Breakfast is definitely the “hardest” meal in our house. Not because of the meal itself; rather, due to the time of the day in which this meal is served. Breakfast time = crazy time. There’s getting out the door for school, making sure everyone has what they need for the day, and trying to get in a nourishing breakfast on top of this. Today, let’s make an easy breakfast idea that you can prep in advance for those busy weekday mornings: baked oatmeal.
Today’s recipe, a baked oatmeal with blueberries (or your favorite fruit), is a great family recipe because just about everyone loves oatmeal. Well, except my husband. I think he’s just an exception to the rule. He has very strong opinions about food. To name a few…
- dinner should always include either meat or cheese
- oatmeal is boring
- slow-cooker meals are disgusting
Because of these strong opinions, Dustin is one of the best taste testers and recipe approvers. He’s brutally honest, in a good way, and can detect even the slightest “off” taste. That said, this oatmeal recipe is, surprisingly, a winner with him. Maybe it’s because the oatmeal is baked, which makes it slightly different than the stove-top version he grew up with—the version I’m slowly helping him fall in love with. It’s a slow process.
As we’ve talked about before, there are multiple ways to enjoy real ingredients. Just because you don’t care for one way at the moment, doesn’t mean you don’t like that ingredient. This pancake recipe is another great example of how oats may be enjoyed beyond a traditional oatmeal. This applies to veggies, fruits, meat, and just about any and every real ingredient out there.
What is Baked Oatmeal?
Baked oatmeal is simply that: oats that are baked with a few other ingredients which then create more like oatmeal bars than a traditional bowl of “porridge” or oatmeal.
To make a baked oatmeal, you only need a few ingredients:
- old fashioned rolled oats
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- salt
- a milk of your choice
- eggs (the binder to hold everything together)
- a natural sweetener, either maple syrup or honey
- a bit of melted butter
- vanilla
Once the ingredients are combined, bake the oatmeal in a baking dish until firm. Then, cut the oatmeal into bars. Serve the oatmeal warm or at room temperature, alone or topped with yogurt.
The baked oatmeal will have a firm, but still moist (I know, we all hate that word to describe a baked good, but if you can think of a better one let me know) texture with a slightly sweet and nutty (thanks to the oats) taste.
Baked Oatmeal Tips and Tricks
Here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind when preparing baked oatmeal for breakfast.
Save Time and Prep This Recipe in Advance
This recipe is a great food prep option that will save you time during the week. You can make a batch of oatmeal on Sunday morning for breakfast, and then use the leftovers again on Monday and even Tuesday morning. If your kiddos love this oatmeal, you could even include a slice in their lunchbox. Oatmeal is one of the kids favorite lunchbox meals.
Change Up The Fruit
While this recipe was tested and written as a baked oatmeal with blueberries, the seasonal fruit possibilities are endless. You could use chopped apples or banana slices, or try nuts or seeds, or maybe peaches. I think it will be fun to experiment with this recipe throughout the year. I would love to hear what version becomes your family’s favorite.
More Healthy Oatmeal Recipes
- Make-Ahead Overnight Oats
- Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Banana-Oat Breakfast Cookies
- Homemade Granola
- No-Bake Energy Bites
Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries (Make-Ahead Breakfast, Gluten-Free, Dairy and Egg-Free Option)
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (208g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2-2 tsp ground cinnamon depending on taste
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup milk such as: whole milk or a plant-based milk
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey*
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 TB butter melted, or melted virgin coconut oil
- 1 cup frozen wild blueberries **
Special Equipment:
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch square baking dish with butter or oil.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and sweetener of choice (honey or maple syrup).
- Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Finally, stir in the melted coconut oil (or butter). You don’t want to stir the coconut oil into the milk or you will have clumps--that's why we're adding it after the ingredients are mixed.
- Let the oatmeal rest for 5 minutes for the oats to absorb the liquids.
