Apple Pie Oatmeal

For the apple pie filling, place apple chunks into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine. Let the apples cook down, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the apples are soft, and the liquid has cooked off, stir in the vanilla extract and set aside 1 cup of the mixture for the oatmeal. Save the rest for another time (see note).

For the oatmeal, place the water, milk, apple pie filling, cinnamon and nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Stir in the rolled oats and simmer over medium-low heat for about 8 minutes, or until oatmeal reaches your desired thickness.

Enjoy hot with a few slices of fresh apple, chopped pecans, and a drizzle of milk, for garnish. You can also check the sweetness at this point to see if you want some brown sugar.

Notes:
1. To make it gluten-free, make sure you use gluten-free rolled oats.
2. To make it vegan, use almond milk as your milk of choice.
3. The apple pie filling yields 2 cups and lasts for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. I don’t peel the apples to give the sauce a nice red colour and find making the apple filling the night before saves time for the morning.
4. To reheat, pop each serving in the microwave in short intervals, adding in splashes of milk until you get your desired texture.