Apple n’ Oatmeal Breakfast Bake

I'm not kidding around folks, it was 93 degrees yesterday, but my soul is feeling 73 degrees with a slight crisp fall chill in the air. I know it's here and just to make sure I made this apple bake. Oh, and I dyed my hair back to brown last night, but that's another entry for another time.

Now, to be clear this is actually apple crisp breakfastized and lightened up. Here is what it looked like pre-oven:

I know, it looks like Oliver Twist porridge. But, what it is, is the potential to be delicious. Someone asked me if I make up my own recipes and the answer is yes. Unless I specify otherwise with a link, all of my recipes are from me. I'm a food lover and surely some of them have been inspired by one recipe or another, but even then I rarely follow a recipe 100%. I got that from my mom, we aren't followers.

I had a giant yellow honey (local) apple that needed to be eaten and I just don't see any point in eating a giant raw apple by myself. And who wants to share half of an eaten apple? I cut it up into thin slices and placed them in this medium sized baking dish. And then I got crazy with some (raw, local, organic) agave nectar and a dash or two of cinnamon.

Now for the topping. I combined 1/2 C organic full-fat plain yogurt, 3/4 C oatmeal, dash of vanilla, dash of cinnamon, 2 tsp. brown sugar and 1/8 C. chopped macadamia nuts. You can use whatever nut you wish, I just had these on hand. Stir until everything is mixed up and well coated. Spread evenly over apples.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the apples are soft.

While I let it cool off for a minute or two I made a little icing of 1.5 T cream cheese, 1/2 tsp. agave necter (warmed until smooth) with a splash of vanilla and dash of cinnamon. Drizzle over warm apple bake and eat.

What I love about this dish is that it uses no butter or flour and very little sugar, yet the apples make it sweet. It's delicious and cozy and a perfect fall breakfast. For those who count I calculated the whole dish to to be right around 500 calories. I also liked that because it wasn't so sweet I didn't feel tempted to stand at the dish with my fork and eat and eat and eat.

You know how desserts call to you somehow? Drag you back for seconds? Torment your mind until it is all gone? This will not do that to you.

Apple n' Oatmeal Breakfast Bake

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees. Use a medium sized baking dish.

Filling:

1 very large (or two medium) yellow or green apples sliced thin

2 tsp. agave nectar

Cinnamon

Topping:

1/2 Cup plain full-fat yogurt

3/4-1 C. oats

2 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 C chopped nuts (I used salted)

Pinch of salt if using unsalted nuts

Icing:

2 T. cream cheese

1 tsp. agave nectar

1/8 tsp. vanilla

dash of cinnamon