Stove Top Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Apple cinnamon oatmeal is creamy and lightly sweet, and with warm fall spices, it’s a perfect fall breakfast for chilly mornings. This delicious warm breakfast is made on a stovetop in under 15 minutes. Tastes like homemade apple pie, but healthy and packed with nutrients.

Why this recipe works

• It’s a perfect fall breakfast. Imagine eating apple pie or apple crumbs for breakfast?! Well, this oatmeal tastes close to apple pie or apple crumb.
• It’s quick and easy to make.
• Made on a stovetop with a few simple pantry ingredients.
• Using gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats makes it healthier than regular oats.
• It’s packed with fiber and protein and the warm spices are great for your body on chilly winter mornings.
• A satisfying breakfast that is made by cooking old-fashioned oats in sauteed apples along with warm fall spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Vanilla extract and maple syrup enhance the flavor and taste of the oatmeal.
• You can make it ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator once cooled completely for 3 to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave with a splash of milk and serve for breakfast the next morning.
• Easy to customize. Adjust the sweetness as per liking, use maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar for added sweetness. Vary the topping, enjoy fun combinations like sliced banana and peanut butter or honey and nuts or berry toppings like raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry, and top with seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need-

• Sweet apples
• Unsalted butter
• Cinnamon powder
• Nutmeg
• Old-fashioned rolled oats
• Milk
• Vanilla extract
• Maple syrup

All ingredient’s exact measurements are mentioned in the recipe card below.

Apples – pretty much any variety of apples can be used in the recipe. I prefer sweet apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady apples, or Gala apples. Granny Smith’s apple can be used too if you like a hint of tart in your oatmeal.

Oats – old-fashioned rolled oats are best for this recipe. I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats. I do not recommend instant oats for this recipe.

Milk – for creamy texture use whole milk. I used milk for cooking oats, feel free to use ½ milk and ½ water. For dairy-free options use unsweetened almond milk.

Sweetener – I used maple syrup to add a light sweetness to oatmeal. Maple syrup works great for oatmeal as it blends well. You can also use brown syrup, and honey as a substitute for maple syrup. Note– if using brown sugar make sure to add it along with milk so it dissolves completely and blends with the oatmeal. Liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or honey can be added in the end after oatmeal is cooked.

Spices – warm fall spices like cinnamon powder and a dash of nutmeg work great with apple cinnamon oatmeal.

Vanilla extract – optional. It enhances the flavor of oatmeal.

Sea salt – a pinch. Brings out the sweet flavors of apples.

Toppings – enjoy a bowl of hot oatmeal with your favorite toppings. Toppings can be anything from chopped nuts, seeds, berries, sliced fruit, cinnamon apples, a spoonful of sweetened peanut butter, a drizzle of honey, and more.

How to make stove-top apple cinnamon oatmeal

Prep apples: peel and core apples and dice them. You can keep apples in big pieces if you like the bite of it in oatmeal.

Cook apples: in a saucepan melt butter. Add diced apples along with cinnamon powder and dash of nutmeg and a dash of sea salt. Sauté for a few minutes until the apples begin to soften. Don’t take it too far, apples will continue to cook with oats and become mushy in the oatmeal.  

Cook oatmeal: Add rolled oats to apple mix and sauté for a minute. This step is optional. I like to sauté oats before adding the liquid that helps bring out the flavor of oats.

Add milk of your choice, and reduce heat to medium-low. Add vanilla extract, and another pinch of salt(optional) and cook by constantly stirring the oats until oats have soaked up all the liquid and turned creamy.

Once cooked turn off heat. Stir in maple syrup.

Serve: Transfer hot oatmeal to a serving bowl, add your favorite topping. I prefer apple cinnamon oatmeal topped with cinnamon apples and chopped pecans and an extra drizzle of maple syrup if needed. Serve immediately hot.

Want to customize apple oatmeal? Try this variation

This apple oatmeal is super simple and easy to make and needs basic pantry ingredients. While the recipe makes tasty oatmeal when topped with my favorite cinnamon apples and pecans, feel free to customize it to your liking.

