Step up your oatmeal game with this apple cider oatmeal with caramelized apples! Topped with Greek yogurt, sweet apples, and homemade granola, this is the ultimate fall breakfast!
Jump to:
What makes this dish special
Whenever I go out for brunch, I have the hardest time choosing what I should have. Should I pick something sweet or something savory? Savory crepes or pistachio croissants? Southwestern hash or guava stuffed french toast? My husband always convinces me not to order yogurt or oatmeal since I eat it all the time, but I still find myself craving it on the weekends.
At my last breakfast outing at Besaw's in Portland, I couldn't resist and ordered oatmeal. My husband didn't approve, but once I had a bite, I was so glad I listened to my gut! It was by far the best oatmeal I have ever had. I still think about it all the time, so I had to make my own version at home. As a professional chef and recipe developer, I love recreating dishes, and I had to recreate this one. Here is the best oatmeal you will ever have: apple cider oatmeal with caramelized apples, Greek yogurt, and homemade granola.
Recipe
Apple Cider Oatmeal with Caramelized Apples
Ingredients
Granola
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Caramelized apples
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups apples peeled, cored, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Apple cider oatmeal
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 cup milk
- pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Remaining ingredients
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- honey optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Make the granola. Toss together oats with sliced almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together honey with oil and vanilla extract. Pour the honey mixture over the oats and stir to combine.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Spread the oats in an even layer and bake for 15 minutes. Stir the granola and bake another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven, stir the granola, and let cool.
- Meanwhile, make the caramelized apples. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Add chopped apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to mix and reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until the apples have softened, about 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the oatmeal. Combine oats with apple cider, milk, a pinch of salt, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer for another 5-7 minutes or until creamy. Remove from heat.
- Portion the oatmeal into 2 bowls. Top with the caramelized apples, Greek yogurt, granola, and a drizzle of honey. Serve warm.
Video
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Bake granola
This apple cider oatmeal may look like a lot of work, but it comes together quickly. Start by making the granola. You can always buy premade granola or make it days in advance.
This is a pretty simple granola recipe using honey as a sweetener and adding almonds to the mix. Feel free to swap the almonds for other nuts or use a combination; add coconut, dried fruit, or even chocolate chips.
That's the great thing about granola: it's so versatile and always tastes great.
Step 2: Cook apples
While the granola is cooling, make the caramelized apples. Use baking apples, or apples that hold their shape while cooking.
Some examples include Braeburn, Cortland, Honey Gold, Jonathan, Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith, Haralson, and Newtown Pippin.
Slowly cook the apples in butter and brown sugar, spicing them up with a little bit of cinnamon. You can also add other spices such as nutmeg, ginger, allspice, cloves, or a combination of spices.
Feel free to prepare the apples the day before and reheat them before serving.
Step 3: Make oatmeal
Now it's finally time to make the oatmeal. You can use rolled oats, quick oats, or steel-cut oats; just make sure to increase or decrease the cooking time for quick or steel-cut oats.
Simmer the oats in milk and apple cider with a pinch of salt and cinnamon until creamy. You can also swap the milk for almond, soy, coconut, or whatever milk your heart desires.
Portion the oatmeal into bowls and top with the caramelized apples, Greek yogurt, granola, and a drizzle of honey.
This apple cider oatmeal was the perfect breakfast dish for me because it combines two of my favorites: yogurt and oatmeal. It may sound like an odd combination, but it's a match made in heaven.
The tart yogurt with crunchy granola, sweet apples, and creamy oatmeal is divine. I am literally drooling as I am writing this. In fact, I think I'll go help myself to another bowl right now.
For more recipes using apple cider, check out this apple cider custard pie and sweet potato french toast with apple cider syrup!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The granola and caramelized apples can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
- Store: Store any leftover oatmeal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk or water to loosen it up if necessary.
More apple recipes
Looking for more dishes featuring apples? Try these:
Darrin Mifsud says
Help! I had made this recipe 3 or four times, tripling it to make six, three quarter cup servings. It turned out great each time. Well over the last 6 weeks I've made it 2 more times but the milk is curdling well before it even comes to a boil. I pick up the cider from Kroger but not sure if it's always the same brand. What am I missing?
Cherry on My Sundae says
It has to be the apple cider that you're using. Combining milk with something acidic makes it curdle and apple cider has a little bit of acid. I'm guessing that whichever brand you've been using lately has a higher percentage of acid. Unfortunately, the only solution that I can think of is to try another apple cider brand. Sorry I couldn't be of more help - it must be frustrating! Hopefully with another brand, it won't curdle again.