Gluten Free Apple Oatmeal

This creamy gluten free apple oatmeal is the perfect cozy fall breakfast. It’s topped with maple cinnamon sauteed apples and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Cozy, comforting and so easy to make!

In the summer months I’m very consistently a smoothie in the morning kind of girl, but as the weather gets colder I just want something cozy and warming. This gluten free apple oatmeal is exactly that! It takes less only about 20 minutes to make with ingredients you probably already have on hand!

I opted to keep it simple by just using cinnamon as the main spice, but you can use an apple pie spice or make a DIY version by adding in some ginger, nutmeg and cloves. If you love this recipe, try my air fryer apples next!

Before we get started…

• If you want to up the protein content, you can mix in some chia or flax seeds into the oatmeal. They will absorb a good amount of moisture so you may need to add more milk or water to account for this.
• If you want to make this a more protein rich meal, you can add in a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder and cook that into the oats. You will need to add in some more milk since it will thick the oats quite a bit. You can also try collagen peptides if you don’t want to change the flavor much.

Key ingredients & swaps

Oats: I prefer old fashioned/rolled oats but steal cut or quick oats also work. However, the cook time and method will vary. The recipe is written for old fashioned oats. Oats are naturally gluten free but are often contaminated with gluten during processing. If you are cooking for someone with Celiac or a severe gluten intolerance, be sure to use oats that are certified gluten free.

Apples: I used honeycrisp apples because they have a nice crisp texture and won’t get too mushy when cooked. Granny smith or pink lady will also work well here. I opted not to peel the apples but if you don’t like the texture of the skin you can definitely peel them first!

Milk: I love cooking my oatmeal in milk because it makes it so much creamier, but you can definitely use water if you like! I opted for soy milk because that’s what I had on hand, but regular cows milk or any kind of non dairy milk works great!

Maple syrup: Some brown sugar oatmeal is always delicious, but I wanted to keep this refined sugar free since most us are eating it first thing in the morning! Feel free to swap for honey or brown sugar if you prefer.

How to make gluten free apple oatmeal

Add the oats, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt to a medium pot on the stove.

Bring to a low boil over medium/high heat, then reduce heat to low and let simmer until thick, stirring occasionally. This will take about 5-10 minutes. If you prefer it a bit less thick, just add more liquid.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add in the diced apples, maple syrup and cinnamon. You can also add in some brown sugar here, but I wanted to keep this as low sugar as possible. Saute, stirring regularly, for about 5-10 minutes or until the apples are soft and nice and brown. Feel free to add any nutmeg, ginger, etc.

Divide the oatmeal among two bowls, then top with the sauteed apples, chopped nuts if desired (I like almonds, walnuts or pecans here) and an extra drizzle of maple syrup. Nut butter and a dollop of greek yogurt is also delicious for more flavor and added protein. Enjoy and try my caramelized banana oatmeal next!

How to store

Once prepared, this gluten free apple oatmeal will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. I suggest storing the oats and apples separately for best results. I like to reheat them on the stove but the microwave works well! The oatmeal will thicken a bit in the fridge, so add a splash of milk or water as needed to get it creamy again.

Fall inspired breakfasts you’ll love!

• Pumpkin Chia Pudding
• Gluten Free Apple Pancakes
• Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

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