Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Published 9/4/2022 • Updated 9/23/2024
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This stovetop apple cinnamon oatmeal is packed with the amazing flavors of fresh apples, applesauce, and warm spices. It’s the perfect fall breakfast for busy mornings!
Go-To Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
‘Tis the season, oatmeal lovers! There’s nothing that warms up the soul during the fall season quite as much as a bowl of warm oatmeal. This apple cinnamon oatmeal brings together all the fall flavors of apples, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple for the ultimate stovetop oatmeal recipe!
Why you’ll love it!
Quick and Easy: Whip up a batch of this apple cinnamon oatmeal in 10 minutes on the stovetop. Oatmeal might be the easiest breakfast on the planet to make!
Great for Meal Prep: Need to make breakfast for a whole week? Oatmeal is your girl! You can double, triple, or quadruple most oatmeal recipes, including this one.
100% Whole Grain: If you’re looking to start your day off with a whole grain, choose oatmeal! This apple cinnamon oatmeal is soft, chewy, and slightly nutty…plus 100% good for you.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Ingredients
- Old-fashioned rolled oats: 1 cup may not look like a lot of oatmeal, but once it cooks, it will expand and become super creamy and fluffy.
- Unsweetened almond milk: any kind of milk works for this recipe, but we don’t recommend subbing the milk for water because it really does help your oatmeal become ultra-creamy.
- Pure maple syrup: we love the flavor combo of maple and apples, but honey or agave will also work.
- Apple sauce: don’t skip the apple sauce! We prefer unsweetened, and it gives this apple cinnamon oatmeal its super apple-y taste.
- Vanilla extract: a little goes a long way!
- Ground cinnamon: you can’t have apple cinnamon oatmeal without the cinnamon.
- Chia seeds: chia seeds are a classic oatmeal ingredient at Fit Foodie Finds. They add volume and healthy fats.
Optional Toppings
- Minced apple
- Ground cinnamon
- Granola
- Nut butter
Check it out!
How to Make Oatmeal
How to Make Oatmeal: Learn how to make every variation of oatmeal (steel-cut, rolled, and quick-cooking) in every method (stovetop, slow cooker, Instant Pot, overnight, and microwave)!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
This apple cinnamon oatmeal is as easy as 1-2-3!
Combine Ingredients & Bring to a Boil
Place the rolled oats, 2 cups of almond milk, maple syrup, apple sauce, vanilla, cinnamon, and chia seeds into a medium saucepan, mix until combined, and bring to a boil.
Let simmer
Turn the heat down to low and let the oat mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until it thickens. Add 1/2 cup more almond milk and mix again. Let simmer for 1-2 more minutes.
Add toppings & Enjoy!
Top with fresh apple chunks and a drizzle of nut butter. Enjoy!
Latest Oatmeal Recipes
Using Other Varieties of Oats
Don’t have rolled oats on hand? Or prefer another variety of oats? The great news is this apple cinnamon oatmeal recipe also works with steel-cut oats and quick oats; you just have to tweak the liquid-to-oats ratio a bit.
Stovetop Steel Cut Oats
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 3 cups liquid
Instructions: Place 1 cup of steel-cut oats and 3 cups of liquid into a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat while continuously stirring. Then, reduce heat to low and let simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes, stirring every so often. Cook until steel-cut oats are thick and creamy.
Stovetop Quick Cooking Oats
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 2 cups liquid
Instructions: Place 1 cup quick-cooking oats and 2 cups liquid into a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and continuously stir for 1-2 minutes or until oats have thickened.
FAQs
Oatmeal is only gluten-free if it says certified gluten-free oats, meaning that it was produced in a 100% gluten-free facility. While oats are naturally gluten-free, oftentimes, grains can get cross-contaminated outside in the fields or inside factories with other non-gluten-free grains.
Oatmeal is healthy because it’s 100% whole grain, high in fiber, low in sugar, and has an excellent amount of protein in it.
Unsweetened almond milk is our go-to for oatmeal, but you can use any type of milk you’d like! Whether cashew milk, dairy milk, or oat milk is your go-to, any of these will work just great. Or, if you don’t tolerate non-dairy or dairy milk, subbing equal parts water for your liquid also works but will result in less creamy oatmeal.
Check it out!
Guide to Overnight Oats
Want more overnight oats inspiration? Check out our Guide to Overnight Oats and learn how to make the perfect bowl + get 8 easy flavor variations!
Topping Ideas
Every bowl of oatmeal deserves to be topped with deliciousness! Here are some of our go-tos:
- nut butter
- nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts)
- more apple slices
- berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
- granola
- brown sugar
Storage
Let your oatmeal cool completely. Then, transfer it into a glass container and seal it. Store in the fridge.
How long does oatmeal last in the fridge? Your oatmeal will last up to 3-5 days, depending on what kind of add-ins you use. If you use just oats and liquid, it should last longer!
Freezer Instructions
Believe it or not, oatmeal is an excellent make-ahead breakfast idea. You can make a double or triple batch at once and then freeze the rest for later. Check it out!
- Let the oatmeal cool completely.
- Generously spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon cooked oatmeal into each muffin cup, filling all the way to the top.
- Place in the freezer and freeze for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Remove from the freezer and let sit on the countertop for around 10 minutes to thaw. OR, run hot water on the bottom of the muffin tin to loosen the oatmeal that way.
- Remove each oatmeal cup from the muffin tin (we use a knife, and they pop right out) and transfer it into a freezer-safe gallon-size bag.
- Remove as much air from the bag as possible and seal. Write: Oatmeal on the bag along with the eat-by date (3 months from the time you made it) on it as well.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
TO THAW/REHEAT
To thaw, remove 2-3 muffin cups from the freezer and place into a microwave-safe bowl. Defrost in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and then microwave on high for 30-60 seconds or until warm. Add milk as needed to thin out the the oatmeal if it’s become too thick.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 2.5 cups unsweetened almond milk, divided
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ cup apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Optional Toppings
- ½ cup minced apple
- ground cinnamon, to taste
- ½ cup granola
- 2 tablespoons nut butter
Instructions
- Place the rolled oats, 2 cups of almond milk, maple syrup, apple sauce, vanilla, cinnamon, and chia seeds into a medium saucepan and mix until combined. Heat the saucepan over medium/high heat and bring to a boil.
- Turn heat down to low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until oatmeal thickens.
- Add 1/2 cup more almond milk and mix again. Let simmer for 1-2 more minutes.
- Top with fresh apple chunks and a drizzle of nut butter. Enjoy.
Tips & Notes
- If you like a more liquid-y oatmeal feel free to add a few extra tablespoons of almond milk.
- Nutrition information does not include optional toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Photography: photos taken in this post are by Ashley McGlaughlin from The Edible Perspective.
