Sometimes I like to explore the inverse of things.
The inverse of working is (clearly) laying on the couch watching really old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy.
The inverse of exercising is (clearly) laying on the couch watching really old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy.
The inverse of organizing my desk… Grey’s Anatomy. ย You catch my drift.
With this dish I wanted to explore the inverse of fruit-topped oatmeal, which is… not Grey’s Anatomy.
I usually cook my oatmeal on a stove top, spoon a hearty portion into a bowl and top with a few bites of fruit.
With this warm pan of goodness, I’ve baked heaps of sliced apples and fresh cranberries with just a bit of oats. ย Lost of fruit with less than lots of oatmeal. ย Whoa dude! ย With warm, steaming milk… this is bonkers delicious! ย It feels like breakfast dessert. ย Inverse accomplished.
Apple. ย Apple. ย Apple!
Three pretty Fuji apples. ย We have to start somewhere.
Fresh cranberries.
Every new cranberry season I enter, I pop a fresh cranberry in my mouth. ย It’s always unbearably tart… but I always try.
Our oatmeal.
It’s wholesome and spiced.
Sliced, spiced apples combined with fresh cranberries are topped with our moistened oatmeal mixture.
As far as news goes… this is really good news.
Oh… I forgot to tell you something about our breakfast.
Should you have a pint of Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Ice Cream in your freezer, this warm apple oat mixture can totally turn into dessert. ย Or you can just have ice cream for breakfast. ย No judgements here. ย None whatsoever.
A few things you should know: ย this oat and apple mixture doesn’t produce a lot of liquid while baking. ย The apples become soft and the cranberries burst (with happiness), but this isn’t a soupy situation. ย This breakfast dish is most lovely served with steamed milk or copious amounts of melting ice cream.
Oh! ย Should you be in the mood for more cranberry, this Pear and Cranberry Crumble is totally major (though not vegan).
Vegan Apple Cranberry Oatmeal Bake
makes 1 8×8-inch pan, serves 4 to 6
For the Fruit:
3 medium Fuji or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
6 ounces fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of ground ginger and ground cloves
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
For the Oatmeal:
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
2 cups milk, heated to steaming, for serving (almond milk to keep it vegan, cow’s milk if you prefer)
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, toss together apple slices, fresh cranberries, cornstarch, spices, and maple syrup. ย Toss with a spoon until cornstarch has disappeared into the mixture. ย Pour into an 8×8-inch square pan. ย Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, spices, and salt. ย In a small bowl, whisk together oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and water. ย Add the wet ingredients to the dry, all at once. ย Toss together, ensuring that all of the dry ingredients are moistened. ย Spoon the oat mixture on top of the prepared fruit mixture. ย Toss just slightly with a spoon.
Place in the oven to bake until cranberries have burst and apples have softened, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
While oatmeal bakes, place milk in a small saucepan over low heat. ย Heat until milk is steamy hot, but not boiling.
Remove fruit and oats from the oven. ย Scoop into bowls and pour desired amount of steamed milk over mixture. ย Conversely, you can also scoop cold ice cream over the warm fruit mixture. ย Serve warm. ย
74 Responses
The old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy inverse is one I explore quite often. And this looks delish. As usual.
If I were to double this recipe should I increase the bake time to ah hour and a half?
Not necessarily, just keep an eye on it. You may want to add a little more time but you don’t need to double the bake time.
I just made this delicious recipe! I substituted arrowroot for the cornstarch & a gluten-free flour blend for the all purpose flour in the oat mixture. Sadly, I also ran out of maple syrup so had to sub some agave syrup and it turned out fine!! So yummy & pretty. Thanks for sharing!!
I made this on Friday evening. Had with frozen vanilla yogurt. I warmed it on Saturday morning and added the steamed milk for breakfast. I absolutely prefer as a breakfast dish. This was wonderful as breakfast. This will become a go to breakfast dish for me and my family. Next time I believe I will use dried cranberries as the fresh cranberries were way to tart. This is a keeper. Thank you.
oh joy, its like we are the same person. grey’s is such an amazing time suck for me as well. i can re-watch old episodes over and over. it never gets old. see you in boston at eat boutique :)
Looks wonderful! I’m going to share this with my mother-in-law; I think she’d love to add this to her Christmas morning brunch. :) Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for posting vegan recipes! I recently changed my diet to include more plant-based (vegan) meals, so it is always nice to find awesome recipes like yours to add to my collection. More, please!
I totally get your Greys Anatomy predicament. I’ve been there :)
This looks like heaven! I have been wanting a new breakfast recipe, and I think this it it! I cannot wait to try this!
Oatmeal with ice cream!!! This is awesome!
Oh, this looks so very yummy. Will try soon. And at the risk of being both wrong and a grammar nerd, I think the word is “lying” not “laying.” Of course that is not the point…..
All I have to say is… Yes.
