Spiced Apple Zucchini Baked Oatmeal

Food

Spiced Apple Zucchini Baked Oatmeal

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August 12, 2022

Who’s ready for another epic baked oatmeal recipe? You? Good, me too.

Zucchini season is in full swing and in case you haven’t noticed I love adding this versatile veggie to pretty much all recipes this time of year. Sweet, savory, dessert, dinner, you name it, I can find a way to sneak zucchini in. Last year I shared this absolutely incredible Spiced Apple Zucchini Bread with Cream Cheese Glaze and everyone fell in LOVE. Including my team and family.

SO I decided to make a twist on that delicious bread with this amazing spiced apple zucchini baked oatmeal. It’s filled with cozy spices like cinnamon and allspice (my fav), has some fun optional mix-ins like raisins and nuts, and is drizzled with a lovely, light cinnamon vanilla glaze. Life’s too short to not glaze your baked oatmeal.

Bonus points this zucchini apple baked oatmeal can easily be turned into on-the-go oatmeal cups and is freezer-friendly! AKA the best meal prep breakfast for transitioning you from summer into fall. I know we’re not quite ready for pumpkin season, so start with this beautiful seasonal breakfast and we’ll talk fall in a few weeks.

FREE Zucchini Recipe E-Book

Everything you’ll need to make this apple zucchini baked oatmeal

This easy zucchini apple baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened and made with plenty of warming spices that you’re going to love. Here’s everything you’ll need to make it:

Zucchini: yes, we’re adding that beautiful veggie, and no, you won’t be able to taste it! Shredded zucchini gives the baked oatmeal moisture and that zucchini bread flavor.
For extra moisture: we’re adding applesauce (I love cinnamon applesauce!) which also gives it a lovely apple flavor, plus a little almond milk and melted butter or coconut oil.
Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs to help the baked oatmeal bake up properly.
Maple syrup: this baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened with a little pure maple syrup.
Oats: old fashioned rolled oats are what make this a baked oatmeal.
Spices: get the ultimate cozy flavors from a mix of cinnamon, allspice, ginger & nutmeg.
Apple: you’ll mix diced honeycrisp apple right into the batter, and feel free to add more slices on top!
Baking staples: don’t forget the vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt.
Mix-ins: I also love folding in raisins and chopped pecans or walnuts, but these are optional.
For the glaze: oh you know we love a glaze. This one is made with vanilla yogurt, powdered sugar, a little almond milk, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

Customize your zucchini apple baked oatmeal

I always recommend sticking with the recipes as best as possible (especially for baking) but there are a few easy ways to customize this baked oatmeal that I can recommend:

To keep gluten free: simply use gluten free rolled oats.
To keep dairy free: use melted, cooled coconut oil in the batter instead of butter, and use a dairy free yogurt in the glaze.
To keep nut free: use a regular, nut free milk and simply leave the optional nuts out of the batter.
For the milk: I used unsweetened almond milk to keep the baked oatmeal dairy free, but feel free to use any milk you’d like.
For the powdered sugar: feel free to swap for 1/2 tablespoon of maple syrup or honey.
For the glaze: this is optional! You could also drizzle your baked oatmeal slice with additional maple syrup — it will still be amazing.

Can I use other oats?

I would not recommend using steel cut oats because the texture in this zucchini apple baked oatmeal will not be the same. Feel free to use quick oats if you have them on hand, but I’d recommend adding a bit more than the recipe calls for.

Can I make it vegan?

I haven’t tested this recipe using flax eggs, but let me know if you do in the comments! Then be sure to follow the substitutions above for keeping the baked oatmeal dairy free. Learn how to make flax eggs here!

How to make apple zucchini oatmeal cups

I love making this baked oatmeal into oatmeal cups for the perfect on-the-go breakfast that’s easy to pack! To do so:

Prep your pan. Add muffin liners to a muffin tin and spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Divide the batter. Divide the zucchini apple oatmeal bake batter into the muffin tin — you should get around 10-12 oatmeal cups.
Bake & serve. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the oatmeal cups are set and enjoy!

Store it for later

Be sure the zucchini apple oatmeal bake has cooled completely, and then cover the pan with tinfoil before transferring it to the refrigerator. It will stay good covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can also store individual slices in airtight containers for ease, and simply reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

How to freeze this apple zucchini baked oatmeal

To freeze: once the baked oatmeal has completely cooled, cut it into 6 or 8 squares and wrap each square in plastic wrap and tinfoil. You can also freeze the entire baked oatmeal for later by wrapping it well and placing it in the freezer.
To reheat: when you’re ready to eat it, place an unwrapped frozen square of apple zucchini baked oatmeal on a microwave safe dish and microwave it at 30 second intervals for 1-2 minutes. To reheat the entire baked oatmeal, simply reheat it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F while it’s covered with tinfoil.

More oatmeal recipes you’ll love

Get all of my oatmeal recipes here, and even more zucchini recipes here!

I hope you love this apple zucchini baked oatmeal recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

Spiced Zucchini Apple Baked Oatmeal with Cinnamon Vanilla Glaze

Wonderful apple zucchini baked oatmeal filled with cozy spices and drizzled with a light cinnamon vanilla glaze. This protein-packed zucchini apple baked oatmeal is freezer-friendly and the perfect breakfast for transitioning from summer to fall! Add nuts and raisins for the ultimate breakfast treat.

Ingredients

Wet ingredients:
1
medium zucchini*
1/2
cup
unsweetened applesauce (i love using cinnamon applesauce!)
2
eggs, at room temperature
1
cup
unsweetened almond milk
1/4
cup
pure maple syrup
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
2
tablespoons
melted butter or melted and cooled coconut oil
Dry ingredients:
2
cups
old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
1
teaspoon
baking powder
1
teaspoon
cinnamon
½
teaspoon
allspice
½
teaspoon
ginger
¼
teaspoon
nutmeg
¼
teaspoon
salt
1
cup
finely diced honeycrisp apples (from 1 medium honeycrisp apple, diced)
Optional: 1/4 cup raisins
Optional: 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
For the cinnamon vanilla glaze:
2
tablespoons
vanilla yogurt (or sub dairy free yogurt)
1
tablespoon
powdered sugar (or you can sub 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup or honey)
1-2
teaspoons
unsweetened almond milk, to thin
¼
teaspoon
cinnamon
¼
teaspoon
vanilla extract
For topping:
Optional: Thinly sliced apples

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8×8 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
*First, measure out 1 heaping cup of shredded zucchini from your medium zucchini, then place shredded zucchini in a paper towel or cheese cloth and squeeze out all of the moisture/water. This is very important!
In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded zucchini, applesauce, eggs, almond milk, maple syrup and vanilla until well combined.
Next stir in dry ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg and salt; stir well to combine. Fold in diced apples, raisins and pecans/walnuts.
Spread out oatmeal in a prepared pan. Add thinly sliced apples on top if you’d like. Bake for 35-40 minutes until edges are slightly golden and center is set.
In a small bowl, mix together the greek yogurt, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and cinnamon; mix to combine. Add more milk if necessary so you can drizzle on top of the oatmeal. Serves 6-8. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Feel free to skip the glaze and just drizzle the baked oatmeal with maple syrup instead; it’s just as delicious!

See the full post for ways to customize your baked oatmeal, how to turn it into oatmeal cups, plus storing & freezing instructions.

Nutrition

Servings: 6 servings

Serving size: 1 slice (based on 6, without nuts & raisins)

Calories: 264kcal

Fat: 8.1g

Saturated fat: 3.3g

Carbohydrates: 41.7g

Fiber: 4.6g

Sugar: 16.2g

Protein: 7.3g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats