Winter Apple Oatmeal

I started making this oatmeal 10 years ago and it began as oats, water, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Over the years, I began adding apples and experimented with different types of milk, leaving the apples to soften in the boiling water. There is nothing like sweet, soft, cinnamon-y apple oatmeal on a chilly winter morning! It’s a hit with my children and husband (and he's the hardest one to impress!) and I make it at least 3 times a week during the winter.

Now onto the apples- any apple will work in this recipe but remember to adjust the sweetness based on the apples you choose. If you are using a tart apple, like Pink Lady, Empire, or Cortland, add the full 2 tbsp of maple syrup. If you are using a sweet apple, like Gala, Fuji, or Golden Delicious, I would add 1 tbsp (or less!) then add maple syrup to taste. You can always keep the sweetener out altogether and add it to your liking at the end of cooking. Enjoy!

Winter Apple Oatmeal

Recipe for 2 hearty bowls of oatmeal

2 cups of Oat Milk, or any milk of your choice, or Water

1 cups of Rolled Oats

1 Apple, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1-2 tsp of maple syrup to taste (depending on sweetness of apples)

1/2 tsp cinnamon, to taste

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1. Peel and Chop apples into 1-inch chunks. Add the apples and milk/water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. You want the apple pieces small enough to cook in the milk for a few minutes while it comes to a boil before you add the oats.

2. While the apples and liquid are warming, add cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir to combine. Take a taste here to see if you need more of anything.

3. When the liquid has come to a boil, turn the temperature to medium-high and allow the liquid and apples to cook for approximately 2-3 minutes.

4. Add oats and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often (watch this! the oats tend to stick to the bottom!)

5. When 10 minutes have passed, let the oats cool for 5 minutes. You can add nuts, raisins, additional fruit- the options are endless. Enjoy!

Photo credit @aleks_marinkovic