If you’ve been searching for a vegan, gluten-free, and grain-free breakfast with a vibe reminiscent of a cozy bowl of oats, look no further. This Raw Apple-Cinnamon & Chia Breakfast Bowl packs all the fiber, comfort, and warming spices of an apple-laden oat dish without a grain in sight.
What do you get when you combine apples, dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chia seeds?
A big bowl of breakfast wonder.
While making this apple pie a few weeks back, I fell head-over-heels for the raw apple filling. It’s cinnamony, sweetened with dates, and the apples maintain their crispness in the most perfect way. Not too long after posting that recipe, I came up with a way to repurpose the pie filling as the focal point in this delicious breakfast bowl. Take a gander…
Although this dish looks like a big bowl of oatmeal, there isn’t an oat or a grain in sight. Honeycrisp apples, medjool dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg are tossed into a food processor and whirled to sweet perfection. Then, another honeycrisp apple is finely diced and stirred into the apple-date mixture along with two tablespoons of chia seeds. After chilling in the refrigerator for at least one hour (or overnight), the apple-cinnamon deliciousness is scooped into two bowls and topped with raw walnuts, raisins, dried cranberries, and hemp seeds.
The result is a light, energizing, and satisfying breakfast bowl that will power you through your morning rather than slowing you down. This breakfast is so easy to throw together, and it’s the perfect pick when you’re looking for something fresh to mix into your weekly oatmeal routine. Plus, it’s packed with nutritional goodness thanks to… well, thanks to every ingredient. Each has an empowered purpose in this breakfast, and the combination will help you get your nutritional glow on in the morning. What can I say? This breakfast has talent.
Raw Apple-Cinnamon & Chia Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 honeycrisp apples, peeled and cored, divided
- 4-5 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Toppings
- raw walnuts
- raisins
- dried cranberries
- hemp seeds
Instructions
- Finely diced one of the honeycrisp apples and add to an airtight container.
- Take two of the honeycrisp apples and cut them into large pieces. Add the apple pieces to a food processor along with the dates, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pulse the mixture several times and then let it process for 2-3 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape the mixture down the sides. Pour the apple-date mixture into the container with the diced apple and stir in the chia seeds.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Divide the apple mixture between two bowls and top with raw walnuts, raisins, cranberries, and hemp seeds.
- Serve and enjoy.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Hi Ashley! Just a note that I love your blog so much I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award – you can see the details here: http://backyardowl.com/2014/10/20/one-lovely-blog-award-my-15-blog-loves/. All best wishes!
Emily
Oh my gosh, Emily! That is so sweet of you to nominate Blissful Basil. Thank you for the sweet and supportive gesture! All the best to you!
How does one leave a review (stars) of this recipe? I tried to leave one star and it only allows me to leave a minimum of two! Not very honest. I thought this recipe was not good at all. Not substantial enough for a breakfast–it is only fruit. It is also extremely sweet. We had to eat it with yogurt or an unsweetened cereal to reduce the sweetness. This is more appropriate for a yogurt or cereal topping and not a breakfast. Also, why is it pictured in an iron pan if it is served cold???
Hi, Sarah! First of all, I’m truly very sorry that you were having trouble leaving 1 star. Were you trying to rate it from a phone or mobile device? There have been issues with leaving 5 star reviews from phones, iPads, etc. so I would assume it’s possible that there could also be issues leaving 1 star reviews. I’m not sure how to fix the problem as it’s a fluke with the Plugin itself, and I don’t have control over that — only the developer does. I promise you it has nothing to do with my honesty, as I’m honest to a fault and would never even think to do something like this. I’m also graciously open to all constructive feedback, be it positive or negative, as that’s what helps me improve recipes.
I’m also very sorry that you didn’t find the recipe to be substantial enough for breakfast and that it was too sweet. Did you add toppings (e.g., nuts, seeds, dried fruit)? Adding nuts/seeds adds healthy fats which help satiate and sustain, although it is a lighter breakfast in general. As for the sweetness, we all have different tastes, and I do have a slight sweet tooth so it’s completely possible that we simply have different preferences from one another. The iron pan was simply what I chose to use to style the food for the photographs, and I’m sorry if it caused any confusion. I never considered that it might be misleading and it was certainly not my intent, but I do apologize that it was.
All my best,
Ashley
I absolutely love this recipie! I am most defiantly going to try this. I’m a huge fan of baking apples do you think this recipe would bake ok?
Hi, Sara! I’m so glad you’re going to give the recipe a try. I haven’t tried baking it, so I’m not completely sure but I think it should work just fine! You could always use coconut sugar instead of the dates, as it might create more of a syrup for the apples to simmer in as they bake.
hi there do you happen to have the nutrition facts by any chance I am a little high in cholesterol and trying to watch my weight, if you do could you post or email to me at the following address it would be greatly appreciated.
This is AWESOME. I’ve been looking for a raw substitute for oats, and this is definitely it. Such a good combo of different textures.
