Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal {Make-Forward Breakfast}

The second I see recent cranberries on the retailer, I do know it is time for all the comfy baking, and this Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal is at all times first on my checklist. Tart cranberries, candy apples, maple syrup, and cinnamon come collectively to create a breakfast that feels festive however nonetheless completely doable on a weekday.

This dish is a favourite for Thanksgiving morning or vacation brunches, particularly whenever you’re feeding a home filled with friends. And here is a bit of secret: I’ve additionally served it as dessert with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt, and never a single chunk was left behind. It is heat, gently candy, and simply the correct amount of indulgent.

Earlier than You Get Began

A number of fast tricks to make this oatmeal breakfast as simple and foolproof as attainable:

• Use rolled oats (old style oats): Keep away from fast oats or steel-cut oats for this recipe. They will not provide the similar texture.
• Do not skip the applesauce: It provides pure sweetness and retains the oatmeal moist without having a lot of further sugar or fats.
• Use the proper apples: Agency, crisp apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Woman maintain up greatest in baking and provides a pleasant distinction to the gentle oats.
• Make it the night time earlier than: Mix all the things and pour it into the baking dish. Cowl and refrigerate in a single day, then bake within the morning!
• Recent cranberries are greatest, but when they’re out of season, dried cranberries (aka craisins) work too. Simply cut back the quantity since they’re sweeter.
• Grease your dish nicely: Baked oatmeal can stick, so remember the cooking spray!

Make Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

Let’s stroll via precisely methods to make this cozy baked oatmeal.

1. Preheat the oven and prep the dry elements

Preheat to 375°F. In a big bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. This helps the leavening and spices evenly distribute.

2. Whisk collectively the moist elements

In a separate bowl, stir collectively the applesauce, almond milk, eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract till nicely mixed.

Professional tip: Need to scale back sugar? You’ll be able to skip the brown sugar and/or maple syrup completely, particularly in case your apples are naturally candy. A number of mashed ripe bananas make a fantastic pure sweetener, too!

3. Mix and fold within the fruit

Stir the moist combination into the dry, then gently fold within the diced apples and cranberries. Watch out to not overmix. Simply sufficient to distribute all the things evenly.

4. Pour right into a baking dish and bake

Pour right into a greased 9×9-inch baking dish and bake for 40–45 minutes, till golden brown and a toothpick comes out clear. Let cool barely earlier than serving.

Recipe Ideas and Concepts

There are such a lot of simple methods to customise this baked oatmeal to suit your tastes and pantry.

• Swap the fruit: Recent pears, blueberries, raspberries, or diced peaches all work fantastically. In the event you’re utilizing frozen fruit, simply thaw and pat dry first to keep away from extra moisture.
• Add crunch with nuts: Pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds add a pleasant texture. Stir them into the combo or sprinkle on high earlier than baking. A dollop of almond or peanut butter on high can also be scrumptious.
• Spice it up: Add floor ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom together with the cinnamon for much more cozy taste.
• Add protein: Stir in 1–2 scoops of collagen or vanilla protein powder, or add a number of tablespoons of chia seeds or hemp hearts for a lift.
• Make it dairy-free or vegan: This recipe is of course dairy-free, and you can also make it totally vegan by utilizing flax eggs (2 tbsp floor flax + 5 tbsp water) as a substitute of eggs and skipping the brown sugar.
• Bake as particular person servings: This recipe works nice for muffin tins. Simply divide the oatmeal combination into ready muffin tins and scale back the baking time. They may take about 18-22 minutes to bake. It is a nice choice if you happen to plan on freezing particular person parts for later use.

Serving Options

This is how we love serving this oatmeal for breakfast, and even dessert!

• With a drizzle of nut butter: Almond or peanut butter takes it to the following degree.
• Topped with yogurt: Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt provides creaminess and protein.
• For dessert: Heat with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. Belief me on this one!
• With eggs or frittata: We normally pair it with a Vegetable Frittata or Quinoa Egg Muffins for a brunch unfold that is each nourishing and scrumptious.

Storage and Reheating

This dish is ideal for meal prep and reheats like a dream.

• To retailer: Let cool utterly, then cowl tightly and refrigerate for as much as 5 days.
• To freeze: Reduce into particular person parts and freeze in hermetic containers for as much as 2 months.
• To reheat: Microwave with a splash of milk to maintain it moist. You can even reheat within the oven at 350°F for 10–quarter-hour.