Vegan Baked Oatmeal with Apples

This apple vegan baked oatmeal with cinnamon and walnuts dish is a wholesome breakfast that can be made ahead of time.  The hearty baked oatmeal is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and oil-free.

The apple is paired with warm cinnamon, rich maple syrup, and the crunch of chopped walnuts to deliver loads of flavor to these rolled oats.  This vegan baked oatmeal is soft right out of the oven but firms up as it cools. Once the oats are cooled completely they firm up to be sliceable.

For more apple-flavored oats, try applesauce overnight oats, vegan microwave apple oatmeal, or apple steel-cut oats. If you prefer a chocolate version without apples, try chocolate-baked oatmeal with peanut butter.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Variations
• Instructions
• Serving suggestions
• Storage
• Related recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

This vegan baked oatmeal recipe calls for simple ingredients to make a wholesome breakfast.

Old-fashioned oats - The main ingredient to hold on to all those flavors.

Ground flaxseed - This is used instead of eggs to bind everything together to keep this dish egg-free. 

Ground cinnamon - Adds more flavor.

Baking powder - Gives the baked oats some lift.

Salt - Just a little to enhance the overall flavors,

Non-dairy milk - Any non-dairy milk can be used to keep the oats dairy-free.

Unsweetened applesauce - Delivers more apple flavor, but can be replaced with mashed ripe banana.

Maple syrup - Adds sweetness and can be substituted with agave syrup.  If you find the oats too sweet, it can also be reduced.

Vanilla extract - Adds more flavor to pair well with apples and cinnamon.

Apple - One large apple or two small apples diced small.  Any type will work.

Walnuts or pecans - They add a little crunch.  They can be substituted with sliced almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds or they can be left out if needed.

Tips

• Be sure to use ground flax seed to make the flax egg and to let it gel with the water for about 10 minutes.
• Place the uncooked mixture promptly into a preheated oven before the oats start to soak up the dairy-free milk.
• If you don’t use a glass baking dish, then lightly grease the baking tray.

Frequently Asked Questions

Variations

• One cup of berries can be used instead of the apple.  Try it with sliced strawberries, blueberries, or a mix.  Frozen berries also work well and there’s no need to thaw them.  
• Try ½ cup of raisins or dried unsweetened cranberries instead of the apple.  If you can only find sweetened cranberries, you might want to reduce the maple syrup.
• Instead of ground cinnamon, try pumpkin pie spice.
• For more baked oatmeal ideas try orange cranberry oatmeal bars, chocolate baked oatmeal, blueberry baked oatmeal cups, or blueberry lemon oatmeal cups.

Instructions

The baked oatmeal is easy to make and just requires one bowl.

First, preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C).  You can lightly grease an 8x8 glass baking dish, or not.  The cooked oats don’t normally stick for me when using a glass baking dish.

Next, make the flax egg by mixing the 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water.  Let it sit and gel for 10 minutes while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Then mix together the rolled oats, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, in a large bowl.

Then mix in the dairy-free milk, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, and flax egg. Fold in the diced apple and walnuts (or pecans).

Pour the mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish and spread the mixture out so it’s even.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the middle is almost set and the edges have firmed up.

Let the baked oats cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. It’s soft right out of the oven but firms up as it cools. Eat it warm or cold. 

Serving suggestions

The vegan baked oatmeal can be eaten warm or cold (my personal favorite is cold).  It will be a little soft and creamy while still warm.  Once completely cooled they firm up, especially after being refrigerated.  

I like to top them with vegan yogurt (plain yogurt can be sweetened with maple syrup), fresh berries, and banana slices.  Almond butter or peanut butter can also be used to top the vegan baked oats.  They can also be eaten without any toppings.

For sides try vegan fruit salad with lime juice or summer berry salad.

Storage

Store leftover vegan baked oatmeal covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  They can also be frozen; let the oats cool, then store them in the refrigerator for them to firm up (this makes it easier to get nice slices). 

Slice the baked oats into squares, then line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.  Place the slices on the lined cookie sheet and freeze.  They’re now frozen separately and can be placed in a freezer-safe container.  Alternatively to freezing separately, layer parchment paper between slices so they don’t freeze together.  Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Related recipes

• Lemon Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Cups
• Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
• Raisin Oatmeal Bars
• Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Bars
• Chocolate Baked Oatmeal

I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe for baked oatmeal! If you like the recipe feel free to rate it and leave a comment.

Print

Recipe