I don’t know about “leftovers” – this looks good enough to take a morning from work and dedicate that time to eating my way through it all :D
Haha! I’ll be totally honest, I ate both servings within a few hours when I made it. Two rounds of breakfast equals two times the fun! Plus, it’s so light and energizing that I felt content rather than stuffed. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Marfigs!
This looks so healthy and deliciouse! I love it
Thanks, Michele!
This is seriously such a delicious breakfast idea! Definitely a recipe I can see myself creating.. pinned!
Thanks, Thalia! I love how light this breakfast is — definitely an energy-booster rather than an energy-drainer!
Wow love this idea!! Such delicious looking!!
Thanks so much, Ami!
What a nice change up for breakfast. Looking forward to trying this.
Thank you! It’s nice to shake-up the usual breakfast routine, isn’t it?
I need to try this! Looks so good :) I want to say that I love your blog! The savory bowls are amazing and I feel so inspired to make my own bowls with what I have on hand! Thank you for your work, I’m glad to have found you!
I was looking for a new apple breakfast bowl recipe, and this one is a winner. I’ll be putting it together tonight.
Hi, Felicia! I’m so happy to hear that you’re giving this recipe a try. Thanks for commenting, and I hope you love it!
Tried it & it was yummy! Got 2 thumbs up from my 5 year old vegan and a hard core carnivore. I added shredded coconut, flax, a little ginger and vanilla.
Thanks so much for sharing the feedback, Ayana! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it and truly flattered that your 5-year-old did as well and a carnivore did as well! The addition of shredded coconut, flax, ginger, and vanilla sounds fantastic. I will definitely be trying that combination. All the best to you!
This recipe is awesome! Definitely reminded me of apple pie, and it’s so filling. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite. I just printed out your Cherry Chia Jam Overnight Oats recipe and plan on making that on Sunday. One of my favorite breakfast meal is Apple Muesli and I was looking for alternatives. So glad I stumbled upon your website!
Hi, Datnee! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. This one and the cherry chia jam overnight oats are actually two of my very favorite breakfast recipes, so you’ve picked well! Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback, and I hope you enjoy the overnight oat recipe too!
This looks delicious and I’d love to try it…but did you not have a problem with the apples discoloring? I was surprised to not see any lemon juice, etc in the recipe.
Hi, Karen! I’ve never had a problem with the apples discoloring, but it could also be because the caramel color of the dates and cinnamon masks any discoloration in the apples. I’ve made this ahead of time and enjoyed it either the next day or two days after preparing, and it’s still just as delicious. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
great recipe- I also add this to greek yogurt or cottage cheese
This sounds wonderful, but I don’t eat dates, is there a fruit that I can substitute??
Thanks, Paula! You could try substituting the dates with a bit of applesauce or pear puree (maybe 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup?) — so you’d be blending some of the whole apples with applesauce and pear puree. Depending on your tastes and how sweet you prefer things, you could also add in a splash or pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, coconut nectar or coconut sugar to sweeten the mixture to taste. I hope this helps!
This looks so delicious and healthy: Can’t wait to try it!
Hi! This looks delish – Just wondering if you know the approx amount of protein that is in this? I am following the THM diet, which allows carbs, but I need to make sure that I am incorporating a respectable amount of protein with it. Thanks – I look forward to trying this recipe! :)
I am very excited to try this. Do you happen to have a calorie count for this?
Hi, Theresa! I don’t have a calorie count, but there are lots of great calculators online that you can simply drop the post link into and it will calculate for you. Enjoy!
I’ve been looking for an easy to go meal for rushed mornings and this is perfect!
I’ve made it a few times now and absolutely love it.
I’ve begun doubling the recipe so I have breakfast for 5 days and make it Sunday evening so I can just scoop some in a bowl add on the toppings and go all week. I just add a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice to help the apples keep a bit longer after being cut. But I don’t know if that’s even nessecary.
I love my oatmeal so I was hoping to replace it. It has a oatmeal like consistency but otherwise tastes nothing like it.
It certainly tastes like apple pie filing though which is one of my favourite foods.
I do find it very sweet, I could eat this for dessert (and occasionally do), but since it’s all natural sweetener I’m not complaining! Finding a dairy and grain free breakfast that isn’t eggs, can be made quickly or before hand and still tastes good, feels next to impossible, so I’m glad I have a recipe I can mix in and make when I know I’m going to have a hectic week.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the recipe so much, Steph! Love the idea of doubling to make a full week’s worth in advance. Thanks for taking time out of your day to come back and share your thoughts, tips, etc. Means so much to me and is helpful for others, too!
I made it and everybody loved it! Everybody at my home has a sweet tooth just like you. Although, I’ll admit I served it hot, it just seemed tastier that way. Next time I’ll make it, I will try it cold, let’s see how it tastes that way too. Thank you for such a nutritious and delicious recipe.
You’re welcome, McKenne! So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking time out of your day to come back and share your thoughts. Means so much.
What are the protein and carbs amounts please? it looks delicious!!!
Hi, Virginia! I don’t calculate nutrition information for my recipes, but there are lots of great online calculators that you can simply drop the post link into and they will automatically populate the information for you.