuts
- Top with Greek yogurt or almond/peanut butter
Frequently Asked Questions
The inside of the oatmeal should be soft, but not soggy. Try baking it for a couple of more minutes. Depending on your oven, it may take a bit longer to set up.
I don’t recommend switching out the oats. Quick-cooking oats would become too mushy when baked and the steel-cut oats would need a longer cooking time. The texture of the baked oatmeal would not be the same as this recipe.
Yes. Because it contains dairy and eggs, you want to store baked oatmeal in the fridge. The good news is, it will keep 4 – 5 days, so you can enjoy it all week!
Looking for more breakfast recipes with oats? Check these out:
- Overnight Chilled Plum Oatmeal Pudding
- Oatmeal Muffins with Dates, Cranberries and Pecans
- Maple Oatmeal Scones
I hope you enjoy this recipe for healthy baked oatmeal with apples as much as my family does!
Healthy Baked Oatmeal with Apples
Ingredients
- 2 cups (178 g) old-fashioned rolled oats, do not substitute quick oats
- ½ cup (57 g) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped, divided
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups (480 ml) low-fat milk, anything from skim to 2%
- ⅓ cup (104 g) pure maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 Gala apples, peeled, cored and cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
- 1½ cups (224 g) raisins, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch or 9-inch baking dish; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, half of the walnuts, cinnamon, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, egg, half of the melted butter and vanilla extract.
- Arrange the sliced apples in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of the raisins over top of the apples. Cover the apples and raisins with the oat mixture, using a fork or spoon to spread it into an even layer. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture all over the top of the oats. Rap the baking dish on the counter a couple of time to disperse the milk among the oats. Sprinkle the top with the remaining walnuts and raisins.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal mixture is set. Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 5 minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over top and serve.
Notes
- Oats: Stick to old-fashioned oats for this recipe. Do not use quick-cooking oats (the texture will be too mushy) or steel-cut oats (they will be under-done).
- Walnuts: Toast for extra flavor and crunch (see the tip above). Pecans would be a great substitution; you can omit the nuts entirely if desired.
- Maple Syrup: Use pure maple syrup; pancake syrup is too sweet and doesn’t have as much maple flavor.
- Apples: Substitute your favorite apple if you wish; honeycrisp would be a great alternative!
- Raisins: Use regular or golden, or substitute other favorite dried fruit.
- Store in the fridge: This recipe will keep fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 -5 days.
- Store in the freezer: For longer storage, wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: You can easily reheat individual portions of the oatmeal in the microwave in 30-second bursts until it is heated through. If you want to reheat an entire dish of oatmeal, heat your oven to 350 F/180C and baked, covered with foil, for 15 – 20 minutes.
- Variations: See post above for multiple ways to switch up this recipe!
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances.
This is delicious! I love that it has a lot of apples and raisins in it! Will be making this on repeat!
I love this! It isn’t too sweet. I had some frozen sliced apples that I put in the bottom of the pan, and then just sprinkled some raisins. It tasted great! I will definitely make it again!
South Indian Restaurant in California
Tasty
Looks so good and hearty!!
Honda Talon Light Bar
Looks so good and hearty!!
Honda Talon Light Bar
This looks so good! Do you think you could replace half of the vanilla extract and use maple extract to ramp up the maple flavor? A good quality pure maple syrup is hard to find where I live. Thanks!
I can’t rate it as I have not tried it yet. But I do have a comment that applies to all of your recipes with nutritional information. I am on a medically restricted diet and need a little bit better information. when you give the number of servings or serving size can you make that a measureable amount? Makes six servings is not a measureable amount, how about: “Makes six, three ounce servings” Then I know exactly what I need to eat to get the nutritional values listed.
That looks incredible!! I can’t wait to try this recipe! sounds really good for breakfast too :) i’m already getting hungry thinking about it haha lovely pictures too ;) thank you for sharing with us! I hope you will have a great day!
Excellent recipe!!! I’ve made it twice. I love that it has maple syrup instead of regular sugar.
Please help! Is this meant for an 8 or 9 in square pan, or a 9×13? I thought it meant a square 8×8, but 2 apples sliced would not fit in a single layer on that small of a pan…I’m waiting to bake this, I don’t want to mess it up!
Hi Nikki, Yes, it’s meant to be an 8-inch or 9-inch square. The slices I made are fairly thick, but it’s okay if they overlap; it doesn’t have to be a perfectly flat layer.
I love this too. What a perfect way to wake up on V-day with a healthy and delicious looking breakfast waiting for you.Thanks.
good morning, why no quick oats? I never buy the old fashioned kind???
Hi Kim, They will basically turn to mush; they are too fine to withstand the liquid and baking.
Actually I made this today with 3/4 quick oats as I didn’t have enough jumbo oats and it turned out absolutely fine in reducing the milk to 1.5 cup. I just enjoyed a big bowl for dinner with a bit of yogurt. Delicious!
Just made and is in the oven. I used almond milk and followed the rest of the recipe. Can’t wait to eat soon.
Yum! I would like to try this with raspberries and peaches sometime.
Have you ever tried this in. A crockpot? I’d love to make it for the big Mother’s Day Brunch I am hosting, but I have very limited oven space. It sounds delicious–I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Sandi, I have not made this in a crockpot, but I have made other oatmeal recipes in a crockpot. I think it could work, you’ll just want to be sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t dry out. Enjoy!
This is excellent!! I’ve made it for my old man friends & they loved it. I’ve eaten it for breakfast, lunch & dinner & dessert. Seems to get better if it sets a while. Taking some to family gathering this weekend. As I’m gluten/milk free I use Rice Dream (rice milk) & it works fine.
This looks delicious! If I doubled the recipe, do you think it would fit in a 9 x 13 pan?
Yes, definitely.
Do you know how many calories and the nutritional information for the oatmeal?
Hi Kellie, I do not have the nutritional information or calorie count for the oatmeal.
I made it on Saturday. This recipe sure makes a lot – maybe not a whole casserole dish, but enough for two breakfasts for the whole family! I think I liked it more than the previous Baked Oatmeal made with applesauce. That one was great too (I made it several times), but I much prefer the big chunks of baked apples. It’s almost like eating an apple crumble ;)
I have substituted applesauce for the melted butter in several baked oatmeal recipes. I really cannot taste the difference. I do a direct substitution of natural applesauce for butter. Sometimes the tablespoon is a little more towards the “heaping” side of a tablespoon of applesauce. But hey, whatever saves me 300 calories, right?! :-)
Finally got around to making it this morning. Perfect timing with temps in the single digits. But I’m an oaf – didn’t have enough milk but I think it still turned out great. The maple syrup along with the natural sugars of the fruit made this just the right sweetness.
I definitely think you get more servings out of this. It was quite filling :)
Finally!
I had been on a baked oatmeal quest for one which had the appropriate soft but not gummy texture, and was resilient enough for a make-ahead week of lunches.
Subbed in a flax egg and almond milk so my GI tract didn’t explode and it was perfect. Anyone tried adding a banana? How did it hold up?
I love baked oatmeal so I was excited to try this version. It was okay. I might make it again, but I would make the following two changes:
1. Dice up the apples and mix them and the raisins in with the oatmeal and milk mixtures. As far as I can tell there’s no reason to have them layered that way, and the apple slices were a little awkward to eat.
2. Leave the walnuts and raisins off the top or use foil when you bake (may affect total baking time). I went ahead and followed instructions against my better instincts, and sure enough, the raisins burned. If you’re desperate for a topping, I think a little crumbled brown sugar and nut mixture with the melted butter mixed right in before baking would do fine.
Other than that, the flavor was great and a perfect amount of sweetness for breakfast. Thanks for the recipe!
