Overnight Baked Apple Oatmeal with Crunchy Brown Sugar Streusel

I love that this Overnight Baked Apple Oatmeal can be prepared the night before. And it’s crowned with crunchy goodness, sweet and salty and utterly delicious!

When the temps were chilly last week, I couldn’t get the thought of warm oatmeal with apples and cinnamon off my mind. Most years I wait to bake with apples until after we pick “Haralsons” (my very favorite apple!) at a local orchard. But the apples weren’t quite ready to pick yet. So I settled on another crisp and tart (and a bit sweeter) variety that was also developed right here at the University of Minnesota, the “Zestar!”.

Up until last week, I had only made oatmeal on the stovetop, to be eaten immediately. But with all the recipes for baked oatmeal floating around out there, I was curious to try a new-to-me method. And then, to work into my schedule better, I took it all one step further and prepared the oatmeal the night before. What a treat to wake up to an already made dish that only needed to be popped into a warm oven. It all worked out quite splendidly.

Overnight Baked Apple Oatmeal with Crunchy Brown Sugar Streusel is a fabulous way to get your day started!

This comfy pan of oven baked apple oatmeal is made from both steel cut oats and old fashioned oats. It’s hearty and sustaining, and generous with chunks of fresh local apples, sautéed to perfection.

The apple oatmeal is absolutely lovely spooned into a deep bowl with a bit of warmed milk. Really, could a cool fall morning’s breakfast get any lovelier than this?!

And did you catch the last part of this oatmeal’s title? The “crunchy brown sugar streusel” part? It’s a golden crown of crispy yum, all sweet and salty on top, and so utterly delicious. I like to think of it as a thin layer of dessert on my breakfast. ;)

Print Recipe

Overnight Baked Apple Oatmeal with Crunchy Brown Sugar Streusel

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Cook Time:35 minutes

Ingredients:

for the sauteed apples:

2 T. unsalted butter

4 c. peeled and chopped apples (Use a flavorful variety that will hold up well when cooked.)

2 T. brown sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. fresh pressed apple cider

for the oatmeal:

2 T. unsalted butter, melted

2 c. milk

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

2 large eggs

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3 c. old fashioned oats

1 c. steel cut oats

for the crunchy brown sugar streusel:

1/3 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. old fashioned oats

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

4 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2” pieces, (do not melt)

Directions:

Butter a deep 9” square baking dish or a similar dish that holds about 2 quarts. Set aside.

for the sauteed apples:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon, and stir to coat. Pour in apple cider and cook until apples are soft and cider has mostly reduced and disappeared from the pan. This should take 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

for the oatmeal:

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, milk, applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Stir in the sauteed apples, then the old fashioned oats and steel cut oats. Transfer to buttered dish and spread oatmeal mixture evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the surface of the oatmeal mixture. Refrigerate overnight.

for the crunchy brown sugar streusel:

In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the butter with the same fork until there are large pea-sized crumbs. This can be prepared the night before, and covered, but don’t add it to the oatmeal mixture until you are ready to bake it in the morning.

The next morning, preheat oven to 375°. Unwrap the oatmeal mixture and top it with the prepared streusel. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until oatmeal is thoroughly hot and the streusel is golden brown. If you want the streusel to be more browned and crunchy, simply place under the broiler for a couple minutes. Serve hot with warmed milk or cream, and extra brown sugar if desired.

Heavily adapted from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.

© a farmgirl's dabbles

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