This Apple Crumble with Instant Oatmeal is an easy to make, wholesome breakfast that’s perfect for a family meal or a cozy weekend treat. I love the texture of this 3 Ingredient Side Dishes, and the flavor from the cinnamon, nutmeg, and hints of cardamom make this crumble extra special! This Easy Apple Crisp with Oats is my go-to apple crumble recipe, and it’s made with instant oatmeal!
One of the health benefits of instant oatmeal is that it can play an effective role in heart disease prevention by reducing cholesterol.
Apple Crumble With Instant Oatmeal
INGREDIENTS
- 3 1⁄2lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1⁄2cup butter
- 1cup brown sugar
- 1cup all-purpose flour
- 3(1 1/2 ounce) packets instant maple and brown sugar oatmeal
- 1pinch salt
- 1⁄2cup walnuts, chopped
- 1⁄4cup maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
- Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C).
- In a 9×13-inch baking dish, put the apples. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl. Add salt, instant oatmeal, and flour. Add walnuts and fold. Over apples, evenly distribute the oatmeal mixture. Add a maple syrup drizzle.
- Bake for 50 to 70 minutes in a preheated oven, or until apples are soft and topping is brown.
3 Ingredient Side Dishes
The Kitchn’s recipe developer is Coco. Visit Lefty Spoon, her blog, for additional dishes. She writes and performs in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she resides with her husband and their beagle. She is a self-taught cook and soprano with classical training.

On hectic mornings, instant oatmeal might be a godsend, but it’s also fantastic for making a quick dessert! This cupboard staple is converted into a warm, comforting fruit crumble with just two additional ingredients. Continue reading for simple directions on how to make this cozy nightly treat for two.
The Perfect Versatile Dessert for Two
You may use any flavor of instant oats you have in the pantry to make two servings of crumble topping from one packet. Today’s dessert was made with a box of Trader Joe’s Pecan Pumpkin Instant Oatmeal that I just so happened to have on hand. Add a few teaspoons of sugar and a dash of cinnamon if you only have the plain kind.
How to Make Instant Oatmeal Fruit Crumble
- All you need to do to make a fruit crumble topping is mix some butter into the instant oats. 2 tablespoons of butter per 45-gram packet of instant oatmeal is a fair ratio. This results in a topping that somewhat spreads but still sits attractively atop the cooked fruit.
- Just use a pastry blender or your fingers to mix the butter and instant oatmeal together until everything is thoroughly combined after being chopped into little pieces straight from the refrigerator.
- Two (1-cup) servings of chopped fresh fruit, such as apples or pears in the winter or stone fruits in the summer, will be topped with the mixture.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 375°F or until thoroughly browned.
- Make sure the rack is as far away from the heating components as you can get when using a toaster oven to bake your sweets. Use your convection setting if you have one so you can get a topping that is more uniformly cooked.
Oh, and keep a close eye on the crumbles while they bake—especially in a toaster oven with uneven heat—they may go from golden brown to charred in minutes. Take a bite and enjoy after letting everything sit for 5 minutes to slightly chill.
Easy Apple Crisp with Oats
The apples in this recipe for oat-based apple crisp are sweet and delicate, and the topping is made of flour, oats, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.

How to Make Apple Crisp From Scratch
For apple crisp, like with other baked apple dishes, we use Granny Smith apples since they are tasty and sturdy. The blending of two different kinds is very lovely. We chose the baking-friendly apples Granny Smith and Braeburn in our photographs.
Additionally, we discovered that after such a lengthy baking period, the texture and flavor of the apples are better when they are left unpeeled. Plus, peeling takes no time at all!
The topping is made with melted butter.
You’ll find that the majority of “apple crisp recipes” on the internet call for butter that is either cold or room temperature. Exactly this is what we used to do. We’d mix the butter into the flour and oats with our fingers or a fork until the mixture was crumbly. This approach works well, but we believe we’ve discovered a more effective one.
To counteract the softened apples, we wanted a tender topping with a hint of crunch. When we utilized the outdated technique with unsalted butter, we discovered that the topping would melt into the filling underneath and over the apples during baking. Although it tasted fantastic, it wasn’t precisely what we were looking for.
Easy Apple Crisp with Oats
- PREP 15mins
- COOK 1hr 15mins
- TOTAL 1hr 30mins
This apple crisp is pretty straightforward. You should choose tasty and firm apples for this recipe, as with other baked apple recipes; Granny Smiths are our go-to. The blending of two different kinds is very lovely. We chose the baking-friendly apples Granny Smith and Braeburn in our photographs. Even a few blackberries, raisins, or cranberries would be welcome additions. Additionally, we discovered that after such a lengthy baking period, the texture and flavor of the apples are better when they are left unpeeled.
Serve hot or serve cold, which is our preferred method (we know, it seems crazy). The flavors combine and merge overnight in the refrigerator, adding a ton of flavor the following day.
You Will Need
- Filling
- 6 medium baking apples, such as Granny Smith (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup (50 to 100 g) sugar, depending on tartness of apples
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmegTopping
- 3/4 cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (65 g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup (100 g) sugar, option: combine 1/4 cup brown sugar + 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, melted (1 stick)
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
- Make Filling
- Make Topping
- Bake Crisp
Health Benefits Of Instant Oatmeal
What are the benefits of oatmeal?
The morning item known as oatmeal is made out of oats and a liquid like water, milk, or plant-based milk. Oats are one of the most nutrient-dense whole-grain foods one can eat, being both full of nutrients and fiber.
Numerous oats’ health advantages have been proven by science, including:
- weight loss
- reduced risk of heart disease
- lower blood sugar
In this article, we list the potential benefits of oatmeal and provide its nutritional information. The benefits include:
1. Providing antioxidants

