Name: Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: Cooking spray, butter, or oil for greasing the baking dish; 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats; 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed; 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 1/4 cup ground flaxseed; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 large eggs; 2 cups milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons melted butter; 2 large honey crisp apples, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 cups)

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It's official, fall is upon us.

[The first day is today!]

I don't know about you, but for me, the summer flew by in a snap. Between traveling, beginning new business ventures, and the everyday hustle and bustle, I feel like I looked up, and summer was gone.

But truth be told, I'm ready for the slower seasons of fall and winter. When the atmosphere gets cozy, the leaves turn a beautiful rainbow of red, orange, and yellow, and the faint hint of fireplace smoke is in the air.

Days begin to shorten, people spend more time indoors with the family, and dinner gets served a little earlier. As the weather cools, the meals start to heat up. Braising, stewing, roasting, simmering, or even crockpot-ing take hold. Slow food... comfort food... become our cravings.

And I am here to fully oblige those cravings.

Starting with this warm breakfast deliciousness- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal.

If you like instant packets of Apple Cinnamon flavored oatmeal, you're going to flip over this one.

It has all the same sweet and satisfying cinnamon sugar flavor, with generous chunks of juicy baked apple and crunchy walnuts. Plus, since it's baked, it's a little heartier.

I swear, it's almost like eating pie for breakfast.

I don't know anyone who will turn that down!

I love making baked oatmeal on Sunday mornings, when the pace is slow and you can relax before a busy week ahead. Pop it in the oven, enjoy a scoop when it's warm and gooey, fresh out of the oven (maybe with a dollop of yogurt), and save the rest in the fridge for breakfasts later that week.

And even though this oatmeal tastes almost like dessert, the whole dish only has ⅓ cup of brown sugar!

The rest of the sweetness comes from the natural sugar in milk and the immensely tasty flavor of honeycrisp apples (everyone's favorite apple these days).

I also added some egg to help bind the baked oatmeal together increase the protein content, and a generous amount of ground flaxseed for a boost of fiber.

The process for baked oatmeal is pretty simple.

Separately mix together the wet and dry ingredients, then combine in a large bowl and stir well. Spread the apple slices on the bottom of a greased baking dish, pour the oatmeal mixture over the top, and bake for about 45 minutes until firm.

That's seriously it!

Don't skip the part about putting the apples on the bottom of the baking dish, either. Some of them will end up floating towards the top of the oatmeal, but the majority will remain buried in the moist oatmeal interior, steaming and softening into melt-in-your-mouth juicy morsels that take this oatmeal to the next level.

Enjoy.

Recipe