These salted caramel apple overnight oats are a delicious and healthy breakfast recipe that’s vegan and gluten free! Made with mouthwatering baked cinnamon apples, gluten free oats, non dairy milk, cinnamon and vanilla. A breakfast so yummy you’re sure to fall in love!

Large white bowl of salted caramel apple overnight oats topped with a big scoop of baked cinnamon apples, walnuts, and flaky sea salt. Bowl is on a light background surounded by cut apples, and bits of walnuts.

I think I mentioned a few weeks ago when I shared the recipe for peanut butter overnight oats with raspberry chia seed jam that I am a little bit new to the wide world of overnight oat recipes.

Well it’s official – now I’m hooked, and having waaaay too much fun coming up with new recipes.

And after updating my post for paleo baked cinnamon apples this week, I felt like combining the two was clearly the *right* thing to do 😉

Once you try this easy gluten free breakfast recipe I have no doubt that you’ll agree!

Close up side angle of a large white bowl of salted caramel apple overnight oats topped with a big scoop of baked cinnamon apples, walnuts, and flaky sea salt. Bowl is on a light background surrounded by cut apples, and bits of walnuts and a measuring cup with oats.

Salted Caramel Apple Overnight Oats Ingredients

These salted caramel apple overnight oats are made with:

Gluten free oats: Oats themselves do not contain gluten, but because they are often processed in facilities that also process gluten containing grains, make sure your oats are certified gluten free if you have a gluten intolerance or sensitivity.
Chia seeds: Chia seeds help thicken the overnight oats and add some nice texture and crunch. They also contain omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, anti-oxidants, and essential minerals.
Non dairy milk of choice: I prefer almond milk or oat milk, but could use any type of milk that you prefer.
Maple syrup to sweeten: You could substitute with honey, but if you do you might need to warm it slightly to make sure it will mix into the non dairy milk.
Cinnamon: There is some cinnamon already in the paleo baked apples, but a little extra in the oatmeal really ties he fall flavors together. For the best quality cinnamon look for Ceylon cinnamon (TRUE cinnamon). Cassia cinnamon is more common but has higher levels of a chemical called coumarin, which can act as a blood thinner and may not be safe to eat in large quantities for certain individuals. I just learned this while doing some research for this post and found it fascinating, so I thought I would share with you guys! Simply Organic sells a reasonably priced Ceylon cinnamon that I’m linking to here if you’d like to check it out.
Vanilla extract: BECAUSE YUM 😛
Sea salt: To bring in those salted caramel apple vibes
A batch of paleo / vegan baked cinnamon apples: This seasonal treat is delicious on it’s own, and even better on top of some creamy cinnamon laced oats 🤤

Close up of a white ceramic baking dish filled with paleo baked cinnamon apples with a gold spoon scooping them.

What are overnight oats?

First things first, let’s cover the basics.

Overnight oats are an alternative way of making oatmeal. It’s basically just oats that are added to a liquid base and left to soak overnight in the refrigerator. The oats absorb the liquid, and soften slowly as they sit. You can all different kinds of yummy flavors, fruit, or mix in’s to the oats to make them interesting!

How to make salted caramel apple overnight oats

There’s two different ways you can make overnight oats:

In one large jar or tupperware
In individual mason jars

I prefer to make them in one large jar, and portion them out throughout the week depending on how hungry I am.

But if you want to go 100% meal prep style divide the oats between 3 smaller jars. This is a great way to make this a grab-and-go breakfast that’s ready to eat throughout the week.

The nice thing about mixing them together in a large jar (a quart size is perfect for this recipe) is that you can add all of ingredients except oats and chia seeds and shake it together to combine. Makes for minimal dishes and super fast prep!

This particular overnight oat recipe is made in two parts.

First, you want to make the baked cinnamon apples. These come together so quickly and are honestly beyond delicious. The perfect seasonal treat. They are excellent in this oatmeal recipe, but also on their own, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or in a yogurt parfait.

(Pssst! I also have ANOTHER recipe coming very soon using the same baked cinnamon apples. Keep your eyes out for it! It’s an old recipe I’m updating and it’s a GOOD ONE!)

Secondly, all the ingredients for the overnight oats are mixed together in a large jar or tupperware, and tucked into the refrigerator to sit overnight and soak up all the flavorful goodness.

What type of oats should you use for these salted caramel overnight oats?

In order for the recipe to be 100% gluten free you’ll need to find gluten free oats. Oats are often processed in the same facility as other gluten containing grains. So while oats themselves do not contain gluten, they are often cross contaminated with gluten because of how they’re processed. Bob’s Red Mill has several great options for gluten free oats.

Old fashioned oats or thick rolled oats are probably the two best choices for overnight oats. They’re sturdy enough to stand up to the overnight soak – holding their shape and maintaining just a bit of a satisfying bite.

Do you heat up overnight oats?

Overnight oats can be eaten warm or cold – it’s entirely up to you!

For this recipe I actually prefer to eat them warm. Particularly because the apples are best eaten warm. We have however cut the apples up into small pieces and mixed them into the oats and stored in individual sized serving jars to enjoy throughout the week. So eating them hot or cold both work!

Side angle of a large white bowl of salted caramel apple overnight oats topped with a big scoop of baked cinnamon apples, walnuts, and flaky sea salt. Bowl is on a light background surrounded by cut apples, and bits of walnuts and a measuring cup with oats.

Close up shot of salted caramel apple overnight oats with a spoon in the white bowl, topped with walnuts and flaky sea salt.

Are overnight oats a healthy breakfast?

Yes! Overnight oats are a healthy breakfast. Oats contain more protein and fat content then most grains, are a complex carbohydrate (keep you full for a long time!), and high in good for your gut beta-glucan fiber. They are also a good prebiotic food, which means they provide food for the GOOD bacteria in your gut to help promote a healthy microbiome.

To help thicken the oats, there’s also a bit of chia seeds in the recipe. They add an extra layer of goodness with omega-3 fatty acids, anti-oxidants, and minerals.

This recipe is healthy because it is made with only whole food + plant based ingredients, and naturally sweetened with maple syrup!

A few notes on the recipe

For the best texture, these salted caramel apple overnight oats need to sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours +. Overnight is best!
This is a make ahead friendly recipe! The overnight oats will last in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
They can be made with any type of milk that you prefer. Almond milk, hemp milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or coconut milk are all excellent choices.
These oats are delicious both hot and cold, however I prefer to eat them warm! Especially because of the baked apples. To eat them hot simply warm gently on the stove or heat up in the microwave.