This apple cinnamon oatmeal is next level. Topped with a sweet, cinnamon-laced sauté of caramelized apples, prunes, and toasted pecans, plus a quick hack for tastier oats! You will never have another boring bowl of oatmeal again.
Has your oatmeal lacked a certain spark of joy lately? I’m guilty of slapping a quick bowl together in the morning too. Not really paying attention and just scarfing down what comes out of the pan before heading out the door.
But if you really love oatmeal like I do, you might want to put a little extra love into your next bowl and this apple cinnamon oatmeal recipe is just the way to do it.
The foundation is the oatmeal of course, (boosted by a genius toasting hack that we’ll talk more about in a second) but the star of the show is a magnificent topping of chopped apples, soft, chewy prunes, and crunchy pecans.
I got the idea from my friend Britney who writes one of my favorite food blogs, Britney Breaks Bread. She made these Caramelized Banana and Prune Breakfast Bowls which sounded so incredible, so when California Prunes asked if I could develop something new for them, I was totally inspired to make a breakfast bowl of my own.
Are You A Prune Lover?
If the answer is no, let me convince you otherwise. Personally, I eat prunes just about every day. They are not only excellent for gut health, full of antioxidants and vitamins, but did you know they are essential in maintaining healthy bones? Not to mention, they are such a great snack. They’re super sweet (with very few calories), chewy, and just plain addictive.
I will say however, that not all prunes are alike. Look for prunes grown in California for the softest, plumpest fruit. My favorite are the D’Noir prunes. Holy moly they are good. Super chewy, sweet with just a tinge of sour to keep things interesting.
While I usually enjoy prunes a few at a time right out of the bag, they are also wonderful to cook with. They give body and depth to mole sauce, make a wonderful sugar-free sweetener for smoothies, and add amazing flavor and texture to this gorgeous bowl of oats.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter or coconut oil if you are dairy-free.
- Apple. I like to use Honeycrisp or Gala apples or even Granny Smith apples are good if you want more of a sour kick.
- California prunes
- Pecans or walnuts
- Brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Rolled oats. Make sure you use gluten-free oats if needed. Don’t use steel cut oats for this recipe.
- Cinnamon stick
- Water
- Kosher salt
- Almond milk
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Chia seeds or flax seeds
- Maple syrup
How To Make This Recipe
step one
Chop. Start by chopping the apple, prunes, and pecans for the topping.
step two
Melt the butter. Add half of the butter to a medium frying pan and melt over medium heat.
step three
Cook fruit. Add the chopped apples, prunes, and pecans and toss to coat in the butter. Sauté until the prunes start to melt and the apples soften slightly.
step four
Sweeten. Add the brown sugar and continue cooking until the sugar dissolves. Remove to a bowl and set aside while you cook the oatmeal.
step five
Toast the oats. This is the hack I’ve been telling you about! Melt the remaining butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the oats and cinnamon stick and toast, stirring frequently until they smell like oatmeal cookies.
step six
Cook the oatmeal. Add the 3 cups water and salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and cook until the oats are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
step seven
Serve! Divide the oatmeal between four bowls. Top with the prune topping and add an extra splash of milk if you’d like. Sprinkle with spices like a little ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and chia seeds over the top of each bowl if you’d like. Drizzle with maple syrup for a bit of extra sweetness and enjoy!
The Oatmeal Toasting Hack You’ve Got To Try
Do you have to toast your oats in butter every time you make oatmeal? Of course not, but does it make a difference? I think so! Toasting the oats in the pan creates a Maillard reaction which is a fancy way of saying they become browner, toastier, and more oatmeal cookie-like.
When you try it, give them the full five minutes to toast. You really want a complex and deep toast on the oats. Make sure you stir them frequently however, so they don’t burn.
If you love this recipe, try:
- Dairy-Free Concha Recipe
- Vegan Atole
- Simple Stove Top Pinole Chia Seed Oatmeal
- Masa Harina Pancakes with Strawberries
- Simple and Quick Champurrado
- Tres Leches French Toast Casserole
- Chorizo and Eggs
A Large Bowl Of Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Is just what your morning needs! Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating). Also, make sure to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal with Prunes
This apple cinnamon oatmeal is next level. Topped with a sweet, cinnamon-laced sauté of caramelized apples, prunes, and toasted pecans, plus a quick hack for tastier oats! You will never have another boring bowl of oatmeal again.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (or coconut oil for a dairy-free version)
- 1 medium apple (gala or honeycrisp) cored and diced
- 1 cup (6 ounces) California prunes, chopped
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings
- 1/2 cup almond milk or dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Cook prune topping. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add apples, prunes, and pecans and toast, stirring frequently, until apples start to soften, prunes being to melt and pecans become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add brown sugar and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes sticky, about a minute more. Remove to a serving bowl while it's still warm otherwise it will stick to the pan.
- Toast the oats. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oats and cinnamon stick and toast, until the oats become subtly darker and there's a distinct oatmeal cookie aroma. This will take at least 5 minutes, don't shortcut. Stir frequently so the oats don't burn.
- Cook oatmeal. Add water, salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook until oats are tender but not mushy and most of the liquid has been absored, about 5 minutes. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Serve. Remove cinnamon stick then divide between 4 bowls and top with prune mixture, splash of milk, a sprinkling of cinnamon, nutmeg and chia seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Dig in!
Notes
- Prune mixture. Remove the prune mixture from the pan to a bowl while it is still warm otherwise it will stick to the pan.
- Cinnamon. I prefer to use canela, otherwise known as Ceylon cinnamon. It has a sweeter, more nuanced flavor. Look for it in the bulk section at your local Latin market.
- Toasting oats. You don't have to toast the oats in butter (although it tastes pretty amazing). You can toast a whole bunch of oats at once in the oven and then store in an airtight container until you are ready to use them. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F until fragrant, stirring often.
- Vegan version. Substitute coconut oil for the butter and almond milk for regualr milk for a vegan version.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 429Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 126mgCarbohydrates: 61gFiber: 7gSugar: 29gProtein: 9g
In support of this small business, ¡Hola! Jalapeño earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month like this one which is sponsored by California Prunes. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and ¡Hola! Jalapeño (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!
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