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Baked Oatmeal with Warm Cranberry-Apple Sauce

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Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova

This baked oatmeal is the make-ahead breakfast your holiday plans need—it’s easy to execute and feeds a crowd. Substitute coconut oil and your favorite alternative milk to make this dairy-free.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    6–8 servings

Ingredients

Oatmeal

5 Tbsp. unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil, melted, divided
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup pecan halves
½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
½ cup skin-on sliced almonds
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
4¼ cups whole milk, unsweetened almond milk, unsweetened coconut milk beverage, or unsweetened oat milk
¼ cup honey
1 large egg, beaten to blend
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Compote and Assembly

3 apples, preferably a mix of varieties so you get lots of texture and flavor, peeled, cut into 1" pieces
½ cup fresh cranberries
¼ cup honey
1 3" cinnamon stick
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Heavy cream, yogurt, or coconut yogurt (for serving; optional)

Preparation

  1. Oatmeal

    Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°. Brush a 2-qt. glass or ceramic baking dish with 1 Tbsp. melted butter.

    Step 2

    Mix oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl. Whisk milk, honey, egg, vanilla, and remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture over oat mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to prepared pan.

    Step 3

    Bake oatmeal until liquid is absorbed and top is golden brown, 35–40 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before using.

    Step 4

    Do Ahead: Oatmeal can be baked 3 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Reheat, covered in foil, in a 350° oven until warmed through, 15–20 minutes.

  2. Compote and Assembly

    Step 5

    Bring apples, cranberries, honey, cinnamon, salt, and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until compote is thick and saucy, 35–40 minutes.

    Step 6

    Divide oatmeal among bowls. Top with compote. Serve with cream alongside (if using).

    Step 7

    Do Ahead: Compote can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container and chill. Rewarm in a medium saucepan over medium heat, adding more water to thin if needed.

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