How about apple pie for breakfast—sort of?

An apple crumb pie has a streusel topping made with oats, brown sugar and butter.

The oatmeal recipe below is a close cousin, made with apples, apple pie spices…and oats, brown sugar and butter.

Alex Caspero, MA, RD, CLT, who developed the recipe for Fruits And Veggies More Matters, advises:

“To cut down on prep time for busy mornings, make a double or triple batch earlier in the week; then portion out in individual jars or containers. When you’re ready to eat, splash with a bit more milk and warm through, or enjoy it cold.”

We say: It’s good enough to have for dessert: as is, with sliced bananas, a dollop of sour cream or ice cream.

 
RECIPE: APPLE PIE OATMEAL

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the apple and cook for 3-4 minutes until just softened. If you prefer your apples softer, cook them a few minutes longer.

2. WHISK in the oats, cinnamon, ginger, almond milk, maple syrup and applesauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened and oats have cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.

3. Stir in the vanilla extract, taste for sweetness (adding in more brown sugar maple syrup as desired), divide into two bowls and serve.
 
 
BROWN SUGAR VS. MAPLE SYRUP

[1] Part oatmeal, part apple pie, all delicious (all photos courtesy Alex Caspero).

[2] Step 1: Cook the apples.

[3] Step 2: Add the oats and the spices. Simmer, and you’re ready to eat!

Maple syrup is a largely unrefined sweetener, made by boiling the sap of maple trees.

They have different flavor profiles, and different nutritional profiles. You can read more about it here.

Here are the different types of sugar and sweeteners.