Apple Cranberry Almond Oatmeal

Apple Cranberry Almond Oatmeal is a wholesome breakfast with a fruit pie attitude. (It’s also a bit of a tongue twister!) This is not your basic bowl of oatmeal. It goes beyond with cooked apples and toasted oats.

Toasting boosts the hearty oat flavor and encourages a chewy texture to contrast the tender fruit and crunchy almonds. The oatmeal is gently spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Dried cranberries provide a tart counterpoint.

My preference is to cook oatmeal in water rather than milk. That way, the subtle oat flavor shines through. Still I add a splash of half-and-half some creamy richness in the background.

Apple Cranberry Almond Oatmeal is great unadorned. There’s no need to embellish your bowl with toppings, except for maybe a pour of maple syrup. Just dig right in to a bowl of oats studded with lovely bits of fruit and nut.

The recipe makes a generous amount, about 2 1/2 cups, enough for 2 to 4 servings. But leftovers keep in the refrigerator and reheat nicely in the microwave. I usually add a splash of water to loosen the consistency before reheating.

Apple Cranberry Almond Oatmeal is a recipe I make on repeat. I change up the dried fruit and/or nuts based on my pantry. Some days, this means I’m making Apple Cherry Walnut Oatmeal. And I’m not mad about it, also mad about it, go figure!

More Please?

The method for Apple Cranberry Almond Oatmeal is admittedly more involved than quick or instant oats. But I’m a retired empty nester, which means mornings are less hurried. Rituals like coffee — or cooking a simple hot breakfast — become a touchstone for productivity.

No matter what’s on the agenda that day, you’ve clocked a tasty and nutritious breakfast. Now you’ve got some inertia to keep checking things off your to-do list. I’d say it’s like fuel for your mind and body, but that’s more of a granola vibe.

Still, there’s a satisfying sense of thrift. Maybe an apple is sagging in the fruit bowl, passed over as snack potential for a few days now. But chop and cook that apple in butter and you’ve got sweet tenderness. Or maybe you use up that forgotten scoop of nuts in the pantry. Given rising grocery costs, thrifty feels cathartic.

Previously mentioned, this apple oatmeal is easily adapted by mixing up the dried fruit and nuts. Some modifications are described below.

Modifications

• Remove the peel from the apple or leave it on according to your preference.
• Dried tart cherries are a great substitution for the dried cranberries. Both have a sweet-tart flavor that complements the apples. Because the cherries are larger, I chop them up first.
• Chopped walnuts or pecans are both good options. Almonds are my current favorite as they seem to retain more crunch. Because I’ve typically got them on hand for snacking, I use roasted and salted almonds, roughly chopped.
• I’ve always got half-and-half in the fridge, so that’s what I use. But heavy cream works also.
• My preference is for just a touch of dairy richness. If you prefer creamier oats, you might use milk in place of some of the water.

Apple Cranberry Almond Oatmeal

Apple Cranberry Almond Oatmeal makes a wholesome breakfast with a fruit pie attitude. Start by cooking the apples in butter. Then toast the oats for big flavor and a bit of chew, a nice contrast to the tender apples and crunchy almonds. There's a hint of cinnamon and a splash of half and half for richness. This fruit and nut studded bowl of oatmeal is good straight up, even better with a pour of maple syrup.

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Author Margie

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings 4 small servings

EQUIPMENT

• 1 medium to large frying pan
• 1 medium sauce pan

Ingredients

  

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• pinch salt
• 1 medium apple peeled (or not), cored, diced
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• tiny pinch nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoons chopped almonds
• 1 ¾ cup water
• 1 Tablespoon half and half
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Melt butter over low heat in frying pan. Add apples and a pinch of salt, cover and cook for about 6 minutes or until apples are tender. Ensure the heat is low to avoid scorching.
• Add oats, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almonds to the frying pan with the apples. Cook over low heat, stirring often, for 2 – 3 minutes until the oats are a toasty aroma and begin to color faintly. Stir in the dried cranberries. Turn off the heat.
• In a medium saucepan, bring water and half-and-half to a boil.
• Add the oat-fruit-almond mixture to the boiling liquid in saucepan. Simmer the oatmeal for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.
• Serve with maple syrup if desired.

Notes

1. The recipe yields about 2.5 cups of oatmeal or 4 small servings (scant 2/3 cup each). 
2. Remove the peel from the apple or leave it on according to your preference.
3. Dried tart cherries are a great substitution for the dried cranberries. Both have a sweet-tart flavor that complements the apples. Because the cherries are larger, I chop them up first.
4. Chopped walnuts or pecans in place of almonds are both good options. Almonds are my current favorite as they seem to retain more crunch. I use roasted and salted almonds, roughly chopped. 
5. I always have half-and-half in my refrigerator so that’s my go-to. But heavy cream works also. If you prefer creamier oats, you might use milk in place of some of the water.
6. Store leftover oatmeal in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers in the microwave with a splash of water or milk to loosen the consistency.