My mom introduced me to baked oatmeal last year… I must say… I am definitely a fan!
Michelle,
this is my very first baked oatmeal recipe form you and ever. This one was very good, favour by my family. I have made with carberries instead of raisin. Great. Thanks for sharing and the inspiration. Have a nice weekend
Great recipe! I made this for breakfast day at work and it was very well received! I’m new to your blog and I love what I’ve seen so far. I love your healthier take on recipes without going overboard. Thanks!!
I made this dish and it was absolutely delicious! The inside had a very soft, almost gooey consistency, did it need more time in the oven? The top had already browned so i wasn’t sure…
Hi Mary, I’m so happy you enjoyed the oatmeal! The inside is soft, but not gooey; it likely needed a little bit more time in the oven.
I tried this over the weekend and it is great! I made a half recipe and still used a whole egg. The second morning I melted a tablespoon coconut oil and drizzled it. Tasted good! I might substitute the coconut oil for the butter next time I make this. Thanks for sharing.
Looks so good and hearty!!
I made this last night for breakfast this week. I substituted craisins for the raisins and slivered almonds instead of walnuts because that is what I had around, it turned out great! Very good recipe that I will keep using and adding new things to.
DELISH!!! I just made it…YUM. Thanx
A+++ This is delicious!!
Your recipes look interesting but finding a simple way to print them are difficult if not impossible. Could you make it simple and more user friendly? Thanks. Garth
Garth, At the top of each recipe there is a “print” button, along with “save” and “email” buttons. It will generate a print-friendly version of the recipe, along with a thumbnail.
To the poster who asked about the steel cut oats, I have done that and I loved the results! The first time I did it I wasn’t sure how it would turn out so I did approx 25% of the oats as steel cut, 75% regular. I liked the results so much that I now do about 50/50 steel cut and regular. I love the texture of the two oats mixed together. PS. I just bake as per recipe. The steel cut oats stay very firm and almost a little crunchy, which I happen to like. Enjoy!
I’m used to having oatmeal in a bowl with brown sugar and milk on top. I’ve never tried it baked and am anxious because it looks so good. Are you saying that you just scoop/cut some onto a dish and eat it with a fork or do you then pour milk on top????
Hi Lexy, Yes you would just scoop it out of the pan and eat it on a plate or in a bowl with a fork. I’ve never poured milk on top of my oatmeal, and did not pour milk over this.
I’ve never tried baked oatmeal but it sounds great and like an easy way to serve a crowd. I love the flavors in here with the apples and raisins!
We had this just this morning. I did not have any syrup on hand, so I used 1/2 c. honey instead and then drizzled some over the top once it came out of the oven. For 2 people living in an RV, we use our toaster oven rather than our large oven and it took about 45 mins. to bake. It was delicious!
We had this for breakfast yesterday — fantastic! I’m already thinking of other variations … banana, pears, coconut, dried blueberries/apricots, almonds — loads of possibilities … thanks for the recipe!
Since I eat oatmeal every morning about 90% of the time, this is on top of my list of breakfasts to try. I always make mine with plenty of cinnamon, finely shredded coconut, toasted wheat germ, maple syrup, and toasted nuts and fruit — but I’ve never baked it before. The options are pretty endless and I will definitely try it!
Has anyone tried this with vanilla almond milk?
I haven’t, but I think it would work. Maybe eliminate the vanilla extract? (I’ve never had vanilla almond milk so I don’t know how sweet it is.)
Over time I’ve made several other baked oatmeal recipes with original almond milk and they turn out just fine…and always delicious!
This looks amazing and I love oatmeal! One question thought – would be be okay to make this the night before and then bake in the morning? I am wondering if that will make it too soggy or change the consistency of the oatmeal. Thanks!
Hi Christina, I don’t think I’d assemble it and leave it until the morning; the oats will soak up a lot of the liquid overnight, which will affect the texture. You could bake it the night before and then reheat in the morning.
