Baked Apple n Cinnamon Oatmeal

Hi! I am so excited to be working with Chrissy and to have the opportunity to share some of my recipes with you. Since I will be a returning contributor I thought I would start off by telling you a little about myself. My name is Aubri and I am visiting from the Scent of Oranges. I am a complete bookworm, I seek soft and comfortable things and I love creating new recipes in my kitchen. On my site I focus on creating healthy recipes (they are all gluten and dairy-free due to my diet restrictions). I believe that feeling, healthy and energized is much more important that letting the scale or media dictate how I feel about myself. We are also expecting our first little one in about 6 weeks. She’s a little girl and we can’t wait to meet her! Life is pretty exciting right now:-) I think that about covers the introductions. Now we can get to the truly important things in life: food.

I love making new oatmeal creations and this is one of my favorites. It is perfect for the fall season that is approaching. Can you believe that fall is just around the corner? Once the weather starts to cool oatmeal becomes a very important part of my life. It is warm and filling and there are so many flavor possibilities that I never get bored. I have developed a base that I use for most of my oatmeal adventures. I always add in protein powder that I mix with the dry oats before adding my liquid. The order is important because it helps prevent clumping. Everyone has their own take on protein powder; I think it has benefits in moderation. I use it in oatmeal and smoothies. I add it to oatmeal because I was always so hungry after a bowl of oatmeal. I discovered one day if I added the protein in I stayed full until it was time for my next meal. The other components of my base are cooking the oats in milk (I use almond milk) and vanilla instead of water. It makes it much creamier and the vanilla adds a richness that I love. I am also a major fan of cinnamon. During fall and winter I love using it as much as I can. My love for cinnamon was actually the inspiration behind this recipe. The first step will actually be to dice your apple and bake it in the oven with a few dashes of cinnamon over the top. Baking apples intensifies their natural flavor — it’s pretty amazing. Check apple occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn. While that is baking mix together dry oatmeal ingredients and then the wet ingredients. Add the cinnamon in slowly to make sure you don’t over do it. There can be too much of a good thing:-) Top off your bowl of cooked oats with baked apple bits and enjoy the taste of fall!I really am so excited for the opportunity to be here today and I am already working on what recipe to share with you next. If you want more recipes you can check out my site or follow me on facebook, pinterest, instagram or twitter! Have a wonderful week!

Baked Apple n Cinnamon Oatmeal

1 C oats
1-2 pinches of salt
2 T protein powder
Dash of nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
1 C almond milk
2 t vanilla
1 apple
Agave or honey to taste

Instructions

Set oven to 400 F. Dice apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until baked to your liking.
Place oats, salt, protein powder, nutmeg and cinnamon into a bowl or pot. Mix ingredients together. Add milk, vanilla and agave to oat mixture.
If you are cooking your oats on the stove turn the heat on medium high and stir occasionally until the oats are ready.
If you are using the microwave cook it for a minute, stir and cook it for another minute. If it needs more time cook it in small increments.
Top it with your baked apple and add more agave if needed.