Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal | Vegan & Gluten-Free

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This Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal is the warm & cozy solution to your mornings. Hearty, FULL of Fall flavors, & ridiculously easy to make, this recipe also happens to be Vegan, Gluten-Free, & Oil-Free!

Say goodbye to boring oatmeal! This Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal is cozy, packed with Fall flavor, and the perfect meal-prep-friendly way to start your day. Plus it combines two of my favorite Fall things: Apples and Chai!

close up photo of baked Apple Chai oatmeal in white baking dish topped with fresh apples and with serving spoon

Masala Chai is an Indian tea normally made by boiling black tea in milk and water with a mixture of aromatic herbs and spices. For a traditional Chai recipe, check out this post by Vegan Richa.

For this autumn-inspired oatmeal, we’ll be making a Chai spice-infused milk, then adding this mixture to our oats and apple before we bake everything in the oven! This creates a flavor-packed, nutty, aromatic, baked oatmeal that tastes delicious and will also leave your house smelling amazing.

INGREDIENTS FOR APPLE CHAI BAKED OATMEAL

ingredients for baked apple chai oatmeal in small white bowls

For the Chai-Infused Milk:

  • Warm Chai Spices: A blend of spices that just radiates “warm hug” vibes — Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, Black Pepper, Vanilla Extract, and a pinch of salt.
  • Black Tea: chai is typically made with black tea, and using tea bags makes it easy to strain the tea leaves out!
  • Non-Dairy Milk: I used my Homemade Nut Milk recipe, but any of your favorite plant-based milks will work here!
  • Maple Syrup brings a bit of sweetness and adds more rich, Fall-inspired flavor. 

For the Baked Oatmeal:

  • Grated Apple: I used a Honeycrisp apple for this recipe because I find them to be the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Feel free to use any apple you like here!
  • Rolled Oats will cook perfectly for this baked oatmeal. I’ve found quick oats to be too mushy for this recipe, so I’d advise against using them.
  • Slivered Almonds are full of healthy fats and add a bit of crunch and nutty flavor to our oatmeal.
  • Ground Flax Seeds help everything bind together nicely, while adding some more healthy fats.

HOW TO MAKE APPLE CHAI BAKED OATMEAL

pot of steeped chai next to close up photo of apple chai oatmeal before going into the oven

One of my favorite “set it and forget it” breakfast recipes, this Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal takes just 10 minutes to prep before you put it in the oven to bake. That means more time to sip your warm beverage and enjoy your morning ????

  1. Preheat the oven and add the non-dairy milk, maple syrup, and vanilla to a pan over medium-high heat.
  2. Whisk in the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and salt, until all of the spices dissolve into the milk.
  3. Once the milk begins to simmer, add the black tea and remove from heat to let it steep for 5 minutes before removing the tea bags.
  4. Add the oats, almonds, ground flax, and baking powder to a baking dish and mix until evenly distributed, then add the chai-infused milk and grated apple to the oat mixture and stir to combine.
  5. Spread the top evenly and bake until oats are golden brown. Allow oats to cool and serve as desired!

hand pouring fresh almond milk into bowl of apple chai baked oatmeal

What’s not to love about Baked Oatmeal? It’s versatile, easy to make, and most importantly, it’s a delicious way to start the day. Of course, you can enjoy this Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal *any* time of day, but a hearty, warm bowl always hits the spot in the early hours of the morning.

What I love most about Baked Oatmeal is that you can serve it in a variety of ways. It’s thick enough to pack and take on the go, but when I’m at home I love to serve it warmed up with additional fresh fruit and a splash or two of non-dairy milk. If you have any leftovers, be sure to store them in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

large white baking dish of apple chai baked oatmeal topped with fresh apples

If you’re looking for more cozy baked oatmeal recipes, you’ll also love this Maple Pecan Baked Oatmeal, this Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal, and this Baked PB&J Oatmeal!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations ????

Print

Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal

This Apple Chai Baked Oatmeal is the warm & cozy solution to your mornings. Hearty, FULL of Fall flavors, & ridiculously easy to make, this recipe also happens to be Vegan, Gluten-Free, & Oil-Free!

  • Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 Minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stovetop, Oven
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chai-Infused Milk: 

  • 2 cups (475 ml) non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) grade A maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 black tea bags

For the Baked Oatmeal:

  • 2 cups (180 g) rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 large apple, grated (I used Honeycrisp)

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375F and set a 9” x 6” (or similar) baking pan aside.
  2. Make the Chai: Add the non-dairy milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, black pepper, and salt, then whisk well until the spices dissolve into the milk. Once the milk begins to simmer, add the black tea bags. Remove the mixture from the heat and let the tea steep for 5 minutes, then remove the tea bags and discard.
  3. Prep the Oatmeal: In the meantime, add the oats, almonds, ground flax, and baking powder to the baking dish and mix well, until everything is evenly distributed. Add the chai-infused milk (without tea bags) to the oat mixture and stir well; you may need to use a spatula to scrape some of the spices out of the pot. Add the grated apple to the baking dish and mix into the oats. Spread the top evenly with a spatula, then place in the middle rack of the oven to bake.
  4. Bake & Serve: Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, until the oats are golden and fragrant. Remove the dish from the oven and serve warm, or allow the oats to cool and thicken slightly before serving. Serve as desired; leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Substitutions: maple syrup can be replaced with any other sweetener of choice, granulated or liquid. Ground flax can be replaced with chia seeds. Almonds can be replaced with any other chopped nut of choice, or omitted. If you’re missing a few of the spices, that’s ok – just make sure you have a few.

Keywords: vegan baked oatmeal, baked apple oatmeal, spiced apple oatmeal, chai oatmeal, chai oatmeal

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About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. These smell and taste delicious! I didn’t have the almonds so I used walnuts instead. They work really good with the apples.

  2. Absolutely delicious. I prepped a batch to take to work for breakfast throughout the week and it just kept getting better and better. I was pleasantly surprised that didn’t turn out dry since there’s no oil in the recipe. I will definitely add this to my baked oatmeal repertoire.

  3. I was looking for a cozy breakfast for fall, and this was so delicious! I’ve made it twice now and will definitely be making it again soon!

  4. I’m not a huge fan of baked oatmeal but the flavors of this recipe made my mouth water😊

    So, I made it a little different. I doubled the Chai-infused milk quantities and made it as directed, then I added 1 cup of Steel Cut Oats, two diced apples and 3/4 cup slivers almonds, along with the 4 Cups of infused milk into my Instant Pot, set it to pressure 20 minutes, natural release.

    It turned out amazing! The flavors are incredible and it was nice a creamy. 😋

  5. So tasty! I put it in an dish slightly bigger than an 8×8 one and that worked perfectly – can’t wait to make this again. Thank you for sharing Caitlin!

  6. Love this recipe! I diced my apples instead of grating for some added texture. So warm and cozy!