This vegan Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal is such an awesome option for busy mornings. Not only is it delicious, but it is easy to make, and it gives you breakfast for the whole week.
Made with only a few ingredients, this gluten-free, nut-free, refined-sugar-free breakfast is bound to be among your new favorite breakfasts.
Looking for more delicious vegan breakfast options? Try these recipes: Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal, Maple Cinnamon Overnight Oats, Vegan Banana Pancakes, or this easy Nut Free Pumpkin Flax Granola.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One dish – All ingredients go straight into the dish you’re baking with. If you have a baking dish with a lid, you can store the finished product in there, too! Easy clean-up!
- Easily customizable – You can add dried or fresh fruit, different seeds, chopped nuts – whatever you want to make this dish your own!
- Simple ingredients – Everything should be easy to find at your local grocery store.
- Perfect for meal prep – Making this dish gives you breakfast for a whole week. And it freezes well!
Ingredients
- Rolled Oats – This recipe works best with rolled or old-fashioned oats.. Make sure to select a certified Gluten-Free variety if needed.
- Frozen or fresh apples – I prefer Honeycrisp apples, but any apple would work. Make sure to peel the apples first before dicing.
- Ground flax – This replaces the egg in this recipe to make the oatmeal a little more cohesive. You could easily replace it with a banana or 1/3 cup of applesauce instead if you don’t have this ingredient.
- Chia Seeds – Any seeds work here, but we love chia in our house! Tons of fiber and healthy fats. Win-win.
- Plant milk – I prefer sweetened hemp milk or coconut milk, but any plant milk will work. I have also made this with almond milk and oat milk, and both are delicious and don’t change the flavor of the overall dish.
- Maple Syrup – Try to get pure maple syrup here versus the maple-flavored syrups, as those tend to burn. Swap with agave syrup if desired.
- Cinnamon – You can easily increase or decrease the amount to your liking. Or add more warm spices like nutmeg, cloves, or cardamom.
- Baking Powder – This helps achieve some fluffiness in the end result.
- Salt – Just a pinch of salt really brings out the flavors!
- Optional: A dash of vanilla extract
How to Make
This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe, including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prep the Apples
Wash, peel, and dice about 2 medium apples. Set aside.
My favorite variety of apples to use for this recipe is Honeycrisp. I think they are the perfect mixture of sweet and tart.
Tip: Buy apples in the fall when they are in season, peel, dice, and freeze for up to 6 months. This recipe works great with frozen apples, too.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
Place the oats in a 9×13 glass baking dish. Add the baking powder, ground flaxseed, salt, and chia seeds to the oats and mix to evenly distribute.
Next, add in the diced apples and mix again. Finally, add the plant milk and maple syrup and mix until evenly distributed. All of the oats should be wet, but none should be fully covered. If you have areas of dry oats, add a splash of milk.
Time to Bake
Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
Variations
- Use pumpkin pie spice instead of just cinnamon for a Fall-inspired flavor.
- Add a scoop of peanut butter, almond butter, or any other seed butter for some extra protein.
- Add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for crunch.
- Add more dried fruit like raisins or cranberries.
How to Store
- Fridge: Store this oatmeal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Bake and let cool fully, then freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Make ahead of time for brunch and reheat the whole dish in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Or, slice and reheat individual pieces in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
More Tips
- Not Vegan? Use one egg, beaten, instead of flaxseed. Use cow’s milk instead of plant milk.
- Gluten-Free? Make sure to select a certified gluten-free variety of oats.
- Want more protein? Add your favorite nuts, pumpkin seeds, or any other favorite toppings before baking.
FAQ
Steel-cut oats take much more water and cooking time to become soft enough to chew, so this recipe would not work as a 1:1 swap with steel-cut oats.
You can! Apples have a natural sweetness, but if you are looking for an indulgent breakfast, try 1-2 Tbsp coconut sugar, cane sugar, or dark brown sugar to sweeten this recipe.
I have not attempted this yet, but I bet it would turn out great!
Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
Ingredients
- 4 cups Old fashioned oats
- 2 cups diced apple plus a few slices
- 2 tbsp Ground flaxseed
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 3 ½ cup plant milk
- ½ cup Maple syrup
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Peel and dice your apples, saving a few slices for the top if desired. Set aside
- Add the oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt to the 9×13" baking dish. Mix until evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the diced apples on top and mix until evenly dispersed.
- Pour the plant milk and maple syrup over top of the dry ingredients. The oats should be mostly covered but not fully. Top with sliced apples if desired.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Buy apples in the fall when they are in season. Peel, dice, and freeze for up to 6 months. This recipe works great with frozen apples too.
- Make this oatmeal the night before and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
- Not Vegan? Use one egg, beaten, instead of flaxseed. Use cow’s milk instead of plant milk.
- Gluten-Free? Make sure to select a certified gluten-free variety of oats.
- Want more protein? Add chopped nuts or pumpkin seeds before baking.
- Don’t have flaxseed? Replace with one banana, mashed.
Nutrition
Please note, while all ingredients used in this recipe have been verified to be vegan and free of applicable allergens at the time of recipe creation, different brands may differ in their ingredients or processing procedures and may change their ingredients at any time. For some recipes, I do include ingredients that are processed in a facility that processes other allergens. Please make sure to check the ingredients and processing procedures for your specific purchases to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
Last Updated on June 5, 2025
Such and easy and delicious dish. This is the perfect recipe for brunch for a crowd.
Where is the recipe?
Hi! Sorry you’re having difficulty seeing the recipe. It’s at the very end of the post. There is a “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the post underneath the first photo. Maybe try that? If that doesn’t work, let me know and I’ll see if there is something else on my end! Thanks!!