This easy Apple Baked Oatmeal is moist, flavorful, and packed with whole grains and fruit. Plus, it has a texture that’s soft enough for even the littlest eaters, can be eaten in slices or scooped into a bowl, and stores well in the fridge for days.

apple-bread-with-yogurt-frosting

Apple Baked Oatmeal

With an easy method and a nutritious ingredients list, this quick baked oatmeal is such a great option for easy breakfasts and snacks. The batter comes together quickly so you don’t have to spend hours getting it ready to bake, and the apple flavor comes from both applesauce and fresh apples. It’s kind of like an oatmeal apple bread as far as flavor and texture goes.

It’s moist, fresh, and loaded with delicious flavors!

This bread is the kind of snack or mini meal that I crave during most of the year—which works out nicely since this stores well in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week. (Hooray, breakfast all week!)

It’s also made with pantry staples, so I can usually make a batch even when I’m short on groceries. It has a nicely balanced mix of whole grains, fruit, protein, and fiber, and is a perfect way to use up apples you have lingering in the fridge.

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Ingredients You Need

This recipe contains pantry staples including:

ingredients in baked apple oatmeal on counter.
  • Rolled oats: This forms the base of the recipe. Look for “old-fashioned” rolled oats.
  • Flaxseed: This helps the batter hold together. If you don’t have this ingredient, use additional oats.
  • Apple: You can use any type of apple you prefer. I usually use Pink Lady or Fuji.
  • Applesauce: Use store-bought or homemade applesauce.
  • Milk: Any type of milk works. I usually bake with whole milk.
  • Butter: I use unsalted butter in my baking, though you can use coconut or avocado oil here, too, if you prefer.
  • Sugar: A little sweetness adds flavor to the finished dish. Feel free to leave this out or swap in honey or maple syrup if you prefer.
  • Eggs: Eggs help the batter hold together. Use a favorite egg replacer instead if needed.
  • Baking powder: This helps the mixture bake through and rise a little while baking.
  • Vanilla extract and cinnamon for flavor.

TIP: The apple oatmeal bread is just lightly sweetened, and we love it with a little yogurt on top.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s a look at how to make this quick bread recipe. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe.

how to make baked apple oatmeal in grid of four images.
  1. Dice the apple. (I usually leave the peel on.)
  2.  Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine
  3. Pour into the prepared baking sheet and smooth until even with a spatula. Bake!
  4. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.
apple oatmeal on white cutting board

What are the best apples to use?

Most apples work well in this recipe though I tend to use Granny Smith, Cortland, or Pink Lady, which are typical baking apples. And know that the bread definitely has texture, so if you think that your little one won’t love the chunks of apple or will be distracted by trying to pick them out, peel the skin off and/or chop the pieces of apple smaller.

apple-bread-cut-up-on-purple-plate

What pairs well with this Apple Oatmeal?

We like this apple oatmeal recipe with milk (or coffee or tea) and a side of extra apple sticks. (Shown above plated for my then 1-year-old.) It’s nice since it can be sliced into squares to pick up and eat—like a bread—or you can add to a bowl and eat with a spoon or a fork.

You can drizzle a little honey on top (for kids over age 1) or some nut or seed butter. It’s also delicious with a smear of cream cheese, which totally makes it taste like Apple Cake, or a simple yogurt frosting.

(See the Notes at the bottom of the recipe for the info.)

How to Store

You can store this baked oatmeal in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Serve it chilled or slightly warmed through. You can also store it in a zip-top freezer bag (slice it first to make it easier to package) for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the fridge overnight or in short 15 to 30-second increments in the microwave until warmed through.

Best Tips for Success

  • Use whichever apples you prefer, though I like Granny Smith, Cortland, or Pink Lady. Dice the apple small.
  • To make this gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.
  • To make dairy-free Apple Baked Oatmeal, use coconut oil instead of butter and nondairy milk.
  • Use smooth, unsweetened applesauce.
  • Serve this oatmeal chilled straight out of the fridge or slightly warmed.
  • Top with Cinnamon Apples or Sliced Baked Apples for extra apple yumminess.