I love that the milk is infused with maple syrup! YUM!
How does this heat up? It’s just me & my hubs and would love to make this to take to work every day & heat up there.
Happy New Year! You inspire me to keep trying new things – thank you!
Hi Andrea, It reheats great! Enjoy!
Yeah, I am not giving up any food for new years – just not gonna happen! But I am all for adding in some yummy but good for me breakfasts!
Oatmeal has always been my “go to” breakfast so it’s nice to get some new ideas to spruce it up!! ;)
I tried baked oatmeal for the first time just last week and love it! Can’t wait to try your apple, raisin and walnut version!
I’ve been looking for some warm breakfast options, and this is perfect! Another good one from BEB!
Most baked oatmeal recipes SOUND good for you but end up being loaded with 2 sticks of butter and a ton of sugar… might as well eat oatmeal cookies, right? But THIS looks like the perfect balance. Score! I’m excited.
Could I substitute steel cut oats for rolled oats in this recipe? Would I need to cook them longer or soak them or anything? Thanks for sharing! I have literally had all the ingredients sitting on the counter for three days and have needed this push to make me put them all together for a delicious breakfast!
Hi Jessica, I’m sure you could use steel cut oats, but you would definitely need to bake it longer and/or use more liquid. How much, I’m not exactly sure since I haven’t done it yet. Enjoy!
This sounds delicious! The combination of raisins, cinnamon and apple is one of my favourites :-)
Your baked oatmeal recipe is my go-to breakfast recipe. This looks similarly delicious, can’t wait to try it!
This looks so hearty! I’ve seen so many baked oatmeal recipes that are “healthy” but the recipe calls for cream and tons of sugar. So glad to see this one!
This oatmeal is stunning! We are on an oatmeal kick in our house – nothing beats it on a cold morning! I’ll bookmark this one to try next!
My new New Year’s resolution is to eat this oatmeal every day. YUM!
I have never tried baked oatmeal, but I love eating oatmeal in the morning and it would be so nice to have it already prepared and waiting in the refrigerator! Thanks for the inspiration!
Nope, no resolutions here either! Never keep them.
I am obsessed with oatmeal, but have never tried the baked variety! yum
Great breakfast!
Wow – this looks tasty! I’ve been on a breakfast cous cous kick lately, but this would be a nice change-up!
I seriously checked the clock to see if I could make this for breakfast but I can’t. I am going to bake this tonight for tomorrow. I love the cold oatmeal you make overnight in the fridge and top with fresh fruit in the morning but that doesn’t cut it on a cold winter morning. This looks perfect. Thanks for posting.
I love bakes oatmeal and with apples, cinnamon and raisin, yes please! That’s one of the best breakfast combos of all time!! Love it!!
Yum…will be making this on the weekend :-) Thanks for sharing.
This is the kind of recipe I need to start my day! love baked oatmeal :)
I just discovered baked oatmeal last week and I am hooked!! I was thinking of making it with apples and here it is. I love your blog and follow you faithfully. I think I relate so well because you cook what I do and it is food you want to eat and not have to go to china to find ingredients. Have a wonderful new year!!!
Yea, healthy oatmeal! Eating breakfast is a health resolution I’ve more or less given up trying to accomplish, but this dish could at least persuade me to pass on ice cream for dessert and go for baked oatmeal instead:)
Love it!! I have four apples left in the basket after making apple pie yesterday. I’m definitely going to make this really soon! Thanks so much. All the ingredients are exactly what I love!! :)
I love oatmeal! I always look for ways on how to make it more interesting! Thanks for this recipe, Michelle!
Great looking oatmeal and I remember a couple years ago making an adaptation of Heidi’s oatmeal with bananas and apples when I first got that cookbook. Every now and then I flip through it an am reminded what gems are in it. Thanks for that reminder :)