Apple Pie Oatmeal Bowl - Honey Prairie

# What You'll Need:

→ Oatmeal Base

01 - 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

02 - 2 cups milk (dairy or unsweetened non-dairy alternative)

03 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey

04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

06 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Apple Topping

07 - 1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and diced

08 - 1 teaspoon unsalted butter or coconut oil for vegan option

09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

10 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar

11 - Pinch of salt

→ Optional Garnishes

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pecans

13 - Additional maple syrup or honey, to taste

14 - Pinch of ground nutmeg

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium saucepan, mix oats, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Stir and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

02 - Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until oats are creamy and tender.

03 - While oats cook, heat butter or coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add diced apple, cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt. Cook, stirring until apples soften and caramelize, about 5 to 7 minutes.

04 - Divide the cooked oats evenly into two bowls and top with the warm apple mixture.

05 - Sprinkle chopped nuts over each serving, drizzle with extra maple syrup or honey if desired, and finish with a pinch of nutmeg. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -

It tastes like dessert but keeps you full until lunch without the sugar crash.
You can make it with whatever milk or sweetener you already have on hand.
The warm apples turn ordinary oatmeal into something that feels like a hug in a bowl.

02 -

Don't skip stirring the oatmeal occasionally or it will stick to the bottom and burn, which I learned the hard way.
Cook the apples until they just start to brown because that caramelization is where all the flavor lives.

03 -