Baked Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

And after the heavy recipe I posted yesterday, I felt like things around here needed to be lightened up a little.  That’s where this baked oatmeal comes in.  I’ve been dying to make a baked or an overnight oatmeal recipe for years but for whatever reason, I never pulled the trigger and sought out a recipe.  So it was pretty handy when this recipe stumbled upon my doorstep over the summer for the first time.  I immediately fell in love with the components of this baked oatmeal and how the fruit could be so easily changed for preferences or seasons.  The original recipe calls for bananas and blueberries but I made mine with apples, raisins, and I added a bit more cinnamon.  And while this combination reminded me of the oatmeal packets I grew up on, this version was no comparison with its freshly baked apples, plump raisins, and lots of cinnamon swirling around the oatmeal.  This was my kind of breakfast.

Baked Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

The difficulty level of this recipe?  Nil.  You’ll put a layer of some of the fruit on the bottom of the dish followed by all of the dry oatmeal mixture, then pour over a mixture of milk, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla, top with some more fruit and bake.  So easy!  I whipped up my first batch one Sunday morning a couple weeks ago while Kyle slept in (never happens) and I actually wrote and scheduled an entire blog post before it finished baking – talk about time efficiency!  I think what I love most about this baked oatmeal is that a full batch yields leftovers for Kyle for 3 mornings and since in the winter months he takes a packet of apple cinnamon oatmeal with him to work for breakfast nearly everyday, we now not only have a cheaper alternative to those packets, but also oatmeal fresh fruit and without any preservatives.  It’s a win-win all around!

Baked Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal
source: adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson, as seen on The Curvy Carrot and Annie’s Eats

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
  • 1 cup milk (I used skim but any kind will work)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 apple (any kind), peeled, cored, and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or spray a 2-quart casserole dish with either butter or cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, the melted butter, and the vanilla.
  3. Place the diced apples in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle about two-thirds of the raisins over the top of the apples, then cover the fruit with the oat mixture.  Drizzle the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the milk as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle the remaining raisins over the top of the oats.  Bake the oatmeal for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the oats have set.
  4. Remove the oatmeal from the oven and serve hot with more maple syrup.