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
Just took this out of the oven…it is so delicious on a cold, windy day. I had mine with vanilla yogurt and hubby had it without. Made this one with blueberries and strawberries, can’t wait to try it with bananas and chocolate chips. Love Sally’s recipes.
Could this be baked in a muffin tin for premade portions? How would you change the baking time?
Absolutely — follow the instructions for our Baked Oatmeal Cups. Enjoy!
We really like this receipe. I have made it 3 times already. Our favorite fruit mix is apples and blueberries.
Any suggestions on how to adjust this recipe to add a nut butter without altering the perfect consistency? We’ve made numerous fruit variations and the pumpkin one and loved them. Wondering how I could make a peanut butter + apple or almond butter + berry version. Thanks for any help!!
Hi Rebecca! I’m so glad you enjoy this baked oatmeal. We make it with peanut butter or almond butter all the time. I usually reduce the butter down to 2 Tbsp and add 1/2 cup of our favorite nut butter. Same bake time.
I’ve made a lot of different clean oatmeal bakes and this is BY FAR the BEST recipe. It will definitely be my go to!
Is this a solid like a granola bar that can be eaten out of hand?
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it several times. My favorite add-ins are chopped apples and walnuts. It’s nice to have leftovers to enjoy an easy to make breakfast throughout the week.
Outstanding!!! Used toasted pecans and chocolate chips. Yum! There are so many possibilities for mix ins! Can’t wait to try and eat them all! Thanks!
Hi Sally,
Made this for the second time, always delicious! So great on a cold winter day with a cup of tea. This recipe is what will get me through the next three months 🙂
Thanks,
Kim
Absolutely loved it. Made it with apples and walnuts instead of the fruit and added a pinch of nutmeg. Big hit! Planning to try with mashed bananas (instead of the egg) and chocolate chips for the next round! Thank you Sally for this gem.
Hi Sally! I just made this healthy and delicious baked oatmeal and I would definitely make it again! So easy to make and healthy! I’m looking forward to having this at work as a snack/breakfast. Thanks for the recipe!
I can never eat any type of oatmeal for breakfast, unless it’s in a cookie, but I made this for my breakfast today and love it!! Now I have breakfast for a few days this week. I need to add more protein and whole grains to my diet due to intense physical activity, and this will help me get started in the morning! Thank you.
I don’t like regular oatmeal but this was delicious. My husband loved it. Will make all the time now.
Sally, this recipe!!!! SOOOOOO GOOD! Better yet, my 2 year old boy made it for me! Ok, I measured it all out for him. BUT get put everything in the bowl and mixed it! He even sprayed the pan!!! You need to put a “kids in the kitchen” filter on your website and put this one on it!!!
Can you use GF oats? Does it change the taste or texture?
Hi Kayla, gluten-free whole oats work great in this recipe. Let us know if you give it a try!
This was so easy! And now we have breakfast (or lunch, or snack) for the week! Toddler approved, too!
Have been searching for a recipe that is similar to Collectivo and former restaurant Heinemann’s – this is it!!! Dollop of vanilla bean yogurt and fresh berries- delicious!!
I have made this dozens of times at this point. I add a bit more fruit! Sometimes I bake it in a cake pan, sometimes muffin tins. Always freeze leftovers. It is a staple recipe for my breakfast, so easy, healthy and delicious. It is a must make!
Once again I’m making this delicious oatmeal dish.
Before Covid my family would get together for Sun brunch. This was always one they requested. So versatile with different fruits and nuts. Now we do “drive up” brunch, and this is still # 1 requested dish!
Made this today. Came out real good. I topped it with sauteed apples with some brown sugar. Yum.
I love how versatile this recipe is! I’ve made it dozens of times and it’s always amazing. To give it a “holiday vibe” I made it today with applesauce, diced apples, craisins, walnuts, the zest of an orange, and a squeeze of its juice and it was absolutely delicious.
Thanks for a great recipe!
delicious! Hard to search for b/c of the name though.
Such a big fan of your blog, Sally! I’m craving a cranberry orange oatmeal bake for Thanksgiving weekend with my leftover fresh cranberries – would you recommend replacing some of the milk with orange juice? I’m not sure if it will lose some texture. I definitely will add orange zest 🙂
Hi Vanessa, that sounds delicious! Try replacing 1/2 cup of the milk with orange juice, add a little orange zest, and use about 1-1.5 cups fresh cranberries. Actually canberries are quite tart, so you may want to stick with just 1 cup.
Thank you for this recipe, which is a staple in my house. I’ve made all kinds of variations, but the most consistent one is that I double it and bake it in a glass 11×14 pan for 35-40 minutes. Wanted to share in case others have wondered about this. Preschoolers and adults all want extra helpings, and we love how flexible it is–I’ve done apple raisin variations, all different kinds of berries and spices, etc.
delicious!!! i only have an 8×8 so i just cut the recipe in half and baked it for 30 minutes, which honestly might have been too long, added some pumpkin spice, chocolate chips, and it’s wonderful. thank you sally, i trust your recipes more than anyone else on the internet i swear
I love this recipe. Since finding it a year ago, I have had this for breakfast more often than not. I cut it into servings and store in the freezer. My favorite add-ins are apples or peaches. I just saw the pumpkin variation and look forward to trying that. I’m also interested in trying a chocolate version with cocoa powder and chocolate chips. Any recommendations on how to accomplish that? I tried another blogger’s recipe and I didn’t like the consistency of theirs. Thanks!!
Hi Elizabeth! I love this baked oatmeal too. Thank you so much for trying it! I’ve never tested a chocolate version but you can try adding 1/4 or 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or dutch-process) and increasing the amount of applesauce to 1/3 cup. The batter is so wet that you can get away with adding a dry ingredient. Again, I’ve never tested this but that’s where I would start.
Thanks I’ll you know how it goes. We tried your pumpkin variation today and OMG!! So good!!!
Coming back to report that your suggestions for a chocolate version were spot on! I added some chocolate chips as well but honestly they weren’t necessary. So now I’ve expanded to apple, peach, pumpkin, and chocolate. I’m planning to try the cranberry orange next. Any suggestions for a peanut butter version?
Hi Elizabeth, we’re so happy the chocolate version was a hit! We make it with peanut butter or almond butter all the time. We usually reduce the butter down to 2 Tbsp and add 1/2 cup of our favorite nut butter. Same bake time. Let us know what you try!
Delicious! I leave for work early in the morning, and need ready-made breakfasts. I got tired of overnight oats, and this is a tasty alternative. I halved the recipe and made it in an 8×8 pan, and wished I had more! I made it with fresh raspberries and frozen blueberries and it turned out great.
Love this recipe but was wondering if there is a way to make it a little more custardy, moist?
Hi Paula, Be sure to use whole oats for the best texture. Quick oats soak up more moisture and dry out the baked oatmeal. You can also try baking it for a shorter amount of time next time!
I made this today It’s delicious!
Great recipe! Thanks!