Meet the perfect fall breakfast, think apple pie meets oatmeal! This recipe for apple cinnamon oatmeal is made on the stovetop and is ready in just ten minutes with fresh apples, walnuts and cinnamon. Top with peanut butter for the perfect start to your day.
When the weather cools down in September, the first ingredient I’m excited about is apples. They are so good baked into blondies or chopped and added to a salad for some fresh crunch. And when you find yourself with an abundance of apples, adding them into your breakfast is, in my opinion, a wonderful idea.
Why this recipe works
Fresh apples get added and cooked into the oatmeal, which leads to melt-in-your-mouth, tender and sweet pieces of apple in every bite! I like to add vanilla as a little something special to the oats that makes them feel like dessert.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Use large flake oats or whole rolled oats for a better oatmeal texture. They cook faster than steel cut oats, but leave you with a better texture than quick-cooking oats.
- For the apple, use your favourite! I find gala apples are good all-purpose apples that work well for cooking or eating raw.
- For the liquid, I like to use a 1:1 ratio of water and milk. I just use regular 2%, but you could swap in a dairy-free alternative like almond milk or oat milk. You can also play with this ratio and use any combination of water and milk (or just one of them). The key is to keep the liquid to oats ratio as 2:1, so two cups of liquid to one cup of oats.
- This recipe is flavoured with cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt. I also like to add brown sugar as a sweetener, but this is optional and can be left out if you don’t want to add any additional sweetness.
- Finally, I like to add nuts (I use walnuts) for added texture. You could also use pecans or almonds! Just make sure to use unsalted nuts.
Step by step instructions
It couldn’t be easier to make homemade oatmeal, it makes you realize that buying the packages is a total waste! All you need to do is chop up an apple and boil this on the stove for 10 minutes.
- In a small pot, heat water and milk over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil until you start to see bubbles on the edge of the milk and water mixture.
- Add oats, apple, walnuts, brown sugar (if using), vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt and return to a boil. Reduce heat for a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes until apples have softened and started to break down and oatmeal has thickened to desired consistency.
- Serve with toppings of your choice, I like to add peanut butter, chopped fresh apples, honey and yogurt.
Expert tips
- If you like a runnier oatmeal texture, you can always add more milk or water after it’s done cooking to loosen it up. This is the kind of dish to serve when it’s fresh, it doesn’t keep well in the fridge. If you want to prep oats ahead of time, I’d recommend going for overnight oats instead.
- I like to keep the skin on the apples, it adds nice colour to the finished dish and the apples end up breaking down quite a bite, so the skins soften. If you’re not a fan of the skins, you can peel them before adding the apple to the oats.
More breakfast recipes with apples
I have a few delicious apple recipes that are perfect for breakfast, my baked apple French toast is an easy make ahead breakfast that is perfect for serving a crowd. I also love to make whole wheat applesauce muffins for a tasty fall snack.
Apple cinnamon oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup milk, or milk alternative
- 1 cup whole rolled oats
- 1 apple, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp brown sugar, optional
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a small pot, heat water and milk over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil until you start to see bubbles on the edge of the milk and water mixture.
- Add oats, apple, walnuts, brown sugar (if using), vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt and return to a boil. Reduce heat for a simmer and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes until apples have softened and started to break down and oatmeal has thickened and is beginning to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove from heat and serve with desired toppings; I like to add peanut butter, yogurt, honey, freshly chopped apples and a little extra cinnamon.
Notes
- I use 2% milk in this recipe, but feel free to use your favourite dairy alternative or just water.
- The water and milk won’t come to a rolling boil, so look for indicators along the border of the pot, you should see small bubbles which are a good sign that it’s the right time to add the oats.
- If you prefer a runnier texture to your oatmeal, you can add an extra splash of milk or more water.
The morning I made this Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal was a pretty busy morning, I had a midterm exam that afternoon and I needed something that would tide me over and allow me to concentrate and study until lunch. Not only was this breakfast satisfying and filling, but it tasted so damn good that I made it again the next day and the day after. It’s easy because you toss all of the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and nuke it for a couple of minutes. The apple chunks soften a little bit, but they add a nice crunch to the oatmeal. I tried this oatmeal in a variety of ways and it can be made using cow’s milk or a dairy alternative such as soy milk for an easy vegan breakfast.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (serves 1)*
Ingredients
⅓ cup quick cooking oats
¼ cup chopped apple (with peel)
¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
6 tbsp milk (almond, soy or regular milk)
¼ tsp cinnamon
Maple syrup for serving
Directions
Combine all ingredients except the maple syrup in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high heat for 2:30-3 minutes. Stir and drizzle with maple syrup before serving.
* recipe can easily be doubled, tripled or quadrupled just increase the cooking time.
Hope this breakfast finds a place in your morning routine!
– Lou
Sarah 
Lou 
a spoonful of yumm
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