Posted Aug 16, 2020, Updated Mar 26, 2024 Baked Oatmeal is a healthy, cozy breakfast that is perfect any time of the year. And this particular baked oats recipe is the best you’ll ever try! Serve it with a drizzle of maple syrup and some fresh berries for pure breakfast bliss! In this baked oatmeal recipe a handful of nutritious ingredients are flavored with cinnamon and vanilla for a delicious and filling breakfast that will keep you full until lunch. Plus, it can be made ahead and reheated in the morning, and freezes well!
Baked Oatmeal Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
This baked oats recipe is extremely versatile. You can tweak it to fit just about any dietary need and it still comes out amazing.
Old-fashioned oats. Quick-cooking oats also work well in this recipe, just decrease the amount by 1/4 cup (so use 2 1/4 cups quick-cooking oats). Note that the texture will be a little lighter and less chewy. All-purpose flour. Gluten-free all-purpose flour can be used for a gluten-free variety. Whole wheat flour, spelt flour, etc. also taste great. Butter. I love the buttery flavor of this baked oatmeal, however you can substitute coconut oil, ghee, vegan butter, etc. to make it dairy-free. Applesauce. If you don’t have applesauce on hand you can substitute 1 cup of mashed banana. You can also try pumpkin, sweet potato, etc. however you may need to increase the sugar if you use an ingredient that isn’t naturally sweet. Brown sugar. Any granulated sugar works well. I love the flavor of brown sugar but you can use white sugar, coconut sugar, etc. Milk. Again, any milk can be used in this recipe. We use whole milk or almond milk, but 2%, coconut milk, etc. also work great. Just remember the higher the fat content of your milk variety, the richer and creamier the baked oatmeal will taste.
How to Make Baked Oatmeal
This baked oatmeal recipe is very easy to make, but as always we’ll walk through the process step-by-step. And don’t forget to watch the video! The first step in this baked oatmeal recipe is to combine the dry ingredients. I prefer to do this for two reasons: 1) measuring dry ingredients first means you don’t have to wash the measuring cups/spoons after measuring the wet ingredients. 2) it ensures that the dry ingredients are evenly combined, and therefore will be evenly distributed in the baked oatmeal. Next, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, applesauce, vanilla and brown sugar until smooth. Make sure there are no lumps of brown sugar left in the mixture. Then, add the milk and whisk to combine . Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout).
Bake
Once the batter is ready, pour it into an 8×8″ square baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is set and slightly puffed. Then, let the baked oats cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving.
To Prepare in Advance
You can make this recipe the night before in two ways:
Serve
Once the baked oatmeal has cooled slightly, cut into squares and serve. For adult servings, cut it into 9 squares, for kid-sized servings 16 square is a great choice. We love eating this recipe with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and fresh berries! Other suggestions include:
Enjoy it with a dollop of homemade whipped cream for an extra special treat. Slather it with homemade peanut butter or vanilla almond butter for some extra protein and fat to keep you full even longer. Spread some homemade cinnamon honey butter over your slice.
Store
Store leftover baked oatmeal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze
This baked oatmeal recipe freezes beautifully. I recommend individually wrapping slices of the baked oatmeal in plastic wrap and storing them in an airtight container in the freezer. It will last for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Reheat
You can reheat these baked oats in the microwave or in the oven set to 350 degrees F until the middle is warm. You can also remove a slice of baked oatmeal from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
