Warm cinnamon apples, creamy oatmeal and toasted pecans make a breakfast worth sitting down for. A little maple syrup brings the flavors together. Inspired by the flavors of baked apples, this porridge gets its golden apple topping from a skillet, so there is no need to turn on the oven.
Three textures in one warm bowl
Milk and water give the oats room to soften without becoming too heavy. Cooking the apples separately in a little butter keeps the fruit tender with lightly golden edges. The pecans need only a brief toast and go on at the end, keeping their crunch instead of softening in the oatmeal.
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At a glance
Apple Cinnamon Porridge with Golden Apples and Toasted Pecan Crunch
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Total time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 2 breakfast servings
Ingredients for 2 breakfast servings
Prep: about 10 minutes · Cooking: about 15 minutes · Total: about 25 minutes. You will need a small saucepan and a skillet. Metric weights are the reference amounts; US measures are approximate.
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| Amount | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 100 g | plain rolled oats* (about 1 cup), not steel-cut oats* |
| 400 ml | whole milk (about 1⅔ cups) |
| 100 ml | water (about ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons), plus a little extra as needed |
| 2 | small apples, 300 g after coring (about 10½ oz), skin on |
| 20 g | raw unsalted pecan halves* (about 3 tablespoons chopped) |
| 10 g | unsalted butter (about 2 teaspoons) |
| 20 g | maple syrup* (about 1 tablespoon), divided, plus extra only if needed |
| 1 teaspoon | ground cinnamon* (about 2 g), divided |
| 1 | small pinch fine salt* |
Instructions
- Wash and core the apples, then cut into evenly sized ½-inch cubes, leaving the skin on. Roughly break up the pecan halves. Measure the remaining ingredients.
- Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2–3 minutes, tossing often. As soon as they smell fragrant, transfer to a plate. Do not let them darken or scorch.
- Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the apple cubes and cook for about 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender with golden spots. If the apples are particularly firm, add 1–2 tablespoons water and briefly cover, then finish uncovered. Stir in half the cinnamon and 10 g maple syrup and warm over low heat for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat if needed to prevent the syrup and cinnamon from burning.
- While the apples cook, combine the oats, milk, 100 ml water, pinch of salt and remaining cinnamon in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, until gently bubbling, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 5–10 minutes until the oats are tender and creamy. Stir regularly across the bottom of the pan and follow the package directions. Add a little extra water if needed.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand for 1–2 minutes. The oatmeal should be spoonable and flowing rather than stiff; loosen with a little water if needed. Taste a spoonful with an apple piece to judge the sweetness. Use the remaining measured maple syrup to finish the bowls to taste, adding extra only if needed.
- Divide the porridge between two bowls. Spoon over the warm cinnamon apples and any pan juices, scatter with the toasted pecans and drizzle with any of the remaining measured maple syrup not already used. Serve warm immediately.
Choosing apples
A juicy sweet-tart apple that holds some shape works well. Braeburn is one option; the cooking time and sweetness depend on variety and ripeness. Cut evenly sized cubes so they soften together. If you prefer peeled apples, still measure 300 g prepared fruit after peeling and coring.
Keep the oatmeal creamy
Simmer gently and stir regularly. Smaller rolled flakes soften faster, while old-fashioned oats keep more texture and may need a little longer. Steel-cut oats require a different cooking time and liquid ratio. Oatmeal thickens as it stands, so leave it slightly looser than you want in the finished bowl.
Make-ahead breakfast
Prepare the oatmeal and apple topping separately, cool promptly and refrigerate in covered containers. Eat within 2 days. Reheat thoroughly while stirring, adding a splash of water or milk to loosen the oats. Store the toasted pecans separately in a dry container and scatter over just before eating.
Plant-based option and sweetness
For a plant-based version, replace the milk with an unsweetened plant drink and the butter with a suitable plant-based alternative. This changes the flavor, possible allergens and nutrition. Taste the oatmeal with the apples before adding more maple syrup: sweet fruit may need less. Extra syrup is not included in the nutrition estimate.
Approximate nutrition per serving
About 527 calories, 73 g carbohydrate, 14 g protein and 21 g fat. Calculated for half the recipe with whole milk, all pecans and butter, and 20 g maple syrup for the full batch. Extra milk or syrup is not included. Actual values vary with the products and portion size.
Contains milk and pecans. Oats may contain gluten; for a gluten-free version, choose explicitly certified gluten-free oats and suitable remaining ingredients.
Recipe by myai
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