High antioxidant levels can be found in oatmeal.
In particular, it contains polyphenols, which are avenanthramide-rich plant-based chemicals.
Antioxidants of the avenanthramide class are found almost exclusively in oats.
People can profit from avenanthramides by:
- increasing the production of nitric acid, which can lower blood pressure
- improving blood flow
- reducing inflammation and itching
2. Improving insulin response and reducing blood sugar
A soluble fiber found in oatmeal by the name of beta-glucan may enhance insulin sensitivity and perhaps lower blood sugar levels.
As long as they don’t add more sugar to the dish, people with type 2 diabetes may find that including oatmeal in their diet helps them control their blood sugar levels.
Oatmeal helps persons with type 2 diabetes maintain their blood sugar levels, according to a review of the studies on the subject. The safety of oatmeal for those with type 1 diabetes needs to be further investigated, according to the authors.
3. Providing plenty of vitamins and minerals
Oatmeal is a calorie-efficient food that is high in nutrients and high in vitamins and minerals.
A person can get the nutrients their body needs while losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight by eating low-calorie, high-nutrient foods.
Oatmeal contains:
- magnesium
- iron
- phosphorus
- zinc
- folate
- copper
- vitamins B-1 and B-5
4. Improving cholesterol levels

The idea that oatmeal’s beta-glucan content can maintain healthy cholesterol levels is supported by some studies.
Oatmeal can lower total cholesterol levels if adults eat 3 grams (g) or more of beta-glucan per day, according to a 2014 review.
In the study, beta glucan was found to lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, often known as “bad cholesterol,” but not high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as “good cholesterol.”
5. Promoting healthful bacteria in the digestive tract
When oatmeal’s beta-glucan and water combine, a gel-like substance is created. The digestive tract and stomach are coated by this solution.
The coating nourishes the beneficial bacteria in the gut, accelerating their growth and potentially promoting gut health.
Oatmeal may have a beneficial impact on bacterial development, according to a tiny study that looked into the topic.
6. Managing weight
Due to the high amount of soluble fiber in oatmeal, people often feel fuller more quickly than they do after eating other foods.
A person might cut their portion size and reach their weight loss objectives by feeling full.
Researchers who studied how oatmeal affected hunger came to the conclusion that it boosted fullness and reduced the urge to eat for the following four hours.
7. Reducing the risk of asthma
A prevalent ailment, asthma frequently starts in childhood. According to some data, some meals may lower the chance of acquiring asthma while others may increase it.
For instance, a 3,781 kid research found that children who ate oats as one of their first foods had a lower risk of developing asthma by the time they were 5 years old. The following foods may also lower the risk:
- wheat
- rye
- barley cereals
- fish
- eggs
8. Relieving constipation
Constipation is a common digestive issue that almost everyone has at some point.
Oatmeal’s fiber can help keep the digestive system’s waste moving, which can ease or avoid constipation.
Nutrition

Oatmeal includes several key nutrients.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one cup of cooked oatmeal contains:
- 166 calories
- 5.94 g of protein
- 4.00 g of dietary fiber
- 3.56 g of fat
Instant oatmeal comes in a handy package and is simple to make. To suit your tastes, you may either buy flavored variations of it or add fruit and spices. Instant oatmeal loses nutrients during processing, therefore manufacturers generally fortify the product to make up for the lost vitamins. Even after fortification, instant oatmeal only has roughly half as much protein and fiber as slow-cooked oatmeal.
Vitamins
Your intake of B-complex vitamins is increased when you start your day with a bowl of instant oatmeal. The nutrients that help your body digest the carbs, protein, and fat in food—vitamin B-6, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin—are contained in half of your daily recommended intake in each cooked cup. Additionally, it provides you with half of your recommended daily intake of vitamin A, an antioxidant that improves vision and supports a strong immune system. Additionally, it provides 30% of the daily need for folate. B-vitamin folate aids in protecting unborn children from neural tube abnormalities.
Selenium
A daily intake of 55 micrograms of selenium for adults is advised by the Institute of Medicine. According to the National Institutes of Health, selenium is a mineral that may be good for your thyroid, heart, and immune system. One-fifth of your daily requirement for selenium is provided by a cup of cooked instant oatmeal, which has 12 micrograms of selenium per serving. A sufficient intake of selenium may aid in preventing chronic diseases and early aging since it functions as an antioxidant to scavenge free radicals that harm cells.
Other Minerals
Additionally, instant oatmeal is a good source of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, all of which are essential for healthy bones, neurological function, and the growth of muscles. Twenty to thirty percent of each of those minerals can be found in one cup of instant oatmeal. It gives women 18% of the zinc and 80% of the iron they require daily, while giving men 13% of the zinc and more than 100% of the iron they require daily. While iron aids in the transportation of oxygen through your bloodstream, zinc, an antioxidant, may lessen the duration of colds and virus infections.
Fiber and Protein
You may increase your fiber intake and keep your LDL cholesterol low by include instant oatmeal in your diet. With 4 grams of fiber, a cup of quick oatmeal has 1 gram less fiber than bran flakes. On the other hand, a cooked cup of ordinary oats contains 8.2 grams of fiber. Women should consume at least 25 grams of fiber daily, while men should consume at least 38 grams, according to the Institute of Medicine. Instant oatmeal is also a good source of protein, even though a cup of conventional oatmeal offers roughly 11 grams. The amount of protein in one bowl of quick oatmeal is 5.5 grams, which is 0.5 grams less than the protein in one scrambled egg.