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. 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.
- 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 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.
Craving Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal?
I love turning this into pumpkin baked oatmeal! Here’s what I usually do: Reduce milk to 1 and 1/2 cups, remove the applesauce and 1 egg and replace with 3/4 cup of pumpkin puree, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, keep the cinnamon in the recipe, leave out the berries and replace with chopped nuts, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or leave plain. You’ll love my pumpkin baked oatmeal cups, too.
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)Â milk (dairy or nondairy)
- 2 large eggs*
- 1/2 cup (120ml)Â 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 & see note)
- 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 or 11×7 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Any similar size or shape pan works, though 8×8 inch would be too small. 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.) 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 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 or 11×7 Inch Baking Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | WhiskÂ
- 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.
- 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 Information per Serving (with unsweetened applesauce and unsweetened almond milk using Spark Recipe Calculator): Calories 227, Total Fat 8g, Carbohydrate 34g, Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 15g, Protein 5g.
I made this using 1/2 of the butter & maple syrup—still delish. Will definitely make this for weekday breakfasts using all sorts of fruit combos and it will last me all week if my SO doesn’t discover how tasty it is. Such a nice alternative to overnight oats (another staple at our house).
As usual, Sally you’ve posted another great recipe. I made this with low fat oat milk, half the honey instead of maple syrup, fresh blueberries and dried cherries. So good! Easy to prepare. Easy to clean up. And now we just have to heat up breakfast. Brilliant!!
How many calories are in one serving?
Hi Carlee, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This is a great recipe! I make the vegan version with flax eggs and soy milk and a bit less oil, and it comes out beautifully every time. My husband and I love having this for breakfast on cold winter mornings. Thank you!
Thank you over and over again for all your down to earth family based recipes!!!!
Looking forward to trying this. I’m allergic to apples and don’t have bananas. Would pumpkin be a suitable replacement? Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Stacey, yes! Look for the section “Craving Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal?” and you’ll see directions for using pumpkin instead of applesauce and bananas. Enjoy!
My favorite go-to breakfast. Simple and delicious.
Haven’t tried this yet because I’m wondering if I can use 2 % milk and if this would freeze well. Only me and my husband and he doesn’t eat outmeal but I sure do!
Hi Janet! 2% milk will work perfectly. See recipe notes for make ahead & freezing instructions. Enjoy!
So easy and so yummy! It is also a wonderful dessert with ice cream on top. It’s similar to a fruit cobbler, but healthy, except the for ice cream..
Delish!
Used
half maple half honey
Half vegan butter half coconut oil
2 flax eggs instead of 2 real eggs
1 cup milk 3/4 cup water(didn’t want to use up all my milk lol)
Came out perfect!
I thought I bought old fashion oats but I realized I purchased quick oats from Trader Joe’s the other day. Should I increase the milk to 1-1/2 cups to prevent the oatmeal tasting too dried out? Or will that completely ruin the recipe?
You can use quick oats, but they soak up more moisture and can dry out the baked oatmeal. Still tasty though!
This is so delicious, thank you for the recipe! I only had quick oats on hand so I was worried the consistency wouldn’t turn out but I just made sure to add them in to the mixture last right before baking and it came out perfect after 35 minutes! I ate mine with warm milk poured over top like our local cafe does and it was so yummy and satisfying!
Coming from the UK and living in France I had literally never heard of baked oats before the other day when I saw somebody making it on TV so I followed your recipe to the letter and I seriously love it. I can’t wait to finish the next 8 days and try be pumpkin spiced one that somebody else had recommended
First time making and it was a 5* hit with my 3 year old toddler. Also husband approved! Used coconut oil instead of butter and frozen blueberries instead of mixed fruit. Perfection!
All 5 of my kids and I LOVED this recipe, and it was so easy to make! It will be in our regular rotation now. Thank you!
Hello, (I appreciate it would no longer be healthy) but has anyone tried adding cream cheese to the baked porridge? I saw your cream cheese bread casserole which gave me the idea but I would prefer not to use bread. I appreciate your help and congrats on the new website design 🙂
Hi Anon, We have not tested it but you certainly can. Let us know if you give it a try.
This recipe is what I was looking for; so ono (delicious) & quick to make! Great breakfast oatmeal for mom!
I’ve made this recipe countless times the last week or two, tweaking a little here and there, so I thought I should finally write a review. I like drier muffins and a drier porridge/oatmeal so I instantly reduced the milk by 1 cup but I got scrambled egg like texture (I ate them crumbled like cereal with milk). Turns out the original recipe without fresh fruit (not the season yet to try), using a fan oven (food cooks 5 minutes quicker) and 35 minutes cook gives me the perfect texture. My tweaks (but really the recipe is unchanged – the dry to wet values are the same):
– I like a little less butter (50g/3tbsp)
– A little less egg (120g/2 US extra large eggs was too much egg flavour, 75g/4tbsp was perfect, haven’t tried 2 US large eggs yet)
– Applesauce, yoghurt or mashed banana all works as binders. I have stuck to the original amount, used 1tbsp extra, used double (like oatmeal cups) and less milk in response (and used 1 1/4 cups/3 medium mashed bananas, more milk to make a liquid batter again and a longer bake time till toothpick came out clean)
– I have used 100% ‘intense’ maple syrup (dark brown, later season) and leftover intense with light maple syrup (light colour, first tap) with success. Intense maple syrup is awful raw but it’s strength of flavour is needed for baking.
