Apple Oatmeal Cake Recipe
My quick and easy Apple Oatmeal Cake recipe is certain to become a family favorite. Made with just 6 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep, it’s the epitome of fuss-free baking. As a bonus, this sweet treat is naturally gluten-free and is easy to make vegan!
Warmly spiced apple desserts are hard to resist, but when I add some whole-grain goodness to the mix, I don’t have to feel guilty about reaching for seconds! Much like my apple oatmeal muffins and apple oatmeal snack cake, this apple and oatmeal cake is equally delicious served a la mode for dessert or with a dollop of tangy yogurt for a decadent breakfast.
How to Make Apple Oatmeal Cake
Watch the full video recipe to learn how to make this easy apple pie cottage cheese smoothie from start to finish:
Prefer the written recipe? Scroll down to the recipe box 👇
Why You’ll Love This Layered Oatmeal Apple Cake
- Originally published in 2019, this recipe quickly became one of my most popular videos on my YouTube channel – with over 2.5 million views and 62,000 likes. In this updated version, I’ve added some helpful tweaks to make it even easier and more delicious! So you can rest assured this cake is a real crowd-pleaser.
- Between multiple layers of juicy, cinnamon-flavored apples and toasty-tasting brown sugar oats, this yummy dessert eats like a cross between apple cake and fresh apple pie.
- Considering you only need 6 basic ingredients and about 10 minutes of active prep time to make one, it’s the perfect last-minute dessert for whenever a sweet craving strikes!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apples – Choose firm, flavorful apples that hold their shape when baked—I love a mix of tart, tannic Granny Smith apples and sweet-tart Honeycrisp or Braeburn apples. Pro tip: if it has “crisp” in the name, it’s probably a good choice!
- Lemon Juice – A bit of acidity helps brighten the apple flavor and keeps them from oxidizing while you assemble the cake. If possible, use fresh lemons for the best flavor—bottled lemon juice has a bit of a bitter undertone.
- Oat Flour – I typically make my own oat flour (check this guide for plenty of tips) by blitzing old-fashioned oats in a food processor until fine, but feel free to use store-bought oat flour, quick oats, whole rolled oats, or a blend of your favorites for a different texture.
- Unsalted Butter – For richness and binding power. If you’re dairy-free, you’re welcome to swap in vegan butter.
- Granulated Sugar – White sugar adds neutral sweetness—feel free to substitute with coconut sugar or light brown sugar if you prefer more of a molasses-y caramel flavor.
- Ground Cinnamon – Apples and cinnamon go together like berries and mini cheesecakes, adding warmth and depth of flavor. Cinnamon also magically makes food taste sweeter without any extra sugar!
This is just a short review of the ingredients; for the complete recipe, including quantities, scroll down to the recipe card 👇
What to Make with Leftover Oats
This recipe works beautifully with rolled oats, quick oats, oat flour, or even a combination -so don’t worry about using just one kind. And if you have leftover oats on hand, here are a few tasty ways to use them up:
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
- Gluten-Free – In my original apple oatmeal cake recipe, I included a bit of all-purpose flour, but I’ve since updated the recipe to use only oat flour. While oats themselves are naturally gluten-free, make sure to read your labels and reach for Certified GF oats/oat flour if you’re sensitive—many brands are processed on equipment shared with gluten-containing ingredients.
- Alternative Flours – If you’re feeling experimental, this is a great recipe to play with alternative whole grain flours. Try using a 50/50 blend of oat flour and another variety of flour like whole wheat, spelt, or rye to give the cake a hearty, more defined bite. Want to keep it fully gluten-free while still shaking things up? Sorghum flour is a great choice!
- Mix-Ins – Try adding dried cranberries, sultanas, currants, or chopped toasted nuts to the apple layers for a pop of flavor and texture.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Make sure the butter is very cold for grating—I recommend popping it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes beforehand. If it’s too soft, it won’t distribute throughout the crumbly oat mixture evenly!
