A warm bowl of oatmeal topped with apples, pecans, and raisins cooked in brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon. This breakfast favorite comes together in less than 20 minutes.
I love oatmeal, but it can be a little boring. One day, I decided to spice it up by cooking apples, nuts, and raisins in brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter before adding them to the oatmeal. The brown sugar and butter create an almost caramel-like sauce, while the apples, nuts, and dried fruit add texture and make the oatmeal super filling.
My kids love eating this for breakfast, and it can be made in less than 20 minutes—great for busy mornings before school.
Ingredients
This recipe can be adapted easily. Use any nuts and dried fruit you have. If you are out of nuts or raisins, they can be left out.
- Apples: Any type of apple will work. This is a great way to eat those last couple apples that are starting to get mealy.
- Cinnamon: The cinnamon brings a nice warm flavor to the apples. Apple pie spice also works well.
- Nuts: The nuts add some protein and texture to the apples. Walnut, pecans or both are my favorites.
- Brown Sugar: The brown sugar helps add a molasses/caramel flavor. The amount of sugar can be adjusted based your sweetness preference.
- Butter: Combined with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla, it makes a nice caramel flavor.
- Vanilla: It makes everything better.
- Dried Fruit: Raisins, cranberries, cherries, blueberries, etc., all add nice flavor and texture. Dried fruit is optional, but it is a nice addition.
Storage
This recipe can be adjusted—cut it in half or double it easily. The oatmeal and apples will keep in the fridge for several days.
I often make a big batch of oatmeal and cinnamon apples, then portion it out for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. Just pop it in the microwave and enjoy!
Related
Looking for other breakfast recipes like this? Try these:
Oatmeal with Cinnamon Apples
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 apples unpeeled and chopped into 1/2 pieces
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
- Cook the Oats: Place water and the oats in a small pot. Bring to a simmer stirring occasionally until the mixture thickens. Once thick, remove oatmeal from heat and let sit while the apples finish cooking.
- Make the Sauce: In a large pan melt butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Stirring often until bubbling.
- Add the Apples: Stir in the apples evenly coatly in the brown sugar/butter sauce. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the apples soften
- Add Nuts and Raisins: Add the nuts and raisins. Stir well. Cook until the raisins plump up slightly and the nuts are toasted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Enjoy: Portion oatmeal into 4 bowls and top with apples.
Notes
- Substitute any type of nut or dried fruit.
- This can be halved, doubled, or even tripled.
- The oatmeal and apples will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Make it richer and use milk in place of water for the oatmeal.
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