Hummm… This looks so so good…
Yum!! Can’t wait to make this for my Black Friday Brunch with my girlfriends!! Thanks Joy :)
This looks positively scrumptious!!! =)
Ergo – Blog
Greyโs Anatomy… LOVE IT!
And I love baked oatmeal, so delish, so healthy.
That apple photo is perfection!
I love all the vegan recipes you have been posting! Thank you :)
two of the best Fall flavors together in one simple and tasty dish :) It makes me happy
Those drops of milk against the black background really make the picture. Horray for gorgeous imperfection, right?
Also, when you watch really old episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and swoon over McDreamy you exercise your heart, Joy. YOU EXERCISE YOUR HEART.
This looks absolutely scrumptious and comforting, the perfect breakfast!
this post convinces me even further that we would be great friends.
a) my favorite lazy pastime is watching Grey’s Anatomy
b) this is my favorite food combination
so maybe someday we shall meet!
I’m glad you mentioned your recipe for Pear and Cranberry Crumble, because it was the first thing I thought of when I saw the title of this post. I made the Pear and Cranberry Crumble last year for Thanksgiving, and it was so delicious! I’ve been looking forward to making it again now that cranberry season has arrived, but first I’ll be trying out this new recipe!
This sounds delicious. I would make it with strawberries or peaches. The fact that it is made with milk makes this oatmeal really creamy. I will be making this for Thanksgiving breakfast. Thanks for sharing.
I was just wondering what we could possibly eat for post-Thanksgiving Friday morning breakfast! I mean, besides all the leftovers. Sounds amazing!
this looks totally killer joy. as per usual.
i was actually *JUST* looking for cranberry recipes when i got to your blog in my morning blog bookmark checklist! how convenient!
I wanna eat this for every meal!
I heart baked oatmeal (and always try to eat a raw cranberry too. My inaugural one was extra tart this year!)
Ice cream for breakfast? I have so much respect for you right now.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING JOY!
Oh wow, this looks fantastic! I love the combination of ingredients, yum!
yum, this bake looks like heaven!
Love this joy! What a delight!
Old Greys Anatomy episodes are the best kind. I miss George.
Ah! I miss george too! I think season two may just be my favorite. Glad there are other people that still get sucked into the old episodes :).
omg. i need to make this. on the asap.
Twinsies! I have cranberry apple oatmeal cookies up on my site today! Such a great flavor combo. Good for you for taking the healthier route with the oatmeal bake.
i totally understand the greys anatomy situation. I could watch for days if i had time. not even kidding. i love oatmeal and this is another great way to incorporate fall fruits into it. thanks for sharing and yes ice cream always helps
Oh my YUM! Apple, Cranberries, and Oatmeal!? I would eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dessert!
oh yes please. keep the cranberry recipes a-coming.
Spectacular. Wonderful. Delicious. Inspiring.
Yum – sounds perfect topped with chocolate icecream!
yum! i would take watching grey’s over organizing any time!
I love this recipe, and you made it vegan (yeah!), great flavor combos, I have got to try it soon, except here in Switzerland cranberries are kind of hard to find, maybe I’ll have to find a substitute.
Love the twist you put on things Joy.
Oh Joy, you’re maj! Love this combo, and I also try to pop a cranberry every year, hoping it will be bearable, but it never changes!
I am in love with this. SERIOUSLY. Apples and cranberries are so sweet and tart, plus oatmeal is infinitely perfect. Also breakfast is my favorite and I adore excuses to have ice cream with my coffee.
Sounds like the perfect post-Thanksgiving breakfast. One question though, how is this vegan? Did you use a nut milk? If so, which one?
– Candice
almond milk would be divine!
Thanks, will try it :-)
I am in love with this! I’m an oatmeal for breakfast all the time person as well, and this looks amazing! I may keep it for christmas. :)
?stephanie
mmm-looks great. christmas for breakfast, every day.
Looks amazing. There’s just something about fresh cranberries that is impossibly irresistible.
Siggghhhhhh. Oh Joy, you make breakfast look so lovely.
This looks wonderful! I’m really going to have to give it a go!
i could eat this everyday, everytime! :)
this looks delicious! i love baked oatmeal… and old episodes of grey’s anatomy…
Yum. These sounds delicious. Siobhan
This looks so good especially with the ice cream. I see no reason not to have a little ice cream for breakfast or oatmeal for dessert. Love It.
How gorgeously messy and delicious! Can’t wait to give it a try
I’m totally down with breakfast desserts and the combination of apple & cranberry is just stellar. Love this.
I love all that chewiness and texture and maple syrup and apples and cranberries – perfect and fabulous flavor combos AND that you kept it all vegan!
Hahaha! Every year I do the same thing as well: biting a raw cranberry. They look so perfect: size, color, and weight. But then you pop one in your mouth and: big disappointment!
It’s not only that they’re uber tart; also the texture throws me off!
Good thing that cooking them turns them into one of the most delicious things ever!