These comforting apple pie overnight oats with almond butter are a zero effort, no-cook way to start the day with a protein and fibre rich breakfast! Spiced with cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, they are everything you love about apple pie in a make-ahead vegan breakfast.
Between this blog and my cookbooks, I probably create about 100 recipes a year (seeing that number in print is wild!). But the unexpected consequence of writing plant-based recipes for a living is that my diet can be a bit all over the place.
So it’s been nice this year, because I’ve managed to eat overnight oats for breakfast pretty consistently and it has really helped me start my day off energized, no matter how much chaos comes my way when the alarm goes off!
It’s definitely helped that I’ve been having so much fun creating overnight oats inspired by some of my favourite desserts, whether that’s my tiramisu overnight oats, brownie batter overnight oats or my carrot cake overnight oats (perfect for folks who need a bit more texture!).
It got me thinking: since my apple pie oatmeal is such a blog favourite, I should create some overnight oats inspired by apple pie for those mornings when prepping a hot breakfast just isn’t going to fly.
This is such an easy and nutritious breakfast and it comes together in just 5 minutes the night before, with zero cooking required. All you need is some applesauce, oats, almond butter and a few other pantry staples. Then, you just stir everything together and pop it in the fridge overnight.
As a dietitian, I also have to admit a bit of an ulterior motive: it’s been so frustrating to see internet people slagging oatmeal…as if somehow, one of the most nutritious whole grain staples of our diet somehow isn’t healthy?
This kind of misinformation is a total red flag but I also know that it’s got a bunch of people worried about their morning oats. So with these overnight oats, I get to bust some myths that A) oats can’t be a protein-rich breakfast and B) that they’re somehow not blood sugar friendly.
Using traditional (not quick) rolled oats with a boost of plant-based protein from almond butter, homemade hemp milk or store-bought soy milk, each serving of this vegan-friendly breakfast contains 16 grams of protein and 10 grams of fibre, plus healthy fats to help you feel fuller, longer and keep those blood sugars on an even keel.
How to make these easy apple pie overnight oats, step by step
Just 10 super basic pantry-friendly ingredients and 5 minutes of your time: that’s all it takes to have a truly delicious, nourishing breakfast ready to go!
I’ve used creamy, rich almond butter because it enhances the flavour without taking over the flavour like peanut butter does. It’s got a double dose of apple (fresh and applesauce) for more fibre and texture. Oh, and I highly recommend you add a little drizzle of maple syrup or your favourite sweetener to enhance the flavour of the spices and coax out the true dessert-like nature of this nourishing breakfast!
Step One: Gather your ingredients. You’ll need unsweetened apple sauce, hemp or soy milk, almond butter, an apple, some walnuts, plus maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and of course, oats! Want to make them nut free? Try sunflower butter and sunflower seeds.
Step Two: In a bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, hemp milk, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice. Then, stir in the oats, diced apple and walnuts (or you can add the apple and walnuts as toppings the next morning, but I’m too lazy for that!)
Step Three: Pour into a resealable jar or container and refrigerate overnight, or up to 5 days. Since they keep so well, if you’re feeling organized, you can meal prep a full week’s worth of breakfasts in about 10 minutes in a larger bowl, then pour the oats into 5 jars, assembly-line style, using a scoop or measuring cup.
Apple Pie Overnight Oats with Almond Butter
These comforting apple pie overnight oats with almond butter are a zero effort, no-cook way to start the day with a protein and fibre rich breakfast! Spiced with cinnamon, allspice and vanilla, they are everything you love about apple pie in a make-ahead vegan breakfast.
- ½ cup hemp milk, soy milk, or your favourite non-dairy milk!
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 2 tablespoons almond butter, or sunflower butter for a nut free option
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or your favourite sweetener, optional to taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch allspice
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ½ apple, diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, or sunflower seeds for nut free
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In a bowl, whisk together the hemp or soy milk, applesauce, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and allspice, until smooth. Stir in the oats as well as apple and walnuts (or you can add the apple and walnuts in the morning!)
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Pour into a resealable container or jar and refrigerate at least 4-6 hours or preferably overnight. The oats will last for up to 5 days in the fridge, so feel free to make multiple servings at once!