These apple pie overnight oats are a cozy fall breakfast that comes together in about 20 minutes and tastes like a bowl of apple pie. They’re made with high-protein soy milk, chia and hemp seeds, cashew butter, maple syrup, and warm spices, then layered with cinnamon apples for plenty of fall flavor. Prep them the night before for an easy make-ahead breakfast that’s ready to grab and go in the morning!
Apple Pie Overnight Oats are the Perfect Make-Ahead Fall Breakfast!
Apple season just kicked off here in Virginia and I am so excited to start incorporating this beloved fall fruit into recipes again! The return of apple season also means the return of my apple pie craving so I set about coming up with a healthier way to enjoy the flavors of apple pie in a make-ahead breakfast recipe.
These apple pie overnight oats have two different components: a super thick overnight oats mixture that’s fairly high in protein topped with some sauteed cinnamon apples. Enjoyed together, you get that familiar apple pie flavor! While these plant-based overnight oats are delicious on their own, I really love adding a dollop of cashew butter and a sprinkle of toasted pecans to take them over the top. These are honestly my new favorite grab and go breakfast option, rivaled only by my pumpkin pecan granola!
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Key Ingredients in Achieving that Cozy Apple Pie Flavor in These Easy Overnight Oats
While these apple overnight oats don’t taste exactly like a slice of apple pie, they get pretty darn close thanks to a handful of specific ingredients! The trio of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in the oats yields a cozy warmth that acts as the perfect backdrop for the sauteed cinnamon apples. Granny Smith apples are my top choice here since they stay together when cooked and have a tartness that works well with the brown sugar and spices.
The butter in the cinnamon apples imparts a little richness without going overboard and gives the illusion of a buttery pie crust. The cashew butter in the oats also adds a creamy and rich quality that makes these fall overnight oats feel a bit more like a treat. You have complete control over the sweetness here and can add as much or as little maple syrup and brown sugar as you like!
Notes on Protein
I prefer using unsweetened soy milk in these easy overnight oats because it packs in a good amount of protein, just like in my vegan high protein overnight oats. I use Eden Foods soy milk (not sponsored) because it has 12 grams of protein per cup!
When you add together the protein from the hemp seeds (20 grams), rolled oats (10 grams), chia seeds (8 grams), cashew butter (4 grams), and soy milk (18 grams), there’s a total of 60 grams of plant-based protein in this recipe. If you eat this in two larger portions, that’s 30 grams protein per serving (or 20 grams per serving if you make it into 3 smaller portions).
Making the Overnight Oats and the Cinnamon Apples
I like to mix together the ingredients for the oats first so that they have a chance to thicken a little while I cook the cinnamon apples. When they have a chance to thicken it is much easier to evenly divide the overnight oats between your chosen containers. The cashew butter can be stubborn and clumpy when you try to whisk it into the milk so I like to use an immersion blender to give it a blitz.
While the oats sit and thicken, tackle the cinnamon apples. All you have to do is melt the butter then add all of the ingredients to the pan. It won’t take long for the apples to cook, just 7-8 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when they have softened a bit and the butter and brown sugar have thickened into a syrup that coats the apples (below).
All that’s left is to put everything together and park it in the fridge! I love to use a quarter cup measuring cup to divide the oats between the jars. I usually divide these into 3 smaller servings so each jar gets ¾ cup of the overnights oats mixture with a little leftover that you can divide between the three. Divide the apple mixture evenly then put everything in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Storage and Serving Notes
In my experience, once the apple pie overnight oats are assembled and put in the fridge, they’re good for 4-5 days. That’s why these are perfect as a grab-and-go breakfast option!
These fall overnight oats are on the thicker side so if you prefer a thinner consistency, you can top them off with more milk before eating, or add 1/2 cup more when you’re mixing everything together. If you want to take the chill off, you can pop these in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or warm them up in a pot over medium low with a couple of splashes of milk.
Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 2 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
These apple pie overnight oats are a cozy fall breakfast made with oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, apples, cashew butter, maple syrup, and warm spices. They’re easy to make ahead and taste like apple pie in overnight oat form plus they have a fair amount of plant-based protein.
Ingredients
for the overnight oats
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened plain soy milk, or other milk of your choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter, plus extra for serving
- 2–3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, not quick-cooking oats
- 6 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
for the cinnamon apples
- 1 tablespoon butter, or vegan butter or coconut oil
- 1 Granny Smith apple, or other firm tart apple, diced
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Toasted pecans, optional for serving
Instructions
Whisk together the milk, vanilla, cashew butter, and maple syrup in a bowl until fairly smooth. Use 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for less sweet, and 3 tablespoons of maple syrup for more sweet. If the cashew butter is not easily mixing into the milk, blitz the mixture with an immersion blender a few times until smooth.
Stir in the oats, hemp seeds, chia seeds, salt, and spices until well combined then set aside.
Add the butter to a medium saucepan or skillet then set it over medium heat. Once the butter is fully melted, add the diced apple, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Use 1 tablespoon of brown sugar for less sweet, and 2 tablespoons for more sweet. Cook the apples, stirring regularly, until they are tender and the brown sugar and butter have thickened into a syrup that coats the apples. This will take about 7-8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Stir the oats well once again, then divide them between 2 or 3 containers/jars depending on your desired portion size. Personally, I prefer dividing this into 3 smaller servings. Divide the cooked apples between the jars as well, spooning them on top of the oats. Place the containers/jars in the fridge overnight, or for a minimum of 6 hours before enjoying.
These overnight oats will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy some, eat as-is or add a dollop of cashew butter and some toasted pecans (my personal preference!).
Notes
- This recipes makes 2-3 servings depending on your desired portion size. I prefer dividing this into 3 smaller servings.
- If you’d like to make these vegan, swap in vegan butter or coconut oil for the butter.
- If you’re gluten free, ensure you’re using certified gluten free oats.
- Between the hemp seeds (20 grams), rolled oats (10 grams), chia seeds (8 grams), cashew butter (4 grams), and soy milk (18 grams), there’s a total of 60 grams of plant-based protein in this recipe. For two larger portions, that’s 30 grams protein per serving, or 20 grams per serving if you make it into 3 smaller portions.
- You can use any milk that you like here but I like the added protein from soy milk!
- This is definitely a thick textured overnight oats which is what I prefer. If you want a thinner consistency, increase the milk to 1 ¾ to 2 cups total. Or, top each portion with more milk before you eat it.
- If you don’t like Granny Smith apples, I recommend using another firm apple variety that won’t break down as it cooks like a Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Cosmic Crisp.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
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