This apple millet breakfast bake is one of the first recipes I ever created for Brezgrešne sladice. I’ve made it so many times over the years that I’ve fine-tuned every last detail. It’s still one of the most popular recipes on my Slovenian blog, and one I recommend to anyone who wants to add more naturally gluten-free grains to their meals.

Read this recipe in Slovenian →

An easy gluten-free apple millet breakfast bake that makes millet worth discovering

It’s very easy to make: a handful of everyday ingredients and one baking dish. It works for breakfast, a snack or a lightly sweet dessert, and you can prepare it ahead. I often bake it in the evening and take a portion with me the next day.

Most of the sweetness comes from the apples, so you hardly need any added sugar. It’s best with naturally sweet apples, but it’s also a great way to use up apples that have gone a little soft.

Before we get to the recipe, I’ll tell you why I love baking with millet, how to pick good millet and what to watch out for so your apple millet bake turns out well every time.

How to choose good millet

If you’ve tried millet before and didn’t love it, chances are the problem wasn’t the grain itself. It was probably how it was prepared, or its quality.

I always rinse millet well under running water before using it. That gets rid of any bitterness on the surface and gives a milder, nicer flavor.

The kind of millet you buy matters, too. Different varieties and brands can be quite different. Some have larger, paler grains and can taste a bit more astringent. I prefer millet with smaller, bright yellow grains, because in my experience it has a gentler flavor and works beautifully in desserts.

If you choose good-quality millet and rinse it first, this bake will taste great even to people who aren’t used to millet.

Why this is the best first millet recipe

Many people tell me they’d love to add more kinds of gluten-free grains to their diet but don’t know where to start. Millet is a great choice because it’s nourishing, versatile and works in both sweet and savory dishes.

That’s why this bake is one of the first millet recipes I recommend to beginners. It’s easy to make, the ingredients are simple to find, and the flavor is pleasantly mild, so even people who rarely eat millet tend to like it.

Once you’re comfortable with whole millet, you can try other millet recipes on my Slovenian blog, such as millet pancakes with caramel tahini sauce, gluten-free vanilla pudding, poppy seed cookies and American doughnuts with blueberry cream, which use millet flour. (They’re all in Slovenian for now.)

I’m sure this bake will become one of those recipes you keep coming back to, just like I have for many years.

Sonja Kramar

Apple Millet Breakfast Bake

This apple millet breakfast bake is a simple, naturally gluten-free dish made with juicy apples, whole millet, coconut and cinnamon. It is a nourishing choice for breakfast, a snack or a lightly sweet dessert.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients  

• 1 cup uncooked millet
• ½ cup ground coconut
• ½ cup ground almonds or hazelnuts
• 2-3 medium apples grated
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp vanilla powder
• 1 liter rice milk or oat milk

Instructions

 

Prepare the Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
2. Rinse the millet thoroughly under running water.

Combine the Mixture

1. In a large bowl, combine the rinsed millet, ground coconut, ground nuts, cinnamon and vanilla powder.
2. Add the grated apples and approximately 100 ml of the rice or oat milk. Mix well.

Assemble the Bake

1. Spread the mixture evenly in a baking dish measuring approximately 20 × 30 cm.
2. Pour in enough of the remaining plant-based milk to cover the millet. Do not add too much at once, as this may cause the coconut to float to the surface during baking.

Bake

1. Bake for approximately 60 minutes.
2. Check the bake every 15 minutes to make sure the millet is still covered with liquid. Add a little more plant-based milk whenever necessary. The millet will gradually absorb the liquid and expand as it cooks.
3. The bake is ready when the millet is completely tender and has absorbed all the liquid.

Rest and Serve

1. Leave the apple millet bake to rest for a few minutes before serving. It is delicious either warm or chilled.

Notes

• For the best flavor, choose naturally sweet apples. Slightly older apples that are no longer at their best for snacking also work very well, provided they still taste good.
• Use ground almonds, hazelnuts or other nuts of your choice. If you do not eat nuts or do not have any available, you can omit them.
• The amount of plant-based milk required may vary depending on the type of millet. If the millet absorbs all the liquid before it is fully cooked, add a little more milk so it remains moist and cooks completely.
• Store the bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Apple millet bake FAQ

Is millet naturally gluten-free?

Yes, millet is naturally gluten-free. If you’re making this for someone with celiac disease, choose millet that’s labeled gluten-free so there’s no risk of cross-contamination.

Which plant-based milk works best?

Rice milk and oat milk both work especially well, because they’re naturally a little sweet and go nicely with the apples. You can use any other plant-based milk you like.

If the bake needs to be strictly gluten-free, make sure your oat milk is certified gluten-free.

Why do I need to add more milk while it bakes?

The millet slowly soaks up the liquid as it bakes, so it’s worth checking on it a few times and adding a little more plant-based milk when it needs it. That way the millet cooks evenly, and the coconut and nuts stay nicely spread through the whole bake.

If you’d like to keep things simpler, you can add most or all of the milk at the start. The bake will still work, but the coconut and nuts may float to the top, so the texture won’t be quite as even.

Why is my millet still hard?

Most likely the millet hasn’t absorbed enough liquid, or it hasn’t baked long enough.

Keep baking until the millet is completely cooked and there are no hard grains left. If the mixture dries out before the millet is tender, add a little more plant-based milk.

Can I use different nuts or leave them out?

Of course. Use ground almonds, hazelnuts or any other nuts you like. If you don’t eat nuts, you can simply leave them out.