- Use both nonstick spray and parchment paper to make sure the oatmeal apple cake easily releases from the pan.
- Be patient! Give the baked cake a minimum of 20 minutes to cool in the pan before attempting to release the collar of the springform pan. During the cooling period, the cake should pull away from the edges a bit. If you move too fast, you risk tearing it.
How to Serve
I personally love eating this apple oatmeal cake a little bit warm so it feels extra cozy, but it’s also delicious served cool or at room temperature. It’s a great option for a sweet breakfast or brunch treat, particularly with a chai latte or whipped Dalgona coffee and a spoonful of creamy vanilla yogurt as a sauce. If you’re serving it for dessert, a scoop of salted caramel ice cream or dollop of whipped cream transforms this “everyday” cake into a decadent affair!
Storage & Reheating
- Allow any leftover apple oatmeal cake to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to a storage container or wrapping it in plastic wrap.
- Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, wrap the cake well in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible to ward off freezer burn. It should freeze well for up to 2 months. Defrost at room temp or overnight in the fridge as needed.
If you prefer eating your cake warm, you can reheat it with a quick zap in the microwave or using the warming function of a toaster oven.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
Easy Apple Oatmeal Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 large (1.4 Kg) Apples about 1.4 kg, peeled and grated
- 2-3 tablespoons Lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 4 cups (360 g) Rolled oats/quick oats/oat flour *read notes
- ⅔ cup (155 g) Unsalted butter cold
- ¾ cup (150 g) Granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon for topping
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat & Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make Oat Flour (if needed): If you're not using store-bought oat flour, measure out 4 cups (360g) of rolled oats, then place them in a blender or food processor. Blend until a coarse flour forms. It doesn't need to be perfectly fine — a little texture is great! Note: You can also combine different types of oats (like quick oats, oat flour, or whole rolled oats) for a layered texture — see notes below.
- Make the Oat Mixture: In a large bowl, combine the oat flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix well to evenly distribute the dry ingredients.
- Grate the Apples: Peel and grate the apples using a box grater. Place the shredded apples in a bowl and mix with fresh lemon juice to prevent browning (you will need about 1 KG of grated apples). Set aside to release some juices.
- Layer the Cake: Start by grating about 2 tablespoons (30g) of cold butter directly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle 3–4 tablespoons of the oat mixture over the butter, pressing it down gently to form the base layer.
- Spread ⅓ of the grated apples (along with some of the juice) evenly over the oats. Repeat the layering process two more times: oat mixture → apples → oat mixture → apples. Finish with the remaining oat mixture, then grate the remaining 125g of cold butter over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar for a golden, slightly caramelized crust.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 35–45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the apples are soft and bubbling.
- Cool & Serve: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then carefully release the springform and allow it to cool completely before slicing. It’s best served at room temperature or slightly warm.
Video
Notes
- Apple Variety: Choose firm, flavorful apples that hold their shape when baked. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or a mix work beautifully. A tart-sweet combo gives great depth of flavor.
- Oats: This recipe uses oat flour, but feel free to use quick oats, rolled oats, or a blend of different oats for a different texture.
- Flour Alternatives: To enhance texture and structure, you can use half oats and half another flour, such as all-purpose, whole wheat, or spelt flour. This gives the cake a more defined bite while keeping it hearty.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar works well here, but feel free to substitute with coconut sugar, light brown sugar.
- Butter Tips: Keep the butter very cold for easy grating. If it’s too soft, it won’t distribute evenly. You can also freeze it for 10–15 minutes before grating.
- Storage: Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat slices in the microwave or enjoy them cold — it’s delicious both ways.
Nutrition
Common Questions
Yes! You can use rolled oats, quick oats, or oat flour – or a combination for added texture. Just make sure to blend rolled oats if using them as flour.
Absolutely. Use certified gluten-free oats to ensure the recipe is completely gluten-free. No wheat flour is needed.
