Baked oatmeal is bread pudding for breakfast! Made with a handful of healthy ingredients, this easy recipe comes together in 1 bowl and leaves you satisfied all morning.
What is Baked Oatmeal?
Baked oatmeal is a warm breakfast casserole made from oats, milk, and other kitchen staples. Stovetop or instant oatmeal has a creamy porridge consistency, but baked oatmeal, like bread pudding, combines chewy, soft, and creamy all in 1 casserole dish. You can add berries for a juicy burst and walnuts for a crunchy topping. This breakfast recipe is a texture lover’s dream and your oven does all the work.
Basically, baked oatmeal is regular oatmeal with even more texture. If you’re looking for individual serving sizes, try my baked apple cinnamon oatmeal cups or chocolate chip baked oatmeal cups.
You can bake oatmeal ahead of time and reheat it for a quick breakfast during the week. That’s exactly what I’ve been doing and the whole family, young daughter included, LOVES it. This baked banana oatmeal is a hit, too! Busy parents certainly appreciate the convenience!
And if you want even more family friendly recipes, be sure to check out this list of 30+ back to school recipes.
Gluten Free, Healthy, 1 Bowl Breakfast
This baked oatmeal combines simple and healthy ingredients and can be adapted for any allergies or flavor preferences. Stir the ingredients together in 1 large bowl, pour it into a greased baking pan, and bake. You need:
- Oats: I recommend whole old-fashioned style oats for a hearty and satisfying texture. If you eat gluten free, choose certified GF oats.
- Milk: Use the variety of milk you drink. This baked oatmeal is wonderful with whole milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, skim milk, and everything in between.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs, while adding protein, bind all of the ingredients together. Have an egg allergy? Use extra applesauce or mashed banana.
- Applesauce or Mashed Banana: Adds flavor and binds. You can use more of either to replace the eggs. For a heavily banana-flavored version, see below!
- Maple Syrup: I recommend pure maple syrup for the best flavor, but other unrefined sugars such as coconut sugar or honey work too. 1/2 cup sweetens the entire dish.
- Baking Powder: Lifts it all up!
- Melted Butter: A few Tablespoons of melted butter prevents the dish from tasting rubbery. Don’t replace with a non-fat alternative. Melted coconut oil is a wonderful dairy-free substitution.
- Vanilla, Cinnamon, & Salt: Each add sweet satisfying flavor.
- Berries: I asked, you told, and I’m delivering! Add some fruit for flavor, texture, and all-around deliciousness. Replace with chopped banana, apple, peaches, pears, raisins, dried berries, chocolate chips, or even a spoonful of your favorite nut butter.
For the BEST baked oatmeal texture: use whole oats and don’t over-bake! You want a deliciously soft & moist spoonful.
Ok let’s recap…
This Baked Oatmeal Is:
- Prepped in 1 bowl
- Made with unrefined sugar
- Not overly sweet
- Packed with fruit
- Warm & satisfies for hours
- Soft, chewy, & creamy
- Adaptable for flavors, allergies, etc
- Like a casserole version of my blueberry banana breakfast cookies
Plus it requires minimum effort—just what our mornings need!
Complete your breakfast! Serve baked oatmeal with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, frittata, individual breakfast egg muffins, or my crustless vegetable quiche. (Also simple, healthy, & gluten free!).And for even more inspiration, see my complete list of 30+ healthy breakfast recipes.
P.S. The recipe below calls for banana, but for a heavily banana-flavored baked oatmeal, here is my banana baked oatmeal recipe. This one is a favorite.
1 Bowl Baked Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 9
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This baked oatmeal combines simple ingredients that can be adapted for any allergies or flavor preferences. It’s like bread pudding for breakfast—creamy, soft, chewy, and delicious all in one! Make ahead and enjoy all week long. Try my baked oatmeal cups, too!
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups (420ml) milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 2 large eggs*
- 1/2 cup (120ml) pure maple syrup*
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled*
- 1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana
- 3 cups (255g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups (225g) fresh or frozen mixed berries, (do not thaw)
- optional for topping: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 9×9 inch square pan, or an 11×7 inch rectangle pan with nonstick spray. Any similar size pan that holds around 3 quarts works, though 8×8 inch square pan would be too small. The pictured dish I’m using is this white casserole dish. See recipe Note for 9×13 inch pan.
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in 1 large bowl. Pour into prepared baking pan. Top with nuts, if desired. (Or stir into the oatmeal mixture.)
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the center appears *almost* set, which gives us a soft oatmeal as pictured above. For drier and more solid baked oatmeal, bake until center has set.
- Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon or slice and serve with yogurt, if desired. Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Bake the oatmeal, cool completely, and store in the refrigerator all week for easy breakfasts. Reheat in the microwave or cover and bake in a 350°F (177°C) oven for 10 minutes. To freeze, bake and cool oatmeal. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Warm to your liking. I love cutting the cooled baked oatmeal into bars or servings and freezing them individually for a quick breakfast to thaw. Wrap each in plastic wrap and place in a large freezer bag or container.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×9 Inch Square Pan, 11×7 Inch Rectangle Pan, or Similar Size Casserole Dish | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk
- Don’t: Do not make oatmeal batter ahead of time. The oats will soak up all the liquid! Whisk it all together, then bake right away. See make ahead instructions above for alternative.
- Can I Make This in a Muffin Pan? Yes. For baked oatmeal cups, divide the batter into a greased 12-count muffin pan. If using muffin liners, spray them with nonstick spray. The oatmeal cups stick to the liners a bit regardless, so I recommend skipping them. Fill the cups all the way to the top. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned and top appears set. If you added extra add-ins, you may have more batter and need a 2nd greased muffin pan.
- Eggs: Eggs bind the casserole and add wonderful flavor. If needed, you can replace the eggs with 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana.
- Sugar: I recommend pure maple syrup because the flavor is outstanding and the baked oatmeal is extra moist! You can also use packed brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey.
- Butter: What wonderful flavor! The baked oatmeal can taste rubbery without it. Don’t replace with a non-fat alternative. Melted coconut oil is a wonderful dairy-free substitution.
- Oats: Whole oats give you the best texture. Quick oats soak up more moisture and dry out the baked oatmeal. If using steel-cut oats, soak the oats in the milk for 20 minutes, then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add a few extra minutes to the bake time.
- Add-ins: Instead of berries, try the same amount of peeled chopped apples, peaches, pears, bananas, or other fruit. Or 1 cup chocolate chips, dried cranberries, nuts, or raisins.
- 9×13 inch Pan: Double the recipe for a 9×13 inch pan. The baked oatmeal will be extra thick and require at least 10 extra minutes in the oven. Tent with aluminum foil if the edges are browning too quickly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 256
- Sugar: 13.8 g
- Sodium: 120.8 mg
- Fat: 6.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 38.4 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 54.9 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
This is so so good! I am not an oatmeal fan and I even LOVE it! Both my husband and 16 year daughter also can’t seem to get enough. I’ve made it 3 times already and will making again tonight so we can enjoy in the morning. I’ve tried with regular milk and also oat milk. We all prefer the oat milk. Super filling and delicious!
I was wondering if this recipe could be divided up and made in silicone muffin cups? I need to make something like this but want to make a variety of flavors How long would you suggest for bake time?
Hi Paula, you can definitely use this recipe in muffin cups. Use these apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups as a guide. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I made this yesterday and it looked and tasted great, except the bottom was a bit wet. The top definitely was browed and not mushy inside, just an issue with the bottom. I used a 9×7 baking dish and was wondering if it was too small. The batter fit in the pan nicely. I used 1.5 c of Fairlife Milk and also added some protein powder. Any ideas about why the bottom was wet, or maybe it’s supposed to be wet? Thanks. Love trying your recipes.
Hi Carol, did you use a heavy ceramic pan by any chance? I usually use ceramic, but the bottom is on the thinner side so the bottom of the baked oatmeal gets quite done. It could be a matter of covering the baked oatmeal with foil and extending the bake time. It’s supposed to be soft, but not liquid-y wet, if that helps.
This is my favorite baked oatmeal recipe! I’ve made it many times and shared it with lots of people. Basically, if it’s a Sally’s baking addiction recipe, I know it will be delightful! I’ve never made one of your recipes that I didn’t like. Thank you for your time and effort!
Good recipe. Made a mistake of not adding milk. Was the best baked oatmeal we’ve had!!
This recipe for baked oatmeal is exactly what I’d hoped for! Followed the recipe, and I won’t change anything! Thanks so much Sally!
SOOO good. Everyone loved it! Even kids. Thanks for sharing such yummy goodness.
Made this for the first time and it came out great! I used diced Kanzi apples, added 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and topped it with chopped walnuts. This could easily be served as a meal or turned into dessert with a dollop of whipped cream. I’m painting it with chicken breakfast sausage and eating it for lunch this week.
This is so good to have in the refrigerator for breakfast. We love it!
Looking forward to baked pumpkin oatmeal. Lots of frozen pumpkin to use up. Tried this one super good! Used left over frozen cranberries. Thanks for all the inspiration!
Big Win! My daughter who does not like oatmeal, nor breakfast likes this. I look forward to trying Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal and Blueberry Banana Breakfast Cookies! And, love every recipe of your that I have tried. Thank you.
Tasty and easy to assemble! Wish we’d had maple syrup, but still delish with brown sugar. Looking forward to seeing how it freezes, but will definitely be making again. Thanks!
Just made this yesterday and it is already a favorite! I love that the texture of the oatmeal is still there but at the same time it is creamy but not gloppy as oatmeal can sometimes be. It could even be a dessert, at least in my house. I warmed it up in the microwave for about a minute and then topped it with whipped cream.
