Apple & Yogurt Oat Bowl

Cooked oats chilled overnight with apple and cinnamon

This breakfast starts with a small pan of cooked oats the evening before. Refrigerate the oats, then stir in yogurt and add freshly chopped apple in the morning. It suits a morning when you want to assemble breakfast without turning on the hob. The intended texture is spoonable, with soft oats beneath a crisp apple topping.

Recipe at a glance

• Approximate servings: 2 bowls, serving 2
• Preparation estimate: 10 minutes across the evening and morning
• Cooking estimate: 8–12 minutes, or longer if the oat packet requires it
• Chilling: overnight in the refrigerator; the oats must be cold throughout before assembly
• Equipment: kitchen scales, measuring jug, small saucepan, spoon, two shallow food-storage containers with lids, knife, chopping board and two bowls

Ingredients

• 80 g plain rolled oats, also called old-fashioned oats; not steel-cut oats
• 400 ml water, plus 15–30 ml if needed while cooking
• 300 g plain yogurt made with pasteurized milk, refrigerated
• 1 medium apple, approximately 160 g after removing the core
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Optional: 15–30 ml cold drinking water to loosen the finished mixture

The formula uses ordinary plain yogurt. A particularly thick strained yogurt will give a firmer bowl and may need the optional water. Keep that adjustment small so the mixture does not become soupy. No sweetener is included; choose an apple you enjoy eating as it is.

Method

1. Cook the oats the evening before. Wash your hands and use clean equipment. Bring 400 ml water to a boil in the saucepan. Stir in the oats, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, stirring frequently, until the flakes are soft and the mixture has thickened. Allow about 8–12 minutes as an estimate. If your packet specifies a longer cooking time, complete it. If the pan becomes dry before the flakes soften, add water a tablespoon at a time. Do not replace this step with soaking uncooked oats.
2. Refrigerate promptly. Divide the cooked oats between the shallow containers, cover and put them in the refrigerator rather than leaving the pan out to cool completely. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F/4°C or below. Refrigeration must begin within two hours of cooking, or one hour when the surroundings are above 90°F/32°C. Leave the oats in the refrigerator overnight. FDA cooling guidance
3. Prepare the apple in the morning. Rinse it under running water before cutting; no soap is needed. Remove the core and cut the apple into small pieces. FDA produce guidance
4. Assemble. Divide the cold oats between two bowls. Stir 150 g yogurt and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon into each. If necessary, stir in a little of the optional cold water. Divide the apple between the bowls and serve straight away.

Keeping and planning

Plan this batch for the next morning and use it within 24 hours of cooking the oats. That is a short planning window, not a measured shelf life. Keep the oats and yogurt refrigerated until assembly, and follow any shorter storage instruction on the yogurt label. Do not extend the window by adding fresh yogurt to older oats. Freezing and transport have not been developed for this recipe.

If breakfast plans change, keep track of when the oats were cooked rather than relying on smell or appearance to decide whether food is safe. FDA refrigeration guidance

Allergens and labels

Contains milk from yogurt. Read the full labels of the oats, yogurt and cinnamon, including any allergen advice. This recipe is not presented as gluten-free or allergy-safe; changing the yogurt changes the ingredients to check. FDA label guidance

Put it in your meal plan

Choose an evening when you can cook and refrigerate the oats, followed by a breakfast at home the next morning. Add 80 g oats, 300 g yogurt and one apple to your own shopping list if you need them.

Open Build My Meals and use this recipe as one of your chosen meals. Use the recipe quantities separately.

Sources and recipe notes

Published method comparison: How to Prepare Oats (Quaker). Cooked rolled-oat method; our water amount, chilling, yogurt and apple assembly differ. Follow your oat packet and adjust water to softness. This source does not validate the chilled formula. The instructions here are our own version; source ratings, nutrition values and timing claims do not describe it. Safety links support the handling advice. Times and servings are approximate; packet instructions and cooking endpoints take priority.