Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
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Serves: 8 servings
 
This oatmeal is the perfect balance of sweet and healthy, and is great for serving breakfast to a crowd. It also makes amazing leftovers, and can even double as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. (And, it can easily be made vegan and gluten-free!)
Ingredients
  • 3 cups rolled oats (or certified gluten-free oats)
  • 6 TBSP light brown sugar, plus 1 TBSP
  • 2 tsp. Cinnamon (we like to use rounded tsp, but you can use more or less, to taste)
  • ¼ tsp. ground ginger
  • ⅛th cloves
  • ½ tsp. fine grain sea salt
  • 1½ cups milk (or dairy free substitute)
  • 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 4 TBSP butter, melted (or coconut oil)
  • 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract (if gluten-free, be sure to use gluten-free extract)
  • 2 small apples, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 2 cups)
  • Optional: 1 cup walnuts, pecans, raisins, or other mix-ins
  • 1-2 apples, thinly sliced, for garnishing the top
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients except 1 TBSP brown sugar, and the sliced apples. Dump the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange the sliced apples on top, and sprinkle with the remaining TBSP brown sugar.
  3. Bake on the center rack for 45-50 minutes, or until the apples are crisp-tender.
  4. Remove from the oven and let cool for ten minutes before serving. Serve as is, or with a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, OR make it dessert with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
  5. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, and can be re-warmed in a toaster oven or microwave before serving.
Notes
Can be easily made vegan / gluten-free by swapping coconut oil for the butter, dairy-free milk for the cows milk, and gluten-free rolled oats. (If you're cooking for someone who is gluten intolerant or has a serious allergy, be sure to use gluten-free vanilla extract, too.)

I love to make this oatmeal on the weekends, and have breakfast (or dessert!) ready for the rest of the week. If you'd prefer to make a smaller batch, you can easily halve the recipe and bake it in an 8x8 inch baking dish for 35-40 minutes, and it'll be just as great!
Recipe by Will Cook For Friends at https://www.willcookforfriends.com/2015/11/apple-cinnamon-baked-oatmeal.html