- Gently fold the frozen blueberries into the oatmeal and pour into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top of the oatmeal with your spoon or the back of a measuring cup.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center is firm and edges are browned.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Can I use quick cooking oats? I’ve made this a million times before but just slipped and grabbed the wrong oats. We love this so much with Greek yogurt and honey drizzled on top!
Hey Laura, Yum!! I’m honestly not 100% sure, but I think it’s best to stick to rolled oats.
This is so good and even better that I had all the ingredients on hand! I used GF oats and it was perfect. I might have overcooked but I put a little almond milk over it and it did the trick. Adding this to the breakfast rotation!
YUM! That sounds great Jess! Thanks for sharing.
LS Team
Hey, my oatmeal came out wet and mushy, what did I do wrong? Can I fix it
Hey Randa, It should be moist, but not wet and mushy. I would let it bake for longer.
I just made this for the first time. I tested it with a toothpick and it came out clean. I was surprised to see the inside was wet and mushy. Is this normal? Is it safe to eat?
It shouldn’t be mushy. Hope the emailed helped!
LS Team
In our home we call this breakfast cake 🙂 Have so far only made it with apple and really enjoyed it reheated the next day (but there was only one slice left over!)
This is now a regular breakfast spoil in our home!
Today I replaced the 1 cup of seasonal fruit with half a cup of raisins and half a cup of crushed mixed raw unsalted nuts and it was absolutely divine 🙂
When I tell my kids that we are having this oatmeal they are so excited. The other night when I tucked my daughter into bed she told me she couldn’t wait to wake up and have breakfast because we were having this baked oatmeal. We put some yogurt on top and it is delicious.
Sara, That’s amazing!!!
I absolutely love this recipe. I made it with fresh blueberries from my own bushes and froze individual portions for breakfasts at work. A couple of seconds in the microwave and I had a nice hearty warm breakfast. It is hard to believe there is no processed sugars in it. Mother nature sure knows what she is doing with honey and maple syrup. I haven’t missed processed sugar in anything I’ve made off this site.
That’s awesome, Tracy! Thank you so much for sharing.
Hi Anke, Your favorite “egg substitute” should work great!
Hey Kristin! I love your blog and want to make this lovely baked oatmeal… Do you think I can swap the flaxegg with ground flea seed husks? Greetings from Germany..
This recipe is PERFECT! What a nice alternative to mushy, boring oatmeal!
I’m so glad you’re loving the oatmeal, Trina! I agree, it’s a nice break from traditional oatmeal.
Hi
If I wanted to soak my oatmeal before hand would I need to change any of the ingredients?
Thanks!
Hey Emily, You could try. I don’t know if it will change the texture of the final dish since I haven’t tried soaking the oats. Another great option is to use something like One Degree brand sprouted oats, so you get the soaked benefits but without soaking.
Let me know if you try soaking!
I was watching the oven the whole time waiting till I could try it! So delicious! I’m not usually a fan of baked oatmeal. I prefer creamy instant pot or stovetop oats but I figured it was worth a shot. The end result is so satisfying. It’s not dry like most baked oats but is still sliceable and firmer than regular oatmeal. This will definitely be a regular breakfast addition. Thanks for another great recipe!
This looks so yummy!
Question….how or what do you serve with it? Is that yogurt I see, or milk/cream?
Thanks, Nicole. Yes, that’s yogurt. You can serve it alone, like a baked good, too.
I did make it with frozen blueberries that we picked this past summer at a local family blueberry farm. So good!
This is so delicious! Looking forward to eating leftovers during the week. Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Yay, Belinda. I’m so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal. The leftovers are so good! Did you make it with blueberries or use a different fruit?
This is delicious!
Could I make it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning or would that not work well with the oats soaking up the liquid?
I’m so glad you loved it, Julie! That’s a good question. I’m not sure. It would be worth a try, but I would leave out the blueberries.
This is delicious!!!
Could I make this the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning or would that not work well with the oats soaking up the liquid?
Apple cinnamon is my kids’ favorite choice.