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 such a good recipe, made for a large group and everyone loved it and I did too!! I couldn’t stop eating it. I used frozen mixed berries and it was delicious. Looking forward to doing a fall version.
Trying this for the first time this week. Looking at the video, do you think adding an extra egg yolk would bind it more into a “bar” type of breakfast for on the go days?
Hi Laura, that would take some more testing, but you may enjoy our peanut butter banana chocolate chip oatmeal bars!
I love this recipe and will be looking for more!
Hi Sally, I’m so glad I found you! I’m not a baker, don’t “do” sweets, but you provide such great ideas and direction that I’m going to start! Question: is there any reason not to make your 1 Bowl Oatmeal Bars in a jumbo muffin pan?
Hi Laurie! We can’t see why not. We’re unsure of the exact bake time, but you’ll want the edges to look slightly browned and the middle to be set. Let us know how you like them!
I loved this recipe, so did my husband who is really a picky eater (and not an oatmeal fan!) I happened to have a whole pint of blueberries to use, so I just added them all. I’m thinking about adding 1/2 cup of ground flaxseed next time, since it would be an easy way to slip in some extra nutrition. Has anyone else tried this? If so, how did it turn out?
Hi Mary-Ellen, I’ve made this before with some flaxseed meal, but I think it was just a few Tablespoons. I’m sure it will still be fine with up to 1/2 cup.
Thought this was great! We had it for breakfast this morning. Thanks for the recipe.
I made this in a 9×13 baking dish because there were 10 for breakfast, so I doubled the recipe. It was a huge hit! Everyone loved it & asked for the recipe. I added blueberries & strawberries, & there wasn’t a crumb left! Thanks Sally!
Excellent and very adaptable
Can these be frozen ?
See recipe Notes!
I love this recipe. I’ve made it at least once a week for over a year! I do prefer my baked oatmeal a little more dry, so I bake it a little longer and let it cool a little longer before I eat it.
We just moved to a camper, and my oven doesn’t work properly right now—would this cook well in an instant pot?
Hi Mary, we haven’t tested it in an instant pot, but let us know if you do!
OMG this is the best recipe – very tasty and my new, easy go to breakfast! Love the versatility of the ingredients and items that I have in my pantry. Great way to get fruit and fiber in one place.
I love this recipe, thank you! I have made it a few times but this time I used only blueberries and ran out of vanilla (shocking!) so subbed almond extract. Now I can’t decide which I like best. It’s great for reheating and packing for work.
This is so good! I added a handful of chocolate chips.
In this one bowl baked oatmeal recipe, how can I adjust for using quick oats? I don’t buy whole oats and I noticed you said quick oats will soak up more moisture and make it dry…can I adjust baking time or ingredients?
Hi Dawn, You can also try baking it for a shorter amount of time!
This recipe is SOOO delicious! I just ordered more maple syrup because I didn’t have enough to use it in the recipe, only to put a little on top of each serving.
This is the most flavorful oatmeal we’ve ever had. All my boys loved it!!
I made this recipe this morning before work and it is delicious. I stuck to the original recipe other than adding some chia seeds and flaxseeds. I made it with frozen blueberries and my finicky husband loved it! I will definitely be making this again, maybe changing the fruit occasionally although it was great with the blueberries. 5 stars for sure.
Wonderful flavor. Used green apples and raisins. Question. I live in Colorado. This baked oatmeal sliced well, but once in a dish, it broke up as we ate it. i.e. it did not hold its shape as you cut into it with a fork. Is this how baked oatmeal is supposed to present? When baking at altitude, we often include more liquid which I will do next time but what about adding in another egg?
So glad you enjoyed this one! Baked oatmeal can vary a bit in texture—if you like it a bit more sturdy, feel free to bake just a few minutes longer. We haven’t tested adding another egg to account for the high altitude, but let us know if you try it. Some readers have found this chart helpful: https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Very delicious and was to make!
I’ve been making this recipe every week or two for a couple years now. I’ve used fresh or frozen berries, diced bananas and apples. Today, I added a scoop of pea protein powder. I’ve also used extra thick rolled oats. I’ve yet to mess this recipe up! It’s always delicious and you can make a recipe in heavy rotation seem new with different fruits. A couple tablespoons of ground flaxseed added delicious flavor/texture. I’ll sop now. I could go on and on about this recipe. It’s a bigger winner with this family!!!
My husband and I are always looking for different breakfast options other than cold cereal or yogurt during the week. I made this recipe last night, and then reheated individual squares this morning. The flavor is delicious and total breakfast comfort food! I reduced the maple syrup to 1/4 cup. Will be making this again and again.
So easy and delicious! Feels like a healthy breakfast 🙂
Love this recipe. I mistakingly left this out overnight on my counter after baking. Is it still safe to eat?
Hi Cindy, I’ve done that before and it wasn’t a problem.
Great recipe. 1 tip for the egg. 1/4 tsp xantham gum and 60 ml water works like egg white in baked good. I recommend mixing in a magic bullet, etc as it’s hard to blend. I use 1 xantham “egg” with great success in thus recupe. It provides great stability in baked goods
I bought a giant bag of oats at Costco and was looking for recipes to use it. This is perfect.
Still enjoyed the flavor, but my eggs didn’t combine well with the other ingredients. It was as if some of the egg settled and left a very thin layer of scrambled egg on the bottom of my baking dish, with the oatmeal on top and bits of scrambled egg throughout. I whisked the eggs before adding, any other ideas of why this may have happened? Again, still enjoyed the flavor, but seems the ingredients just didn’t bind well and the egg started to separate.
Hi Allison, I’m sorry to hear that! We haven’t had that happen before, so aren’t sure what went wrong. My best guess is that the melted butter was still too hot when you mixed it with the eggs, causing them to begin cooking/scrambling before the mixture hit the oven. If you make it again, make sure the melted butter has time to cool a bit, or you could try making it with extra applesauce or mashed banana in place of the eggs if you wish. (See instructions in the recipe Notes section.)
I love this recipe!! I make it every week❤️
So amazing!
Best baked oatmeal I have made by far! So flavorful, chewy on top and custardy on the bottom. Really easy to make and I felt healthy! Recommended to my fam and will definitely make again. I halved the recipe and it turned out perfect!
I made this last Sunday and enjoyed it for breakfast throughout the week. So good! I was going to make it again, but I just noticed the sugar: 15g / serving. Yikes! I would definitely use it for a gathering, but I’m going to seek a recipe with much less sugar for daily use.
Nicole: I cut the maple syrup in half and both my husband and I thought it was still sweet enough since you also have the sweetness from the berries.
Delicious! My husband and I have this often for breakfast. I cook it a little bit underdone, so it stays moist when it’s reheated.
Sheila–that’s a great idea! I made this recipe the night before, so the reheated portions seemed a little on the dry side. Thanks for the tip.