So…I might have gone to the apple orchard again. I just can’t help it! When apples are in season they taste AH-MAZING and where better to get them than an apple orchard where you can pick them right off the tree? Unfortunately this trip wasn’t a fun family outing like the last one because I went by myself. Because of this, and because I was running short on time, I just bought the apples from the store at the orchard. We love supporting local growers and the owner at Apple Ridge Orchard and Vineyard is so friendly that it makes the experience even more fun. I also just learned of an organic orchard that is close to where Elysia lives so hopefully we’ll be able to make a trip there as well!
By far, breakfast is our favorite meal and one of our favorite things to have at that meal is a breakfast bake. The Lemon Poppy Seed Breakfast Bake that Elysia made on my birthday was delicious and refreshing and this Apple Pie Bake is a winner as well. I wouldn’t quite say that it is like having dessert for breakfast, but it is a comforting and delicious way to start off a cool Fall morning.
I don’t have small bread tins like the ones we used in the lemon bake (I had mini springform pans but both rusted!), so I used large muffin tins and filled two spots. The empty spots were filled part-way with water as well. It works fine either way (although I do like the bread tin better..maybe because it’s cute?), the timing is just a little different.
Apple Pie Breakfast Bake
- 1 medium apple
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup old-fashioned oats, ground
- 1/8 cup oat bran or Mighty Tasty GF Hot Cereal (Bob’s Red Mill)
- 1 Tablespoon Wheat Germ (can be left out)
- 1/2 Banana
- 1 teaspoon Molasses
- 3 Tablespoons Almond Milk (we like Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Vanilla)
- 3 Tablespoons Brewed Coffee
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon Sucanat
- 1/2 Tablespoon Goji Berries (optional)
- Lemon Juice
– Preheat oven to 375°.
– Shred half of the apple and thinly slice the other half. Separately, toss the shredded and sliced apple with a small amount of lemon juice (you just want to coat them thinly). Set aside.
– Mix the spices together in a small bowl and spray the pan or muffin tins with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon sucanat, along with 1/4 teaspoon of the spices, into the pan, trying to coat the bottom and sides. Next, place the apple slices into the pan, around the sides and bottom (sort of making a ‘shell’ of apple slices).
– Mix the wet ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, mashing the banana before adding the other ingredients. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients, reserving 1/4 teaspoon of the spice mix. Fold in the shredded apple and goji berries (if using) and fill the pan or muffin tins with this mixture. You want the apple slices to be on the outside (touching the edges of the pan), so that they mix with the spices and sucanat.
– Sprinkle the remaining spice mix and sucanat on top of the bake.
– Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on pan use and personal taste. I baked mine in the muffin tins for 25 minutes but I like the center to be a bit more gooey rather than muffin-like, so you will need to poke the top of the bake in order to determine if it is at the firmness level that you prefer.
The apple slices lining the tin - they may not stay in place but just move them to the side when you pour the 'batter' in the middle.
Before Baking (Sprinkled with the spice mixture and sucanat)
After being baked with a brown top. I know that it isn't very pretty but it tastes great!
– I topped my bake with a little smart balance, a yogurt mixture (unsweetened soy yogurt mixed with a little maple syrup and the same spices as used in the recipe), and chopped pecans. It would also be great as is.
– If you’re busy in the morning it is always easy to just throw the dry ingredients together the night before. Then it comes together fairly quickly and you can get ready while it cooks.
We hope that this can be a warm start to your morning!
Twin Taste 