Yes, you can reduce the sugar slightly or use coconut sugar or light brown sugar for a less refined option. The apples provide natural sweetness.
What a marvel…
It was a surprise for everyone, simply divine, and healthy… Since I didn’t have the full amount of apples, I added some pears and it was delicious. To ruin the diet, I gave my guests the option of drizzling salted caramel on slices of this magnificent cake!!! It was sinful.
Is the 496 calories for the whole cake? Or per serving?
Per serving.
Thank you!
Thanks for a perfect recipe
Hello. An anxious to try this recipe.
2 things please.
Would you be able to give an approx weight of 6 large apples as it’s difficult to know what you and I consider a large apple to be.
One of your commenters said she used GF flour. Do you have an idea if I would use an equal amount of GF flour?
I look forward to your response.
Thank you.
Hi,
The average weight of a large apple is 225 grams, but in this recipe, it’s not crucial. You can use any apple that you consider big; it would still work. I haven’t tried this recipe with GF flour, but it’s worth trying.
Just made this cake it looks just like the one on the picture,I just followed the recipe thankyou
I love this recipe. So good. I am trying to substitute maple syrup for sugar wherever I can in my baking.
I know it wouldn’t work for the topping.
What about for the cake itself? Any thoughts?
I followed the recipe twice, and it came out very wet or mushy. How do I fix this? Was there too many apples? Any other suggestions?
Made this recipe again yesterday and could not correct the wetness.
The taste is great but the layers as per your video are missing.
Help please.
How to store the remaining
Loved it!
It came out more moist than the one pictured, probably due to the quality of the apples.
I mixed in some whole wheat flour and used muscovado sugar.
It came out soft and comforting and absolutely delicious.
Made it today…we already finished half! It is so good. Don’t let the bad reviews scare you. I used half whole wheat and half white flour. Used part coconut palm sugar and part monk fruit sugar. Wonderful easy cake to make without dealing with pastry dough. Not too sweet, just right!! Will make regularly. However it did take an extra 15 minutes to get that brown top. Turned convection on for the last 15 minutes as well. Thank you for a great recipe!
This is just a gorgeous cake! I’m using up a glut of russets from one of our trees at the moment and this recipe is just made for them! I’m an inveterate player with recipes so have tried it with gluten free flour, coconut oil, a bit less sugar and drizzle maple syrup on top and it’s turned out beautifully. Thank you, I’ve never come across a recipe like this
This is my absolutely favourite cake. I’ve done it four times already and it’s always amazing. I do it with gluten free flour, add also sunflower seeds to the flour mix. Rehydrated apricots go really well with the apple mix and add a bit of tanginess. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
just wondering if you left the sunflower seeds whole or ground them up? I think adding the seeds sounds yummy
I just finished baking this and I’m already feeling disappointed that the instructions forgot to mention when to use the cinnamon so I missed it completely. I’m only realizing now that it is done baking and it doesn’t have that cinnamon apple scent. Also, I did have to bake it for 45 minutes plus another 8-10 minutes on broil to crisp up the top. Not sure how it will taste yet, but not feeling very hopeful.
I’m sorry to disagree, but I think step two does say that the cinnamon should be mixed with the flour, sugar, and oats?
To reply to Donna Cara if this did not brown after an hour maybe the oven wasn’t hot enough ? This is pretty much like a layered apple crisp so it definitely should brown after an hour. Did you layer the rest of the butter on top?
Hi there,why aren’t the oat and flour did not turn out golden brown even for an hour baked in the oven?
Did you remember to grate butter on top and add the sugar it forms a nice crusty brown top
No baking powder and baking soda ???
No
Can you use brown sugar instead of white?
Yes, you can.
Ya, any sugar
It looks delicious. Can I use a 9 inch square glass baking dish! Or cake pan? Must it be springform??
Use whatever pan you have at home, it will be delish