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sliced-apple-oatmeal-bread-on-cutting-bard

Favorite Apple Baked Oatmeal

This Apple Baked Oatmeal is delicious and hearty. It's delicate when warm, so let it cool fully before you slice it with a serrated knife. Serve it in slices like you would apple bread, or in a bowl to eat with a spoon or a fork.
4.94 from 62 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 28 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Breakfast
Calories 91kcal
Servings 16

Ingredients

  • 2 cups instant oats (or rolled oats ground lightly in a food processor or blender)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (or 2 tablespoons maple syrup; optional)
  • ¼ cup ground flaxseeds (or flaxseed meal or chia seeds)
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • ½ cup milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons butter (melted and cooled slightly)
  • 1 cup finely diced apple (skin on or off, according to your preference; I leave it on)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×8-inch baking pan. (I like to line the pan with parchment paper so I can lift the baked oatmeal out and slice it, but you can also just slice it in the pan.)
  • Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.
  • Pour into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  • Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are lightly golden brown.
  • Place pan onto a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting.

Notes

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or at room temperature for 3 days. We prefer it chilled, but it works either way.
  • I prefer the final texture of this when made with instant oats or rolled oats ground up briefly in the food processor or blender. You can use regular rolled oats if you prefer.
  • Yogurt Icing: Stir together ¼ cup plain whole milk Greek or regular yogurt with 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup. Spoon into a plastic storage bag. Seal, then cut off one bottom corner. Drizzle over the cooled bread.
  • Egg-Free: Omit the eggs and increase the milk to ¾ cup. Soak 3 tablespoons chia seeds in the milk before adding to the batter. Decrease baking time to 30 minutes.
  • Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
  • Dairy-Free: Use coconut oil instead of butter and nondairy milk.
  • Use maple syrup instead of sugar if you prefer. Or omit it.
  • Use whichever apples you prefer, though I like Granny Smith, Cortland, or Pink Lady. Dice them into small pieces.
  • Serve this chilled straight out of the fridge or slightly warmed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 91kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 90mg, Potassium: 101mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 110IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

This post was first published August 2019.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is so customizable and delicious! Perfect for our toddler AND my husband who will only eat oatmeal in cookie form!

  2. 5 stars
    Tried this twice now and it’s a hit! The second time I skipped the yogurt drizzle and just sprinkled some turbinado sugar on top. I always pulse my oats to make them finer since my kids have some texture aversions. Tastes like a delicious portable bowl of baked apple cinnamon oatmeal. My kids who don’t like the texture of oatmeal love this.

  3. 5 stars
    I love this recipe it comes out delicious I’m wondering if I could make this the night before and bake it in the morning?

  4. 5 stars
    This is our go-to breakfast for our 1 year-old! I’ve been making it in a mini muffin tin using whatever fruit I have on hand and whatever purée needs using up (including applesauce, mushed banana, random pouches). Store them in the freezer and microwave for ~30 seconds in the morning. He’s a big fan!

  5. 5 stars
    So delicious! I added some additional cinnamon to the icing but I tried it before icing it and it was perfect on its own. I just have a big sweet tooth.

  6. 5 stars
    I made this the night before adding a little more milk and then put in the oven in the morning! So good!!

  7. 5 stars
    Hello! I made this bread and it looks great! My question is if I do the yogurt/ maple icing, will it get hard? I ask because my plan is to freeze most of the batch. I want to ice the whole thing but I’m scared it will all get smeared when I put it in the freezer bag. Thank you!

    1. It doesn’t get as firm as regular icing so maybe wait until you take it out of the freezer to do that part?

  8. 5 stars
    I’ve made these at least 5 times in the past month. The entire fam devours them, even the toddler 😉 The apple flavor really shines and we just can’t stop eating them! I love using cinnamon applesauce to spice it up even more. YUM!

    1. Yes, you could. It will likely take a little longer to bake through in the middle. If the edges are browning and the middle isn’t cooked through or firm, you can cover with foil to help lower the browning a little.

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