Description
This Oatmeal Apple Breakfast Bake is a warm, comforting, and delicious dish perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert. It combines the flavors of apple pie and oatmeal in a convenient baked format, with a sweet glaze drizzled on top.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 6–8 medium apples)
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/4 cup apple juice (or water)
- 3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped, divided
For the Glaze:
- 3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 1 tablespoon milk (whole, 2%, or skim), plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Dish: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Prepare Apples: Peel, core, and dice the Granny Smith apples into small, 1/4-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, toss the diced apples with the lemon juice to prevent browning. Set aside.
- Process Oats: Place the old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor or blender. Pulse until the oats are coarsely ground, resembling coarse cornmeal. Do not over-process into a fine flour.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and ground cinnamon. Add the processed oat flour to the bowl. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer (stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand mixer) or a whisk, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add Vanilla, Salt, and Eggs: Add the vanilla extract and salt to the creamed butter and sugar. Beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add half of the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined. Pour in the apple juice (or water) and mix until combined. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in Apples and Pecans: Gently fold in the diced apples and 1/2 cup of the finely chopped pecans until evenly distributed.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly.
- Top with Remaining Pecans: Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake: Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with a few moist crumbs attached) and the top is golden brown.
- Cool: Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Make Glaze: While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk until smooth. Add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the glaze reaches your desired drizzling consistency.
- Glaze and Serve: Once the cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze evenly over the top. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Apples: Granny Smith apples are recommended for their tartness and firm texture, which holds up well during baking. You can substitute other tart baking apples, such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn.
- Oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats, not instant or quick-cooking oats. Processing the oats into a coarse flour helps them blend into the batter and create a tender crumb.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature butter and eggs helps the ingredients emulsify properly, resulting in a more tender and evenly textured bake.
- Do Not Overmix: Overmixing the batter can develop the gluten in the flour, resulting in a tough cake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
- Baking Time: The baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
- Serving Suggestions: This breakfast bake is delicious served warm or at room temperature. You can top it with additional glaze, a dollop of whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored.