Baked Oatmeal Recipe
Baked Oatmeal: Tastes like a soft oatmeal cookie! Easy to make, adaptable, & feeds a lot of people at once. Perfect for breakfast or brunch!
Today I’m bringing you my new favorite breakfast recipe: baked oatmeal!
I’m a huge fan of big breakfast or brunch recipes that you can throw in the oven, bake off, and then serve everyone a hot, comforting dish all at once. I am not one to stand in front of the stove flipping pancakes or scrambling eggs, like a short-order cook!
So I love having recipes like sticky buns, quiche Lorraine, or French toast casserole in my arsenal. Especially for holidays or when I’m hosting overnight guests.
And now we can also add this baked oatmeal recipe!
I’m telling you, it may not look like much, but these humble brown and nubbly-looking squares are seriously delish. This casserole bakes up hearty and soft, almost like a whole-grain cake or quick bread, with chewy oats, lots of warm cinnamon, and just a hint of sweetness from the brown sugar. It’s buttery and comforting, like a soft oatmeal cookie.
I absolutely love it and I think you will too!
WHAT IS BAKED OATMEAL?
If you like oatmeal you are going to love this recipe!
It’s a lot like your favorite hot cereal breakfast, but instead of being spoonable like porridge, it’s firmer like a cake almost, and you can eat it with a fork.
But it still has that signature hearty oat flavor, and you can throw in all sorts of add-ins to jazz it up.
It’s easy to make and feeds a crowd, or you can bake up a big pan of it and it will keep in the fridge for days, which can make busy mornings a breeze!
WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE?
I liken the taste of this baked oatmeal recipe to an oatmeal cookie. How about that, right? Oatmeal cookies for breakfast. Gotta love it!
The texture is similar to a hearty, whole-grain cake, with tons of chewy oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar. It’s buttery and comforting, and you can punch it up with just about any kind of fruit, nuts, or seeds.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED OATMEAL
You’re going to love how quick and easy this is to make!
What we have here is basically a quick bread recipe, only instead of using flour we are using oats. So it follows that simple method of mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl, the liquids in another, and then combining the two. Easy peasy!
Start with oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Give these a quick toss together, just to get everything evenly combined.
I like to use old-fashioned oats because to me they have the most robust texture. You could probably get away with another kind of oats in a pinch, but the texture might come out a little different.
If you are using fruit or nuts, go ahead and add them to the bowl as well. You can use just about any kind of fruit you like, dried, frozen, or fresh. If you use frozen, you don’t even have to thaw it first. I used fresh apples here, peeled, cored, and diced, but I think golden raisins or dried cranberries would be fantastic too, or dried cherries or figs, or just about any kind of berries or sliced bananas… you could also add a little citrus zest if you like.
- Pecans
- Almonds
- Pistachios
- Macadamias
- Sunflower Seeds (particularly good if you are serving someone with a nut allergy!)
Next come the liquid ingredients. Whisk melted butter, milk, cream, eggs, and vanilla together until combined, then pour this mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients.
Stir it all up, transfer it to a 1.5-quart casserole dish, and bake!
You’ll know your baked oatmeal is done when your whole house smells positively intoxicating, the edges are just a little brown, and it’s set in the middle.
IS THIS RECIPE HEALTHY?
We all have our own definitions of what is or isn’t healthy these days, so I’ll refer you to the nutritional label in the recipe card below for the nitty-gritty details.
But I love this dish because it’s whole grain and it’s made with wholesome ingredients like fresh eggs, fruit, and nuts. I also think 339 calories/slice isn’t too shabby, especially for such a hearty and filling breakfast.
If you have any specific food sensitivities, you should know that this recipe is naturally gluten-free (just be sure to use gluten-free oats).
For a dairy-free option, just swap in your favorite vegan milk/cream substitute. If it subs 1:1 for regular dairy, it should work just fine.
For a vegan option, try using flax eggs or chia eggs. To make one flax/chia egg, mix one tablespoon of ground flax or chia seed with 2 tablespoons of water, and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes until gelled.
HOW TO SERVE
This dish really doesn’t need a whole lot extra! I’ve garnished it with some sliced apple and honey just to make it prettier for the photos, but it’s really good just as-is.
It can be eaten hot from the oven, at room temperature, or chilled. You can drizzle it with a little warm milk if you like.
Really, you can’t go wrong!
HOW TO STORE
Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and this should keep in the fridge for about 3 to 5 days.
Or you can freeze it! Remove it from the pan and wrap it tightly in foil. (You could even wrap individual portions and pop them into a zip-top bag.) It will keep for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or at room temp. It can be reheated (covered) in the microwave or in a 170 degree F oven until warmed through.
A FEW MORE OF MY FAVORITE BREAKFAST RECIPES:
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Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (585 g) oatmeal, (I like old-fashioned oats)
- 2/3 cup (146.67 g) light brown sugar, (loosely packed)
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt
- 3/4 cup (177.75 g) fruit, , optional (dried, fresh, or frozen; I used fresh chopped apple)
- 1/2 cup (72 g) chopped nuts,, optional (I used walnuts)
- 3/4 cup (170.25 g) butter,, melted and cooled slightly (1 1/2 sticks)
- 3/4 cup (183 g) milk, (I used 2%)
- 1/4 cup (59.5 g) heavy cream
- 2 (88 g) eggs, (large)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) vanilla extract
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly mist a 1.5-quart baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Place the oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add the fruit and nuts, if using.
- Whisk the melted butter, milk, cream, eggs, and vanilla together, then add to the oatmeal mixture.
- Stir together until combined, then transfer to the prepared pan and bake until set (approx. 35 to 45 minutes).
- Cut into squares and serve warm or at room temperature.
I just made this. The house smells wonderful! I added raisins and dried cherries. This is a keeper. Not too sweet and just delicious.
So happy you like it! Thanks so much for the great feedback.
You deserve more than 5 stars for this super recipe. Thanks For Sharing with us.
My pleasure! Thank you!
I am diabetic. Can I use Splenda instead of brown sugar?
I haven’t tried it myself but I think it should work! I believe Splenda makes a brown sugar replacement. As long as it subs 1:1 for regular brown sugar it’s definitely worth trying! Good luck!