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–+ servings

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal (Made Easy in One Pan!)

All the cozy flavors of apple pie—wrapped up in a one-pan oatmeal bake. It’s easy to make and perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack!
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 2 cups almond milk, or milk of choice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats*, not quick or steel-cut
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or apple pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 medium to large apples, finely chopped (skin-on for fiber)
  • ½ cup roughly chopped pecans or walnuts
Ingredient Details to Know
*If you follow a gluten-free diet, choose certified gluten-free oats. 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven: Set to 375°F. Generously spray an 8x8-inch baking dish (or 9x13 if preferred) with nonstick oil spray.
  • Mix the wet ingredients: In the same dish, pour in the milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Crack the eggs on one side, beat lightly with a fork, then stir them into the liquids until well blended.
  • Add the dry ingredients: Stir in the oats, most of the apples, cinnamon (or apple pie spice), baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
  • Top it off: Evenly sprinkle the nuts and remaining apples over the top—no need to stir them in! This creates a golden top layer that’s delicious and picture-perfect.
  • Bake: For an 8x8 pan, bake for about 45 minutes, until the center is mostly set and the top is golden. (It’s okay if it’s still a little soft and oozy in the middle—don’t worry, it’ll firm up beautifully as it cools.)
    For a 9x13 pan, bake for about 35 minutes, checking early to prevent over-baking.
  • Cool and serve: Let cool for about 5 minutes, then slice into squares and dig in! Enjoy warm, or let cool completely and refrigerate for later.

Notes

• Pan Size Tip: An 8x8 pan gives you thicker, more cake-like squares—my personal favorite for a hearty breakfast or cozy brunch. If you’d rather have thinner slices (or want to serve a bigger group), go with a 9x13 pan instead. Just shorten the bake time to about 35 minutes, since it’ll cook a bit faster.
• Storage: Let your oatmeal cool completely, then cover and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can enjoy it cold or reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30–45 seconds. (Even though this version uses almond milk, it still needs to be refrigerated because of the eggs.)
• Freezing & Reheating: This recipe freezes beautifully! Once cooled, cut into squares, wrap each piece tightly, and store in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 2 months.
To reheat (2-ways):
  • Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in the microwave for 30–45 seconds or in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes.
  • Warm straight from freezer, by unwrapping each square, then warm in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes or in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes until heated through.
*Tip: be sure to cover with a damp paper towel in the microwave... and foil or parchment paper in the oven to prevent drying.
• Best Apples for This Recipe: You can truly use any apple you have on hand, but some varieties shine a little brighter when baked. As a general rule, you want ones that stay slightly firm and deliver that natural apple-pie sweetness.
My favorites:
  • Honeycrisp: My top pick! Sweet, crisp, and holds up beautifully in the oven.
  • Fuji: Juicy, firm, and naturally sweet… a great all-around choice.
  • Pink Lady: Great balance of sweet and tangy with a nice bite.
  • Braeburn: Slightly tart and aromatic, adds amazing flavor depth.
  • Gala: Softer but still works great if that’s what you have on hand.
Sometimes I mix two types (for example, a Honeycrisp and Fuji) for the best flavor and texture combo—sweet, juicy, and just the right amount of chew. But honestly, it depends on what I have in the house and what looks best at the market.
And if you like tart, Granny Smith works great too! I prefer the sweeter varieties, but that’s a personal preference.
I recommend skipping Red Delicious and McIntosh, as they tend to turn soft and watery once baked.
• Make It Ahead: I don't recommend fully prepping this dish ahead of time, because the oats will absorb liquid and become too thick, and the baking powder can lose its lift. That being said, it’s best to bake this fresh rather than assemble it fully in advance.
But there’s a smart way to save time! You can combine all of the dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon or apple pie spice) in a bowl and store that mixture at room temp overnight. Then, in the morning, whisk together the wet ingredients right in your baking dish (milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs), stir in your pre-mixed dry ingredients, sprinkle the apples and nuts on top, and bake.
You can also chop the apples the night before—just toss them with a tiny squeeze of lemon juice to prevent browning, then refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
This partial prep makes morning assembly super quick while keeping the texture light and fluffy.
• To Make It Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
• To Make It Vegan: Swap the eggs for 2 flax “eggs” (Mix 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons warm water; let sit 15 minutes to thicken. then whisk into milk and vanilla).
• Tasty variations:
  • Apple-Cranberry: Sprinkle ¼ cup dried cranberries on top with the apples.
  • Apple-Carrot Cake: Replace half the apples with grated carrot and dust with nutmeg.
  • Apple-Almond: Use sliced almonds instead of pecans and drizzle almond butter over the baked top.
• To give it a Protein Boost: There are plenty of easy ways to bump up the protein without changing the flavor.
  • Greek yogurt: Replace up to ½ cup of the milk with plain or vanilla Greek yogurt. It adds creaminess and extra protein.
  • Cottage cheese: Replace up to ½ cup of the milk with cottage cheese, but blend the cottage cheese with the milk before adding it to the pan to smooth the curds—it’ll give a subtle cheesecake-like creaminess once baked.
  • Kefir: Swap up to half of the milk for plain or vanilla kefir — this will give it a tangy twist and probiotics boost.
  • Protein powder: Replace ¼ cup of the oats with your favorite protein powder (vanilla works best). You may need to add a splash more milk if the batter feels too thick.
  • Milk choice: Use cow’s milk instead of almond milk for a higher-protein base. Choose skim milk or low-fat if you’re looking to keep  calories and fat down.
These small tweaks can add anywhere from 5 to 15 extra grams of protein per serving, depending on what you choose!
Author: Joy Bauer, MS, RDN, CDN

Nutrition Information per serving

Serving Size: 1 sliceCalories: 190Carbohydrates: 32gProtein: 6gTotal Fat: 4.5g— Unsaturated Fat: 3.5g— Saturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 420mgPotassium: 225mgFiber: 3gTotal Sugar: 12g— Natural Sugar: 1g— Added Sugar: 11gVitamin A: 92IUCalcium: 250mgIron: 1.6mg
Nutrition information is calculated using a leading industry software. That being said, brands can vary, and there may be slight fluctuations in the numbers.