Apple Cinnamon Hazelnut Breakfast Bake

It wouldn't be fall with some kinda apple-y, cinnamon-y something, eh? Last year, I created my beloved grain-free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake, and I am certainly not trying to trump it. But my Coffee Cake uses almond and coconut flour, which are less common in average grocery stores and can get a little pricy. Not only does today's Apple Cinnamon Hazelnut Bake rely on affordable, accessible oats, it makes a LOT of food. This is a fantastic recipe to make for a holiday morning, or when you have house guests—allow them to serve themselves from the baking dish as they like, or cut it into squares for grabbing.

I also used this recipe as an excuse to give hazelnuts some love. Everyone is familiar (usually quite intimately) with Nutella, but it's easy to forget where the signature taste comes from. These nuts have a uniquely nutty, sweet flavor, and they're also a source of magnesium, folate, antioxidants like Vitamin E and healthy fats. Hazelnuts are in their true glory when toasted, and here they pair beautifully with gooey, spiced baked apples. If you wanted to make this recipe with pear instead of apple, I imagine it would be excellent as well. Feel free to sub out another nut for hazelnuts, but I do hope you give them a try first!

Lastly, I adore how versatile this recipe is. As I mentioned, you can scoop into into a bowl like a crumble/cobbler, or you can slice it into individual squares. But wait, there's more! Use this bake as granola over yogurt and fresh fruit, or mix it with milk and chia seeds to make epic overnight oats. Or, add it to a sauce pot with a little water or milk and cook it like oatmeal, drizzled with almond butter.

However you dig into this recipe, you will be glad you did! If you do have leftovers, you can absolutely freeze it, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.