• Adjust the sweetness as per liking, use maple syrup, honey, or brown sugar for added sweetness.
• Vary the topping, enjoy fun combinations like sliced banana, chopped nuts, berries like raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry, or top with seeds like flaxseeds, hemp hearts, and chia seeds.
• For an extra boost of protein stir in a spoonful of peanut butter to the oatmeal or you may use a scoop of protein powder.

Useful tips

1. Pretty much any variety of apples can be used in the recipe. I prefer sweet apples like Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady apples.
2. You may peel the skin from apples before dicing, or choose to leave the skin on. Your choice.
3. Love chunks of apples in oatmeal, dice them into ½ inch pieces.
4. Old-fashioned rolled oats are best for this recipe. I do not recommend you use instant oats or quick oats; they will turn mushy.
5. To avoid gluten, make sure to use certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats.
6. For creamier oatmeal use whole milk.
7. Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or brown sugar. Adjust the amount to your preferred sweetness.
8. Not an Apple fan? Feel free to use peaches or pears instead.
9. Don’t worry if oatmeal thickens up. Oatmeal will thicken as it cools. If chilled/stored in the refrigerator it will harden. You can get it to the right preferred consistency by adding a splash of milk or water and warming it on the stovetop or microwave.

Storage and reheating

Have leftover oatmeal? You can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. When ready to eat, gently warm it on the stovetop or microwave with a splash of water or milk to loosen it. Serve it warm with a topping of your choice.

If you prefer to freeze, I would suggest you cook oatmeal with just water and avoid milk totally. Milk when frozen changes its texture, it becomes grainy. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight warm it with milk in the morning and serve.

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📋Stove Top Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Jyothi Rajesh

Apple cinnamon oatmeal is creamy and lightly sweet, and with warm spices, it’s a perfect fall breakfast for chilly mornings. This delicious warm breakfast is made on a stovetop in under 15 minutes. Tastes like homemade apple pie, but healthy and packed with nutrients.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Servings 2 servings

Calories 498

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 apples
• ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ▢ Pinch of sea salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ▢ Pinch of nutmeg
• ▢ 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats gluten-free oats
• ▢ 2 ½ cups milk
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ to 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Toppings-

• ▢ Cinnamon apples
• ▢ Pecans
• ▢ Drizzle of maple syrup

Instructions

 

• Peel and core apples and dice them. You can keep apples in big pieces if you like the bite of it in oatmeal.
• Melt butter in a saucepan. Add diced apples along with cinnamon powder and dash of nutmeg and a dash of sea salt. Sauté for a few minutes until the apples begin to soften. Don’t take it too far, apples will continue to cook with oats and become mushy in the oatmeal.
• Add rolled oats to apple mix and sauté for a minute. This step is optional. I like to sauté oats before adding the liquid that helps bring out the flavor of oats. Add milk of your choice, and reduce heat to medium-low. Add vanilla extract, and another pinch of salt(optional) and cook by constantly stirring the oats until oats have soaked up all the liquid and turned creamy.
• Once cooked turn off heat. Stir in maple syrup.
• Transfer hot oatmeal to a serving bowl, add your favorite topping. I prefer apple cinnamon oatmeal topped with cinnamon apples and chopped pecans and an extra drizzle of maple syrup if needed. Serve immediately hot.

Video

Notes

1. Pretty much any variety of apples can be used in the recipe. I prefer sweet apples like Honeycrisp, and Pink Lady apples.
2. You may peel the skin from apples before dicing, or choose to leave the skin on. Your choice.
3. Love chunks of apples in oatmeal, dice them into ½ inch pieces.
4. Old-fashioned rolled oats are best for this recipe. I do not recommend you use instant oats or quick oats; they will turn mushy.
5. To avoid gluten, make sure to use certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats.
6. For creamier oatmeal use whole milk.
7. Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or brown sugar. Adjust the amount to your preferred sweetness.
8. Not an Apple fan? Feel free to use peaches or pears instead.
9. Don’t worry if oatmeal thickens up. Oatmeal will thicken as it cools. If chilled/stored in the refrigerator it will harden. You can get it to the right preferred consistency by adding a splash of milk or water and warming it on the stovetop or microwave.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 16gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 814mgFiber: 9gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 768IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 417mgIron: 2mg

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