Baked Apples with Oats
Baked Apples with Oats are the perfect breakfast or dessert, made with apples cored and stuffed with a cinnamon brown sugar oatmeal filling, then baked until the whole house smells amazing!
Baked Apples with Oats are an easy breakfast or dessert, made with apples cored and stuffed with a brown sugar oat mixture and drizzled with honey, then baked until the topping is crispy and the apples are tender. This is a very nostalgic recipe that will remind you of apple crisp and fall afternoons! It’s easy to put together and a fun family activity, this recipe takes about an hour from start to finish.
If you loved these baked apples, you’ll also love my Slow Cooker Apple Crisp, Blueberry Baked Oatmeal, and my Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal recipe!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Apple Crisp Flavor – This has the flavor of your favorite apple crisp recipe, but it’s way easier to make! The apples get soft with a warm cinnamon-spice, while the buttery oat topping gets sweet and crispy.
Easy to Make – This is easy to make, and only takes a few minutes of prep time. Just core the apples, stir the oat mixture together, stuff the apples, and bake!
Ingredient Tips & Substitutions
Apples. I like to use Fuji, Pink Lady, or Honey crisp apples, because they’re not too tart, and hold their shape when baked. You also don’t need to worry about peeling the apples, just bake them in the skin.
You could also use granny smith apples, like I do with my Apple Pie Filling, but it won’t be as sweet without the sugar from that recipe.
Brown Sugar. I like the way brown sugar caramelizes in the oat topping. You could also use granulated sugar, maple syrup, or more honey.
Pecans. I like to use nuts for a little bit of crunch and nutty flavor. You can also use almonds or walnuts.
Rolled Oats. I recommend using old fashioned oats (rolled oats) for this recipe, because they’ll hold their shape better and give you that nice chewy oat topping texture.
If you need gluten free options, look for certified gluten free oats that follow a purity protocol, meaning they are grown in dedicated fields without other grains.
Butter. Use this to help mix the topping together until it looks wet. You want the butter to be softened, don’t use melted butter, or the topping will melt in the oven. I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in the recipe later.
Honey. This adds sweetness, but also the flavor of honey goes really well with the apples and brown sugar. You could also use maple syrup.
Spices. I use a combination of warm spices like ground cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg with just a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness.
You could also just use cinnamon, add a pinch of ground cloves, or pumpkin pie spice.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe you’ll need a spoon and a baking dish.
How to Make Baked Apples with Oatmeal
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a baking dish.
Use a knife to cut the very top of the apples off, then use a spoon to scoop out the core, leaving the bottom intact.
Mix together the oats, brown sugar, spices, and softened butter until everything looks wet and crumbly, using a fork or your hands. Add the pecans and mix gently until combined.
Place the apples in the baking dish open-side-up. Spoon the oatmeal mixture into each apple, packing it gently on the top. Drizzle the honey over the top of the apples.
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Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are fork-tender and the top is golden and toasted.
Recipe Variations
- Try adding some dried cranberries or raisins to the oat mixture for little bursts of sweetness. Or some walnuts, almonds, or pumpkin seeds instead of pecans.
- You can also use apple pie spice instead of the spice mixture. Or add vanilla extract for some more flavor.
- For a Halloween version, drizzle with my Homemade Caramel Sauce right out of the oven!
- Instead of honey, use maple syrup for a different fall flavor.
- For a fall dessert, top these apples with some vanilla ice cream. For breakfast, pair them with some greek yogurt.
- If your apples fall apart during prep, bake a tray of diced apples with the seasoning and the crumble on top for more of an apple crisp or apple oatmeal crumble.
Recipe Tip! If the apples are tipping over, trim a small amount off of the bottom of the apple so it sits flat in the baking dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like to go with sweet varieties that also hold together well in the oven, like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady. Avoid using tart apples like Granny Smith (better for recipes with more sugar), or varieties like Red Delicious or McIntosh, which will get mushy in the oven.
Recipe Tip! If the apple filling starts getting too toasty before the apples are done cooking, tent the dish loosely with some tinfoil for the remaining time.
More Apple Recipes
- Homemade Apple Pie Filling
- Cream Cheese Caramel Apple Dip
- Cinnamon Baked Apples
- Instant Pot Apple Butter
Storage
Refrigerate leftover baked apples for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Freeze for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container. Let them come to room temperature first.
Cooking Tips
- Don’t core the apples all the way through to the bottom, you need to leave some stability in the apple so it doesn’t break apart when you stuff it.
- Use your hands to gently pack the filling into the apple, and press the oats on top so they don’t fall apart.
- The apples are done when you can poke them with a fork and the fork goes through them easily. If the crumble topping starts burning before you can do this, use an oven mitt to put a piece of tinfoil on top for the rest of the cooking time.
- Instead of a baking dish, you can also use a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper, just be careful the apples don’t fall down when you’re transferring it to the oven.
- If your apples are browning when scooping them, you can use a little bit of lemon juice to help slow that down.
Tried this recipe? ⭐ Leave a review and share what worked best for you—your tips help other home cooks get the same delicious results!
Baked Apples with Oats and Cinnamon
Equipment
- 1 9×9" baking dish
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium Fuji or Honeycrisp apples
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking dish and set aside.
- Use a knife to cut the very top of the apples off, then use a spoon to scoop out the core, leaving the bottom intact. Try to create some space in the apple for the oat filling.
- In a medium bowl, add the oats, brown sugar, spices, and softened butter. Mix the ingredients together until everything looks wet and crumbly, using a fork or your hands. Add the pecans and mix gently until combined.
- Place the apples in the baking dish open-side-up. Spoon the oatmeal mixture into each apple, packing it gently on the top. Drizzle the honey over the top of the apples.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are fork-tender and the top is golden and toasted.
Notes
- If the tops start getting too toasty before the apples are soft, tent the dish loosely with some tinfoil for the remaining time.
- If they’re tipping over, trim a small amount off of the bottom of the apple so it sits flat in the baking dish.
- Don’t core the apples all the way through to the bottom, you need to leave some stability in the apple so it doesn’t break apart when you stuff it, or leak filling through the bottom.
- Use your hands to gently pack the filling into the apple, and press the oats on top so they don’t fall apart.
- The apples are done when you can poke them with a fork and the fork goes through them easily.
Nutrition
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delisious ! thanks for recipe. i made a few changes – coconut oil instead of butter, 1/3 of the sugar, maple syrup instead of honey and along with raisins i used coconut flakes, dried gogi berries, and dried cranberries. so so good!
Thanks! I’m so glad you liked it. Those changes sound delicious! 🙂
Save this for a special occasion, maybe not everyday 🙂