Oatmeal has been one of my favorite budget ingredients since day one. It’s super inexpensive, shelf-stable, and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Not to mention, a warm bowl of oatmeal is just the epitome of cozy. 🥰 This Autumn Fruit and Nut Oatmeal is one of the first flavored oatmeal I made back in the day when I was flat broke but knew I still needed to put something good in my belly. You can make one serving at a time, or make a batch of two as listed below and just microwave the second half for your breakfast the next morning (or share with someone you love). Enjoy!

Originally posted 10-29-2010, updated 10-7-2021.

What Kind of Oats are Best?

My favorite kind of oats to use for a classic bowl of oatmeal are old-fashioned rolled oats. These oats have plenty of texture so you don’t end up with a bowl of mush, and they still cook relatively quickly (about 5 minutes). You can use quick oats if you have to, but you’ll want to adjust the cooking time according to what is suggested on the package and keep in mind that the texture won’t be as great. You could definitely do something similar with steel-cut oats, although they require a much longer cooking time and more liquid, so adjust as needed. 

Sweeten to Your Liking

I used a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup to sweeten my Autumn Fruit and Nut Oatmeal because that maple flavor adds to the whole autumn vibe. But real maple syrup can be expensive, so if you want to cut the costs on this bowl a bit, try using brown sugar instead. Brown sugar still goes great with all the flavors in this bowl and is much less expensive. Feel free to swap out with any sweetener of your choice, keeping in mind the flavor differences from maple syrup. 

How to Store Leftovers of Autumn Fruit and Nut Oatmeal

The batch below makes two servings, so if you want to save the second serving for the next day, I would refrigerate it before adding the second half of the apples and the walnuts. Add those after reheating the next day. To reheat, simply microwave for 1-2 minutes, adding a splash of water to help loosen the oatmeal as you stir. Once reheated, top with the apples and walnuts, then enjoy.

Can I Use a Microwave?

Yes, you can definitely make this in a microwave. I suggest making one serving at a time (half of the recipe below). Simply add the butter, apples, cinnamon, cloves, oats, salt, water, and cranberries to a bowl. Microwave on high for one minute, stir, then microwave again in 30-second intervals until thickened. Sweeten with maple syrup, then top with the walnuts and remaining apples.

 

How to Make Autumn Fruit and Nut Oatmeal – Step by Step Photos

Chop one apple into ½-inch sized pieces. 

Add about ¾ of the apple pieces to a sauce pot with 1 tsp butter, ½ tsp cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of cloves (optional). Sauté over medium just until they begin to soften (just a few minutes). 

Next, add 2 cups of water to the pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring the water to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, add 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 2 Tbsp dried cranberries, and 1/4 tsp salt. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to simmer the oats for about five minutes, or until thickened.

Once the oats have thickened, add ¼ cup chopped walnuts and 2 Tbsp maple syrup (or sweeten to your liking with your favorite sweetener).

Divide into two bowls and top with the remaining chopped apples. Enjoy!

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