This is awesome! I 1.5 x recipe and made in a deep dish casserole, subbed raisins for the berries, used oat milk and a touch of brown sugar. It got great reviews at our monthly breakfast potluck. I baked for approximately 40 minutes.
I tried this for the first time and loved it! I substituted chopped dried fruit for the berries and baked it and extra 15 minutes so it was really cooked through. It’s delicious, it it didn’t turn my husband into an oatmeal lover. Oh well, more for me!!
Absolutely Delicious , thank you for this recipe. It’s so good and a keeper. Didn’t have fresh fruit, used frozen blueberries and it was perfection. This recipe is healthy, heavenly and gluten free. Please post more gluten free recipes.
Heavenly! Made it three times since discovering it last month. Happy tummy meal, good for digestion. I accidentally halved the sweetness the first time I made it, which made it “not too sweet.” So the second time I made it exactly as instructed, which was even better. Made in a square 9×9″ceramic baking dish with rounded edges. Sally’s Baking Recipes is my new favorite spot for delicious baked goods. It’s been such a go-to daily staple during the holidays. THANK YOU ★★★★★
Heavenly! Made it three times since discovering it last month. Happy tummy meal, good for digestion. I accidentally halved the sweetness the first time I made it, which made it “not too sweet.” Didn’t notice I halved the sugar , but still wanted more. So the second time I made it exactly as instructed, which was even better. Made in a square 9×9′ ceramic baking dish with rounded edges. Sally’s Baking Recipes is my new favorite spot for delicious baked goods. It’s been such a go-to daily staple during the holidays. THANK YOU
Is it possible to make this recipe in a muffin tin? Thanks!
Absolutely — follow the instructions for our Baked Oatmeal Cups. Enjoy!
The BEST baked oatmeal recipe. Packed with flavor and not overly sweet. I make this every Christmas and it is perfect! Everyone always loves this recipe.
I substituted 1/4 cup peanut butter for the applesauce, used 1/2 cup cranberries and 1 and a half cups blueberries. I reduced the maple syrup to 1/4 cup and it was plenty sweet. Sprinkled sugar on top and baked for 45 min. Extra vanilla and cinnamon were delicious. This was devoured by 5 people.
Very delicious. I didn’t change anything and it turned out great. I just needed to bake it a little longer than it says. Please use something more sustainable than plastic wrap for your leftovers.
YUM!!! This recipe was so good!! A hot for the whole family!
I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I have made this 6 times and it has never come out as pictured. I have tried with old fashioned oats, quick oats. I have cooked at 350 for 35, 45 and 50 minutes. I’ve tried 375 for 35, 45 and 50 minutes. I’ve tried 1.5 cups of milk, and less maple syrup. It always comes out the same. The outside is nicely browned, but the inside is pale and soft. I preheat the oven and cook it immediately. It looks like yours before I cook it. I wish I could include a picture. It taste ok, but it looks nothing like the one picture in the recipe.
Hi Angie! Somehow I missed this question last month. I’m glad to help, and so sorry you’re experiencing this trouble. I wouldn’t raise the temperature in the oven. Instead, lowering it and extending the bake time will help promote more even baking. Try 325°F (163°C) instead. You can also reduce the milk down to 1 and 1/4 cups.
Nobody could accuse you of giving up! After a recipe comes out tasting as I expected, I sometimes make it again assuming it’s my error. However, after 2 attempts and it still doesn’t taste right, the recipe hits the circular file. Kudos for hanging in there. Maybe this just wasn’t the right recipe for you?
Do you add the eggs and the applesauce or either one? I don’t keep applesauce and don’t really want to buy a jar for a 1/4 cup.
Hi Pat! You can replace the eggs with additional applesauce (1/3 cup per the recipe notes). Or you can skip the applesauce all together by using 2 eggs and mashed banana instead of the applesauce. Hope this makes sense! It’s all detailed in the recipe and recipe notes 🙂
I buy the small packages of unsweetened applesauce that are single servings just to add to my oatmeal and muffins recipes to add healthy natural sweetness.
Mine came out really wet. What did I do wrong
We enjoyed this. Thank you!
This recipe is a game changer! My 3yr old has inherited high cholesterol, so we need to be mindful of what we feed her. She’s never cared for oatmeal, but oatmeal is so helpful in reducing “bad” cholesterol! I made this over the weekend and we all love it. It’ll definitely become a staple in our house.
I thought I didn’t like baked oatmeal because I’d only ever had it at other people’s houses, but I made this recipe just to switch things up and it has become a staple at our house! Only adjustment I make is to reduce maple syrup by 25% or so, and it’s still plenty sweet.
I will say I don’t know how it serves 9. I make this for myself, hubby, 2 and 4 year olds, and it is demolished.
I made some substitutions: peanut butter for apple sauce and yogurt for banana. It came out tasting like a no bake cookie.
Instead of adding fruit, I added pecans, chocolate chips, and a couple tablespoons of Nutella. Oh and I added some extra cinnamon. Yum! And I eat it cold. Delicious