Apple Crumble Baked Oats

I've been meaning to write this recipe post ever since I had it for breakfast on Thursday, and again on Friday. This morning I ate something different, but only because Liam offered to make French toast for me and I couldn't turn down the chance of someone else doing the cooking!

When I saw Maria's Apple Crumble Bars, I loved the sound of them, but I didn't need to make any more baked goods at the moment (muffins, cheesecake and brownies have all already been made this week!) so I turned the idea into breakfast instead...

Apple Crumble Baked Oats
(serves 1)

• 40g oats
• 90ml milk (the second day I made this with tinned coconut milk which worked even better)
• 15g agave
• cinnamon
• 25g sultanas
• brown demerara sugar, a sprinkle of

Apple layer:

• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 15g agave
• cinnamon (the second day I accidentally tipped loads of cinnamon into the apples, so missed it out of the oats - use however much you like)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C.
2. Place the apple, agave and cinnamon into a microwave-proof dish, loosely cover with clingfilm and microwave on medium for 3 minutes. Mash roughly with a fork - the apples don't need to be perfectly smooth.
3. Next, mix together all the oat ingredients.
4. Spray/grease a little baking dish (I used a silicone mini loaf pan)
5. Put half the oat mixture into the baking dish and spread out.
6. Cover the oat layer with the cooked apples, before putting the rest of the oat layer on top.
7. Finish off with a sprinkle of brown sugar and bake for 20 minutes.
8. To serve, I ran a knife around the edges, tipped onto one plate and then transferred back to another plate so that the crunchy brown sugar was still on top. A bit of a faff, but it worked!

Inside, there is a lovely hot apple layer running through the middle...

On Thursday, I topped the apple crumble oats with apple and blackberry yoghurt...

...and on Friday I topped it with spiced plum jam (that I found in Lidl - I haven't tried the strawberry rhubarb one yet)...

...but it would be equally delicious on its own. It has a subtle sweetness, and the slightly firmer texture of the oats goes wonderfully with the softer cooked apple. A delicious breakfast for the colder months ahead...I will be making this time and time again I'm sure!

What are your favourite cold weather breakfasts? I love porridge with all its toppings, but baked oats are rapidly becoming a favourite - I find the texture of them more interesting than regular porridge. They're great too as they're easy to prepare so I make them up while Toby is hovering around my legs, then he usually goes for his nap while my breakfast is baking, so that I can eat in peace! (alternatively he sits on my lap and shares mouthfuls, but that isn't quite so enjoyable for me!!) At the weekends, I often have things like French toast, pancakes and poached eggs on toast...I can't seem to find the enthusiasm for smoothies as much when the weather gets colder, so I'll have to think of a different way to get lots of fruit and veg into me!