This oatmeal is like autumn in a pan. It is spicy, warm, vanilla, apple comfort food. Healthy, convenient and delicious this is your new go-to fall breakfast!
There are so many wonderful children’s books about apples, apple farms, and autumn fun that it was hard to choose which ones to feature! Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington made the cut partly out of nostalgia. This is one of the first autumn books that I read regularly with my kids when they were small. We would read this book before a trip to our local apple farm when they were toddler to preschool aged because it is so delightfully simple. Both the pictures and text are geared to a younger audience and, combined, they introduce kids to farming, how apples grow and are harvested, and how farmers sell their products to earn money. The pictures are bright a cheerful but with plenty of detail to point out and discuss with young children. The book follows Annie through the season as she harvests apples, makes some of the apples into different products, and finally goes to sell her harvest in the city market. I have always loved that the farmer in this book is a woman because I think it’s important to show kids from a young age that both men and women can do a wide variety jobs, and most farm books for this age feature a male farmer. Annie is shown going about her work competently and cheerfully and the last page shows her enjoying a well-deserved rest!
Buy the book:
Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington
Discussion questions for Apple Farmer Annie:
- If you could have a farm of your own, what would you want to grow?
- What is your favorite recipe that uses apples?
- What do you think is the hardest part of Annie’s job? The most fun?
At the end of Apple Farmer Annie, there are three recipes for products that Annie makes with her apples: applesauce, apple muffins, and applesauce cake. I have never tried these specific recipes but I am sure they are delicious, so I decided to create a different apple recipe from the ones featured in the book. The Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal below is inspired by the Quaker Apple & Cinnamon Instant oatmeal packets that I remember from my youth. We did not often have pre-flavored oatmeal packets when I was growing up so I remember them as a special treat, especially when we were camping or on a morning hike. The Apple & Cinnamon was always my favorite and I tried to recreate that flavor here without the artificial flavors. I found that the secret was to add LOTS of vanilla extract and just a touch of maple syrup. Instead of apple flavoring, I added real apples that have been cooked in butter and cinnamon until tender, and also laid some thinly sliced apple on top for good measure. This oatmeal is like autumn in a pan. It is spicy, warm, vanilla, apple comfort food.
I chose to make this recipe into a baked oatmeal instead of a stovetop version because I prefer the firmer texture of baked oatmeal. Baked oatmeal is also very convenient on busy mornings since you can bake the oatmeal the night before and reheat individual squares in a pan or the microwave. With only a little preparation, a pan of baked oatmeal can provide a whole week of quick breakfasts!
Cinnamon Apple Baked Oatmeal
Make the cinnamon apples: peel and core 3 of the apples and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Heat the 2 Tablespoons butter on medium heat in a medium saucepan. Once the butter has melted, add the apple chunks, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar to the pan. Stir over medium heat until the brown sugar has melted. Add 2 Tablespoons of water and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pan and simmer the apples until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 5-8 minutes. Once apples are tender, remove the lid from the pan and continue to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and the rest has turned to a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with butter. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, quick cooking oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking powder. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and 3 Tablespoons of maple syrup
Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the oat mixture and mix together with a wooden spoon until oats are well moistened. Add the cooked cinnamon apples to the bowl and fold them into the oats until well-combined. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the prepared 9 X 13 inch baking pan, smoothing it out to evenly fill the pan. This mixture will be very wet but don't worry, the oats will soak up all the extra liquid while they bake.
Thinly slice the last 2 apples and lay the apple slices on top of the oats. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon over the top and put the oatmeal into the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the oats are firm and cooked through. Cut into squares and serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup and cream, if desired.
Ingredients
Directions
Make the cinnamon apples: peel and core 3 of the apples and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Heat the 2 Tablespoons butter on medium heat in a medium saucepan. Once the butter has melted, add the apple chunks, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar to the pan. Stir over medium heat until the brown sugar has melted. Add 2 Tablespoons of water and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pan and simmer the apples until they are tender when pierced with a fork, 5-8 minutes. Once apples are tender, remove the lid from the pan and continue to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated and the rest has turned to a syrup. Remove from heat and let cool.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF and lightly grease a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with butter. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, quick cooking oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar, remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking powder. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and 3 Tablespoons of maple syrup
Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the oat mixture and mix together with a wooden spoon until oats are well moistened. Add the cooked cinnamon apples to the bowl and fold them into the oats until well-combined. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the prepared 9 X 13 inch baking pan, smoothing it out to evenly fill the pan. This mixture will be very wet but don't worry, the oats will soak up all the extra liquid while they bake.
Thinly slice the last 2 apples and lay the apple slices on top of the oats. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon over the top and put the oatmeal into the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the oats are firm and cooked through. Cut into squares and serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup and cream, if desired.
Recipe Notes:
- To make this recipe vegan: replace butter with margarine or a neutral oil and replace the milk with any non-dairy milk such as coconut, soy, or oat milk. Replace the eggs with 1/2 cup applesauce. This makes the baked oatmeal a little less firm, but still delicious!
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free oats.
- The cinnamon apples are delicious on their own too! We often make them to top waffles or pancakes or just as a breakfast side dish.
