Nutritious Apple Oatmeal (Stovetop Recipe)
This healthy cinnamon apple oatmeal is beyond delicious and so easy to make – just 20 minutes. It’s so flavourful and filled with healthy ingredients like chia seeds and rolled oats (or use steel cut oats!) for a perfectly balanced, cozy breakfast.

This sautéed cinnamon apple oatmeal is one of my go-to breakfasts to make. I’ve been enjoying this recipe for YEARS – all the way to my grad school days when I was studying to become a dietitian!
Sautéing apples brings out their natural sweetness, while making them warm and soft. For even more warmth, vanilla and cinnamon add the perfect fall flavour to this oatmeal bowl.
In this post I also share some oats nutrition information along with the health benefits of apples, if you’re curious!
Want more inspiration for cooking with oats? Check out my roundup of 25+ easy, healthy recipes using oats for more ideas!
Is Oatmeal A Healthy Breakfast?
You bet! I have a super in-depth post all about oatmeal, including it’s unique nutrition and health benefits and a breakdown of the different kinds of oats (old-fashioned/rolled, steel cut, and quick).
In this post I also round up every single recipe on my blog that uses oats, for all your oat cooking inspiration!
Apple Nutrition Benefits
Apples are:
- excellent sources of dietary fibre. One medium-sized, unpeeled apple contains almost 5 grams of fibre, or 17% of your daily fibre needs.
- good sources of micronutrients like vitamin C and potassium.
- rich in various plant compounds that act as antioxidants, helping to prevent cellular damage.
How To Make Sautéed Apple Oatmeal On The Stove
This sautéed cinnamon apple oatmeal is beyond easy to make and takes just 20 minutes!
Start by washing and chopping apples into approximately 1-inch chunks. There’s no need to peel the apples (this helps to maximize it’s nutrient content, too!)
Next, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add rolled oats, chia seeds, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and almond milk (or water).
Cook the oatmeal until liquid has absorbed, stirring occasionally, for about 5 mins. Feel free to add more water or nut milk to achieve your desired oatmeal consistency.
On a separate pan, heat up coconut oil (or ghee) over medium heat. Add apple chunks and sauté them with more cinnamon until they start to soften and brown, about 5 mins.
Serve oatmeal into small bowls, top with sautéed apples and other toppings as desired. I personally love adding a scoop of Greek yogurt, almond butter, and a sprinkle of nuts or seeds.
Stir everything together and enjoy hot.
The full ingredient list (with measurements) and detailed cooking instructions is located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
How To Store & Reheat Recipe
Leftovers of this sautéed cinnamon apple oatmeal recipe can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you’d like to include it in your weekly breakfast meal prep, feel free to make multiple servings!
To reheat, simply pop it in the microwave or heat it up on the stovetop.
Recipe Modifications & Topping Ideas
Feel free to modify the recipe as desired! Some ideas:
- use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats
- use peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter instead of almond butter
- add a scoop of plain greek yogurt or a vegan alternative for extra creaminess
- sprinkle on different toppings like various nuts, seeds, pomegranates, cacao nibs, coconut chips, etc.
- if you want a little extra sweetness, feel free to add a touch of maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, or honey
More Ways To Enjoy Sautéed Cinnamon Apples
If you love these sautéed cinnamon apples as much as I do, know that you can enjoy them SO many other ways (not just on oatmeal). For instance:
- over a nut butter toast
- over a quinoa breakfast porridge (instead of oats)
- in a yogurt + granola bowl or parfait
- stirred into a simple chia pudding
- over pancakes, waffles, or french toast
I’d love to know how you end up using these sautéed apples!
More Healthy Oatmeal Recipes
- Zucchini Bread Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Pineapple Baked Oatmeal
- Blueberry Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Chocolate Orange Oatmeal
- Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
Did you give this Healthy Sautéed Apple Oatmeal a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!
Get the Recipe: Nutritious Apple Oatmeal (Stovetop Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 apple, chopped (I use honeycrisp)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, divided (use half for oatmeal, half for apples)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 + 1/4 cups water or almond milk
- 1 tsp coconut oil (or ghee, if not vegan)
- Toppings: nut butter, plain yogurt, nuts, pomegranates, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, pepitas, pure maple syrup or honey, etc.
Instructions
- Start by washing and chopping apples into approximately 1-inch chunks. There's no need to peel the apples (this helps to maximize it's nutrient content, too!)
- Next, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add rolled oats, chia seeds, half of the ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and almond milk (or water). Cook the oatmeal until liquid has absorbed, stirring occasionally, for about 5 mins. Feel free to add more water or nut milk to achieve your desired oatmeal consistency.
- On a separate pan, heat up coconut oil (or ghee) over medium heat. Add apple chunks and sauté them with the remaining cinnamon until they start to soften and brown, about 5 mins. Remove from heat.
- Serve oatmeal in a bowls, top with sautéed apples, and other toppings as desired. Stir everything together and enjoy hot!
Notes
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
11 Comments on “Nutritious Apple Oatmeal (Stovetop Recipe)”
All the breakfast ideas for the challenge are great! Working my way through each. mafoote
Amazing! I hope you enjoy this one 🙂
Such a genius recipe!!! so tasty and healthy, all of my family loves it!!!!!!!
Hi Jenny! Thank you so much for sharing this!! I’m so happy to hear you and your family love it. That makes my day 🙂
Good, I’m not a huge oatmeal person but this was decent. quick to prep, the food just takes a long to cook for a breakfast (15-20min). also if you like syrup on your oatmeal but want to keep the sugar content of this meal low, there stevia-sweetened syrup out there, and on thrive market, taste no different than the traditional. Also super filling and caution: very fiber dense meal.
Hi Georgia! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this one, despite not being a huge oatmeal person :). Thanks so much for sharing your experience and also your syrup recommendation!!
Hi Carrie!
We tried this recipe for breakfast yesterday and it was incredible, easy, and very fast to make! Sweet, creamy, and soooo yummy! I really like that you kicked up the flavor with apples in a very healthy way! Great breakfast that we will be enjoying especially on cold days to keep us warm and cozy! 🙂
Hi Jordanna! Thank you so much – I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. The apples cooked this way are my absolute favourite. If you want to try a similar recipe (but a little different!), you may also like this quinoa porridge with the sautéed apples too 🙂
I really hate oatmeal, but my doctor does not share my sentiments. This is the first time I actually enjoyed oatmeal, not just tolerated it. I can now add oatmeal to my life. Thanks so much.
Hi Kevin! Aw that is the best thing to hear!! So happy you found a way to make oatmeal enjoyable 🙂
If you need any more inspiration, I have a TON of other oatmeal + oat-based recipes in this oat recipe roundup. Promise they all pack in lots of flavour, while also getting those nutrition benefits from oats!!
Thank you, Carrie. I’ll follow the link and check it out.
Best,
Kevin