This easy and delicious Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is packed with warming cinnamon flavor, slight caramel hints, and sweet caramelized apples in combination with creamy oatmeal made with the milk of your choice. It’s a delicious and nutritious breakfast that’s sure to start your day off right!
This healthy breakfast recipe is super easy and quick, taking less than 10 minutes to make. Made with wholesome ingredients, including rolled oats, milk, apples, and a small amount of maple syrup and coconut sugar, it is the perfect breakfast for the whole family!
Ingredients for Apple Oatmeal
- Rolled oats. Eating oats for breakfast is a very healthy habit. Choose the old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant ones.
- Milk gives a creamy texture to the oatmeal. Any type of milk can be used – any plant-based milk, such as almond, soy, or coconut milk, or dairy milk is also good if you are not on a dairy-free diet.
- Maple syrup. Only 1 tbsp of maple syrup to sweeten two servings of the oatmeal. You may increase or decrease this amount, based on your taste.
- Apples. Any type of apple will work.
- Cinnamon. The perfect warming spice for apples. The combination of apples and cinnamon is classic.
- Butter. Only 1 tbsp is needed to saute or slightly caramelize the apples. You can use coconut oil instead butter for a dairy-free version.
- Coconut sugar gives the apple filling slight caramel hints. Of course, you can swap it for any sugar you want, but I recommend using coconut sugar for this great caramel flavor. Dark brown sugar also works well.
How To Make Creamy Oatmeal
To make the creamy oatmeal, you should follow only a few steps:
- Add milk of your choice to a medium pot, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Add the oats, lower the heat, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Take it out of the heat, and let it rest with a lid covered for 5 minutes to absorb all the liquid.
How To Make Apple Filling
I recommend making the filling at the same time while the oatmeal is cooking. Thus, you will have a delicious breakfast in just 10 minutes.
- You can peel the apples or not, it’s up to your preferences. I decided not to peel them, as the peel is high in fiber and contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. Dice the apples into bite-sized pieces. In a medium bowl, combine apples with coconut sugar and cinnamon.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Apples should become soft but still retain their shape. Remove from the heat. Top the oatmeal with the apple filling.
Ideas of Add-ins
This Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is a great healthy nutritionally balanced breakfast. But you can add even more nutrients to it, so here are some ideas:
- To enrich the breakfast with healthy fats, you can sprinkle the oatmeal with chopped nuts – pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, or others. Nut butter is also great for this. Add some healthy fats and protein to your oatmeal by stirring in a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter.
- Also, to boost the oatmeal with protein, you can add 1 scoop of protein powder after cooking, and stir well.
- To enhance the warming flavor, in addition to cinnamon, you can add ground nutmeg, allspice, cardamom, vanilla, ginger, or cloves.
Make-ahead Oatmeal and Storage Instructions
It is best served immediately, but you can make a large batch of this Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal at once and reheat it when needed. I always prefer freshly cooked food, but making this ahead is a great saving of time. Store cooked oatmeal and cooked apple filling in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready to eat, simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of milk to loosen it up if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
More Healthy Breakfast Ideas
If you like this Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal recipe, check out other healthy and easy recipes that are great for your breakfast:
- Pumpkin Oatmeal
- Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
- Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats
- Almond Cranberry Skillet Granola
- Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes
- Tiramisu Overnight Oats
- Creamy Mango Peanut Butter Smoothie
I hope you enjoy this recipe for apple cinnamon oatmeal as much as I do! It’s the perfect way to start your day on a warm and cozy note. If you try it out, let me know how it turns out in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow me on social media for more delicious recipes like this!
Ingredients
For the Caramelized Apples:
- 2 medium apples, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
For the Oatmeal:
- 2 cups (480 g) milk of your choice
- 1 cup (100 g) rolled oats
- 1 tbsp (20 g) maple syrup (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Dice the apples into bite-sized pieces (you can peel them or not, it's up to your preferences), and in a medium bowl, combine them with coconut sugar and cinnamon.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Apples should become soft but still retain their shape. Remove from the heat.
- Add milk of your choice to a medium pot, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Add the oats and maple syrup, then lower the heat, and cook for 5-7 minutes.
- Take it out of the heat, and let it rest with a lid covered for 5 minutes to absorb all the liquid.
- Top the oatmeal with the apple filling and enjoy!