– I have a sweet tooth but found 1/2 cup/156g maple syrup is perfectly sweet with/without fruit. I had sweet fruit compote in the freezer so I tried 1/4 cup/75g maple and found the porridge still set up nicely and worked great with the fruit compote and unsweetened Greek yoghurt for creaminess
– 1tsp ground cinnamon is subtle, perfect amount with fruit. 1 3/4tsp wasn’t enough spice flavour for me so will try 2tsp next time. I’ve also swapped cinnamon for mixed spices (cinnamon and nutmeg or cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg)
– I have forgotten on multiple occasions to add vanilla extract but if you use strong maple syrup, it isn’t missed.
– I have swapped cinnamon for 1/2tsp almond extract or 1/2tsp lemon extract
– I have swapped berries for pecans and chopped dark chocolate or chopped apples or dried blueberries or none at all (stuck to the 200g total amount).
– Use the same amount of milk plus 2tsp because I used less butter (just in case but probably unnecessary).
Hi.
The baked oatmeal was delicious. I like mine more dry than wet. I only added one cup of milk, and put one single serving container of apple sauce (more than 1/3). For the toppings I added semi sweet chocolate chips, blueberries and strawberries. I baked it for about an hour on 375 degrees. The top and bottom was dry and the middle had the perfect softness! It was amazing!
How do ou make baked oatmeal more moist ?
Hi Gale, 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!
Outstanding! My husband LOVES this recipe. He could eat it every day. Thanks again for another winner, Sally! Question: If I make it for him late at night, take it out of the oven, go to bed and leave it out to cool and for him to enjoy in the morning–is this safe from a food safety standard? Since it can be very moist/bread pudding like–I worry if it sits out on the counter too long it could spoil? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Diane, I can’t imagine it spoiling in that short time frame. I’ve baked it for breakfast and let it sit out all day (for snacking) before refrigerating it closer to the evening and it’s never been an issue.
My rating is based on making the oatmeal with modifications: 400ml milk and 2 large eggs (40ml less liquid than written), replaced berries with dried blueberries, replaced walnuts with chopped toasted almonds, 1 3/4tsp cinnamon/nutmeg mix (but that was too subtle for me lol), no vanilla (forgot! but didn’t affect taste surprisingly) and probably a longer bake time because I wanted a set oatmeal (forgot to set a timer but it came out set, lightly sweet, buttery and surprisingly not dry!)
Hello, for the steel cut variation – how much are you using (grams is preferred) and keep the total liquids (milk, egg, butter, applesauce) the same? If needed, I was going to soak the oats in just the milk overnight before adding the rest of the ingredients on day 2 for I assume better texture than the notes state 🙂 TIA
Hi SNL, If using steel-cut oats you can use the same amount and no need to modify the rest of the recipe. You’ll want to 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.
This is my go to recipe for baked oatmeal! My family absolutely loves it!
I made this recipe and found the ingredients to be very wholesome. My oven must be extremely hot because I only baked it for 31 minutes and we found it a bit dry. Exactly what is the texture supposed to be like. I used whole pecans but agree they should be chopped although nuts don’t need to be included.
Hi Joan! This recipe should be soft, chewy and creamy all in one bite – yours may have been over-baked. An easy fix for next time!
Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer and adjust accordingly if necessary. That’s what we do to be accurate.
I’m watching my sugar intake. Can the maple syrup be omitted or replaced by another liquid?
Hi Amanda! We don’t recommend leaving out the maple syrup (or alternatives — see recipe notes for options) completely. Beyond taste, it helps provide some structure and texture to the baked oatmeal as well.
I made this yesterday. We’ve eaten half already, just the two of us. I used a banana and the maple syrup. I sent the recipe to my daughter in Australia. I think my granddaughters will love it. Thank you!!
I am on WW and reduced the maple syrup by half as well as only putting about 2 tsp of butter and it still turned out great. Im trying to lower my cholesterol but I dont like mushy oatmeal and this hit the spot. Excellent recipe and easy to modify.
This isn’t my favorite baked oatmeal recipe, but it’s a good base! I suspect Sally and I just have different expectations for baked oatmeal. I’ve made it a few times and always end up needing to cook it for 60-70 minutes only to find it’s still a bit mushy and sad. Today I tried something different: I cut back 1/2 cup of the liquid, increased the temperature to 375, and baked for 40 minutes. It came out super fluffy and absolutely perfect!
A couple other small changes I made that might have impacted things: I used dried cranberries and pecans for my filling and I subbed 1 egg for 1/4C pureed pumpkin (I also used pumpkin instead of applesauce). Overall this is the best success I have had with this recipe and I will definitely make the modified version again. 🙂
As somebody who appreciates less wet baked goods (Sally’s recipes are too moist for me as written), I appreciate you making the effort to make the recipe ‘better’ and for making it public too (so I don’t have to adjust). Thank you <3
I totally agree with you!! I have to bake this as written for nearly 1 hour. Thanks for tip
These look delicious. Would these be good for a 2 year old? Or are they very chewy?
Hi Mk, It depends on the child but if not over baked, this is should be soft and moist!
Love this breakfast “pudding”! I’ve made it many times, and I enjoy that you can bake once, and have several breakfasts on hand.
Is there a short printable recipe I’m missing here?
Hi Su, You can print just the recipe by scrolling down to the recipe itself (in the light gray box) and using the print button (below where it says total time and yield) instead of printing the whole page. Hope that helps.
I made the Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal and I can’t believe how good it was. I plan to load up the freezer for easy morning prep.
This is my go-to breakfast recipe. Turns out perfectly every time and the house smells so great as it bakes. Healthy and yummy. I have shared this recipe and everyone gives it a 5 star rating!