Apple Pear Cinnamon Oatmeal with Crunchy Walnut Topping
Autumn Pie in an Oatmeal
Autumn is upon us and the comfiest breakfast available for this cozy season is obviously oatmeal. I love oatmeal, but on its own the texture leaves a little bit to be desired. If I’m making a bowl of oatmeal, it needs to have mix-ins for extra flavor and textures. In this Autumn-pie inspired oatmeal, there’s loads of sweet apples and pears and a streusel topping. It’s practically an apple and pear crumble pie in breakfast form.
This recipe is perfect for a cozy weekend breakfast with your family or make a double (or triple) batch to serve at your next brunch party! It’s a crowd-pleasing dish that anyone would love. It’s full of autumnal flavors, soft pear and apple pieces, and fun crunchy walnut streusel bites mixed throughout. I just know it will become your favorite morning oatmeal!
Tips For Making This Oatmeal Recipe
If you plan on making this apple pear oatmeal, here are a few tips to make it extra delicious:
- If you’re interested in making this recipe gluten free, substitute the flour in the crunchy topping with your preferred gluten-free flour. Also confirm the oats you purchase are certified gluten-free. Oats themselves are gluten-free, but unless the packing explicitly says so, they could be cross-contaminated. To be on the safe side, always read the package before serving.
- When making the oatmeal, if it starts to look a little dry add another tablespoon of water or milk and stir in. If it’s looking too wet, add more oats one tablespoon at a time. If additional oats or liquid is added, taste the oatmeal and continue cooking an additional few minutes if needed.
- When making the streusel topping, pay close attention after the 10 minute mark to ensure the walnuts don’t burn. They’ll begin to smell overcooked before they look overcooked, so as soon as the streusel begins to crisp, remove the tray from the oven.
Recipe Details
This oatmeal recipe will take longer than a microwave package you can get at the grocery store, but the extra bit of love is so worth it. There are three components to this delicious breakfast: sauteed spiced apples and pears, creamy oatmeal, and a crunchy walnut and oat topping.
The oatmeal takes the longest to cook, so you’ll start there. You’ll cook the oats low and slow on the stove top with milk, water, vanilla, and a bit of salt. Once the pot begins to boil, you can let the oatmeal do it’s thing, stirring it every ten minutes or so, until it’s softened and cooked through. While the oatmeal is cooking, you can get your streusel topping in the oven and saute the fruit.
To make the crunchy walnut topping, you’ll mix walnuts, oats, flour, butter, and brown sugar and spread onto a tray. This streusel will bake for about 10-15 in total, stirring it every 5 minutes. As the butter melts, an almost cake-like consistency will occur while it bakes. After the first five minutes of baking, you’ll stir up the mixture to break it into smaller pieces again. This will help get more crunchy bits, which is the best part!
Lastly, you’ll saute your pears in apples in a bit of butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup. You’ll start sauteing the apples in butter first, as they’ll take a bit longer to soften than the pears do. After adding the pears and cinnamon, you’ll let them soften before adding maple syrup. Let the fruit cook in the syrup, until the consistency is thick and the fruit is softened - think of the consistency of pie filling.
To serve, divide the oatmeal between bowls and top with the sauteed fruit. Add the streusel topping over the entire bowl, serve, and enjoy!
When meal prepping, portion out the recipe into individual leftover containers, keeping the crunchy topping in a separate container. To reheat, warm on the stove top with an extra splash of water or milk or microwave, stirring halfway through. Top with the crunchy topping after heating and enjoy!
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The ultimate cinnamon apple pear oatmeal with a crunchy, streusel-like topping with crisp oats and walnuts. An extra special oatmeal that’s delicious fresh or a perfect option to make ahead for the week.
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup milk or milk alternative of your choice
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons old fashioned oats
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 pear, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Add the old fashioned oats, milk, water, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to a medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and place a lid on the saucepan.
Let cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 8 to 10 minutes, until the oats are cooked and very creamy.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and set out a small baking tray.
In a medium bowl, add the old fashioned oats, brown sugar, unsalted butter, all purpose flour, and raw walnuts. Mix, using your fingers or a fork to break the butter into pea-sized pieces.
Spread the oat and walnut mixture onto the baking tray. Bake for 5 minutes, remove from the oven and stir to reincorporate any melted butter.
Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, stirring again if necessary to incorporate any melted butter. Remove from the oven once crisp, keeping in mind it will continue to crisp up while it cools.
Set aside until ready to plate.
Melt the unsalted butter in a large frying pan. Once melted, add the peeled and chopped apples to the pan, stirring to coat in the butter. Let saute for about 2 minutes.
Add the peeled and chopped pears and cinnamon. Stir to coat the pears in the butter and distribute the cinnamon throughout the fruits. Saute another 3 minutes.
Add the maple syrup, and stir to incorporate. Let saute another 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so to ensure the syrup doesn’t burn in the bottom of the pan,, until the pears and apples are softened and the syrup has thickened. Remove from the heat and begin assembling.
Spoon half of the sauteed spiced pears and apples into the oatmeal. Stir to incorporate.
Divide the oatmeal into two bowls. Top with the remaining sauteed pears and apples.
Top with the crunchy walnut topping, serve, and enjoy!
