Apple Pie Baked Oats

I think after making baked oats once, I’m just going to be making baked oats forever. They are soooo good! But as I was scrolling Pinterest seeing all the new baked oats recipes (they are having a MOMENT in 2021), I realized that there were almost no baked oat recipe without bananas? So of course I had to fix the problem!

Bananas do not agree with everyone’s stomach’s (myself included….tmi? …TMI) so of course I wanted to make an option for amazing breakfast cake that uses ZERO bananas. And now, I present to you: Apple Pie Baked Oats.

These Apple Pie Baked Oats are dairy free, gluten free, packed with filling ingredients, so easy and affordable, and can be whipped up in just 30 minutes. All you need is a blender and a small baking dish and you are good to goooo. Plus if you aren feeling ~extra~, I created a 2-second-streusel (it’s a weird name but I’m sticking to it) that you can add to the top for some extra crunch, healthy fats, and flavor!

Honestly, I think these might be the best baked oats on the internet….I know, fighting words, but just try it and let me know what you think!

There’s one big secret to these Apple Pie Baked Oats: we cook the apple first.

Now you might be asking: Why? Wouldn’t it just be easier to throw the raw apple, oats and egg in the blender anyways and just let it cook while the oats bake?

But there is a very important reason why we want to cook the apples before we add them to our blender. Well, a few reasons:

• 1 – Cooking the apple until it’s soft makes it waaaayyyy easier to blend with the ingredients.
• 2 – When a fruit goes from raw to cooked, it automatically releases moisture. I’m sure you’ve seen this before with apple pies and fruit tarts etc. Moisture release would mean the oats wouldn’t cook to the cakey texture we want, they would stay in a more creamy, liquid oat form. While this is delicious, it’s not exactly what we are going for.
• 3 – When the apple is cooked, it loses a lot of it’s volume, making it easier to blend and use in a single-serving portion!

You can cook the apple a few ways, either diced and then microwaved for 2-3 minutes, or on the stovetop. The microwave is wayyyy less mess, but it’s totally up to you which option you choose!

Now for my favorite part – The 2-second streusel!

I call it a 2-second streusel because it literally takes no time and effort on your end. You can just eyeball the ingredients if you want, no measuring needed! (Although I did give measurements below because I know some of you are straight-A students and need the structure ❤️).

For this just mix together:

• slivered almonds
• brown sugar
• raw oats
• a dash of olive oil
• optional flakey salt

And top it on your batter before you bake the oats! It gives an unexpected crunch to these Apple Pie Baked Oats, and makes it feel like you are diving into a crispy pie crust. It’s totally optional but I highly recommend it!

Ok, ok, What type of oats do you use?

Now for the most common question I get on my TikTok – what kind of oats do I use? To answer this, we first need to talk about the types of oats out there. The three main types of oats are:

• Rolled oats – these are the most common type you will see. They are called “rolled” because they are processed from their original form and flattened out to the cereal grain you see in the tub!
• Steel cut oats – these oats are chopped up as opposed to rolled, making them look more like rice than oats! They take the longest to cook, so they are something I rarely use in my recipes.
• Quick – quick oats are just a further processed version of rolled oats. But with this version of “processed” – don’t be afraid of the word! It just means they are rolled or blended up to a finer consistency, helping them to cook faster.

So now that we know the main differences in oats (you can always read more in this amazing article from The Kitchn) which ones are the best for this recipe?

Well, since we are processing the oats into a fine powder, I use either quick oats or rolled oats for the actual baked oat portion. But for the streusel topping, I find it looks (and tastes!) best when I used rolled oats. Again, I steer clear of using steel cut oats because they act in a completely different way compared to the more processed oats.

Now how’s that for an oat-ducation? (ok sorry for the bad pun, I will see myself out 😉

Want to make it vegan? I gotchu

The best way to veganize this recipe is not what you’d think – flax egg? Don’t need it. Chia egg or xantham gum? No need! The best way to veganize this and still get the fluffy, cake-like texture is to up the amount of oat flour and then add in about 3 tbsp of plant based milk as the “egg.” Not only is this a more affordable option, it’s arguably simpler than the original recipe!

Here is what you will want to use to veganize this recipe:

• 1 cup oats (100g)
• 1 apple, cooked until soft
• 3 tbsp plant based milk
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt

And that’s it! You’ll want to proceed with the rest of the recipe like it is written out below, just minus the egg!

Now what do you think – do you want more baked oats recipes? Less? Let me know in the comments! And happy baking ❤️