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
Yum- I doubled this and subbed brown sugar! It was delicious!
I liked the flavour but mine was a little gooey. I baked 40 minutes and let it sit in the oven while I did school pickup. How would I firm it up? I might use applesauce instead of banana next time? Actually, gooey isn’t the right word, it’s that texture of oats that have gone cold. I love your recipes and appreciate any suggestions
Hi Joanne, the oatmeal is very soft, but you can bake it a bit longer to help it firm up a bit. Feel free to pop it in the microwave to reheat it for leftovers, too. Thanks for giving this one a try!
These are delicious! I was bored one rainy Saturday afternoon and thought this recipe looked great… The only problem was I didn’t have any fresh berries in the house. I did have some golden raisins which paired perfectly with the other ingredients! I also threw in a handful of coconut! I can always count on Sally’s recipes to turn out perfectly! I’ll be sure to pick up berries for the next batch!!
This looks terrific.
This looks amazing. So healthy
Confused tho. Eggs OR Apple sauce ?
OR, both?
Hi Mary Lou, we use both, but you can also use extra applesauce or mashed banana in place of the eggs if you wish.
Every time I make this, I fall in love with it all over again! So easy to make and SO filling and satisfying 🙂 I brought a pan into work and it was gone in 10 mins!
My favorite baked oatmeal recipe! I appreciate including the nutritional information too, but have a clarifying question – how much is a serving?
Hi Emily, we usually get about 9 servings, but it can certainly be fewer/more servings depending on the size of your slices. So glad it’s a favorite for you!
I love this recipe so much! It’s so moist and delicious! Question for you, do you think I could make these into baked oatmeal cups? If so, how long would I bake them for?
Hi Lannea, you can definitely use this recipe in muffin cups. Use these apple cinnamon baked oatmeal cups as a guide. Enjoy!
Can 100% whole grain QUICK oats be used in this recipe? I have a large box on hand. Thank you!
Hi Debra, You can use quick oats, but they soak up more moisture and can dry out the baked oatmeal. Still tasty though!
I have tried several baked oatmeal recipes and this is by far my favorite. I double the frozen fruit and cinnamon
and only use half the amount of syrup.
How much of this do you need to make to have enough for 4 people (3 children primary school age and 1 adult) for 1 week, eating it every day?
Hi Gael, it really depends on the size of your servings. We get about 9 servings from one batch.
Great recipe! It’s wonderful served warm from the oven, and reheats well. It’s a one-bowl wonder, quick and easy. Will make this again!
My family loves this baked oatmeal! We have tried it with different fruit and nut combinations as well as adding chocolate chips for some added luxury. We have started making them in muffin form and the kids gobble them down for breakfast or midday snacks at school. Definitely a keeper. About to make some more right now!!!
SUPER delicious!!!
Easy and delicious
LOVE THIS!! Is it possible to half the recipe and bake it in a loaf pan (I have both sizes, 9×5 and 8×4)?? If so, how long would the bake time be?? Thank YOU!
Hi Amy! So glad you love it. We haven’t tried baking this recipe in a loaf pan, but it may not work well as it would be quite thick. Perhaps you would enjoy our baked oatmeal cups instead! Lots of fun flavors to try with those as well.
Delicious!!! Love it as my grab n go breakfast.
Made this this morning in a 10 x 10 dish for 33 minutes and it came out great! I liked the crispy edges. Instead of making in one bowl I did wet in one and dry in another. I like to whisk my eggs thoroughly. Otherwise I followed ingredients and directions exactly.
I have a Grandson with a egg allergy. Has anyone tried using flax eggs in this recipe instead of extra applesauce or banana ?
Hi Alyce, we haven’t personally tested it but imagine it should work just fine in a recipe like this. Perhaps another reader can chime in if they’ve tried it, and please do let us know if you decide to give it a try!
This was delicious, it was a little tough to get it right though. Do you have any suggestions for a newer oven that doesn’t have a heating element on the bottom? Even giving it some extra time, the top came out perfect but the bottom was pretty mushy looking. We cut some pieces out from the edge that did get cooked all the way through, then I put it back into the oven for a while on convection bake. I wish I’d thought to do this from the beginning. Does anyone know, would that have cooked it all the way through if I had done that?
Hi Erika, what usually helps is covering the baked oatmeal with aluminum foil and extending the bake time by at least 10 minutes. This will prevent the top from over-baking, and should bake the oatmeal a little more evenly.
I have made this recipe savoury. Instead of fruit I add in diced sauteed zucchini, carrots & green onions. I cut back a tad on the syrup and add in salsa. It is delicious!
Haven’t made but it sounds absolutely wonderful. The unfortunate part, I take Prednisone and have high blood sugars so 34 grams carbs is too much for me at breakfast. I will try to think of a way to cut down the carbs and still get enough food in my tummy to take Prednisone.
Love your recipes!
I have to make this recipe every 10 days for my husband, he cannot start his day without it. Been this way for about 6 months. We love it, as is, thank you.
Great recipe and great way to prep quick breakfast and snack for my toddler in the beginning of the week. I only wish I had read the comments prior to making as I followed authors suggestion to double recipe for 9 x 13 pan. Most reviews said they adjusted it by 1.5 instead of double and I wish I had done the same. When I doubled it all it was far too soft and mushy despite the four nicely browned edges and overall high. Next time will 1.5
Can you use dried mix berry instead of fresh or frozen?
Yes, you could use freeze-dried berries in here as well.
Could I use nut butter instead of butter? I want to limit my cholesterol intake. Thank you!
Hi Theresa, we haven’t tested it that way, but it might work–if you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
The baked oatmeal is easy & best of all, delicious & good for you! Followed directions exactly. May use less maple syrup next time.
Made this with frozen berries so had to bake about 10 minutes longer. Also, melted butter hardened with frozen berries, so next time I will use room temperature milk, eggs, slightly cooled melted butter, mix and then fold in frozen berries. I fished out hardened butter and remelted what I could. It looks ok. . Plan to take it to community breakfast tomorrow morning. Hopefully it will be ok.
I just made this and it was so delicious! I will definitely make it again. I wonder if this would work in the crockpot? I would love to make it for work when we have our breakfasts. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Hi Michelle, we haven’t tested it in a crockpot, but let us know if you do!
I make this every week – 1 1/2 the recipe and adding 1 cup of cooked quinoa for more protein in a 9×13 pan. My go to breakfast every day. I love it. Healthy, low fat, and delicious
This is so delicious and feels healthy! Plan to serve Easter brunch, might add a light caramel sauce for the occasion. Thx for the recipe!
This recipe is so easy and versatile. The best part is it reheats beautifully. One of my favorites.
I made this baked oatmeal for my daughter-in-law and grandsons. They absolutely loved it. I used a muffin pan to bake it in, it made 17 regular sized muffins. They were gone the same day. Great recipe. Thank you.
Cam the maple syrup be omitted? Does it need more liquid?
Hi Jen, you can also use packed brown sugar, coconut sugar, or honey in place of the maple syrup. Same amount.
The baked oatmeal is fantastic! I make it once a week and it’s a great breakfast.