This delicious Baked Oatmeal is one of the easiest, and tastiest, breakfasts ever! You are going to love this no fuss recipe ... it's full of flavor and so easy to customize with different fruits, nuts, and more! Perfect for lazy mornings and for meal prep.
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There's nothing better than starting the day with a hot meal, and this delicious Baked Oatmeal recipe is the easiest way to do it. Just mix the ingredients together, throw it in the oven, and this recipe cooks itself ... no standing over the store required!
Homemade Baked Oats have the same flavor you love in classic oatmeal, but they're so much easier to make. The best thing about this simple, straightforward recipe is that it's so easy to customize with different fruits, nuts, and other tasty ingredients and toppings.
This is a great make ahead recipe, too! Bake it on Sunday, and you'll have a hot breakfast you'll look forward to eating all week long (perfect for meal prep).
Ready to get cooking? Keep scrolling for all the details!
Why You'll Love this Recipe
Here's a few reasons why you're going to love this recipe:
- Taste - These homemade Baked Oats are total comfort food! You'll love the delicious, cozy flavor.
- Healthy - This recipe uses nutritious ingredients, including fiber-packed oats and protein-filled dairy. Eating oats aids in digestion, keeps you full longer, and they're low calorie (great for weight loss). Plus, you can pile on healthy toppings, like fruit (adding antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals). Read more about the health benefits of oats.
- Versatile - You'll never get bored with this recipe, because it's so simple to customize it with different toppings and mix-ins.
- Grab and Go - This is the perfect make head breakfast that's ideal for meal prep (and clean eating). Spend a few minutes prepping the recipe, and you'll have a tasty morning meal all week long. Never skip breakfast again!
- Cheap - Rolled oats are super budget friendly and one container makes a lot of meals. Planning breakfasts around them is an easy way to save money at the grocery store.
Ingredients
One of the best things about this recipe, is that it uses such basic ingredients ... you probably already have most of them in your pantry! Here's what you'll need:
- Oats - This recipe was created using old fashioned rolled oats. Avoid instant oats and steel cut oats which both absorb liquids differently and have different cooking times.
- Cinnamon - Fragrant ground cinnamon gives this oatmeal bake a classic flavor.
- Brown Sugar - This recipe is lightly sweetened with brown sugar, which gives it a rich, warm flavor.
- Vanilla - A little vanilla extract adds another layer of tasty flavor to the recipe.
- Milk - For best results, use 2% or whole milk. Plant based milks also work great (I used soy milk).
- Eggs - The recipe calls for two large eggs, which help bind the ingredients together.
- Leavener - A bit of baking Powder helps the oats rise a bit, lightening the overall texture.
- Salt - A little kosher salt brightens and enhances all the flavors.
- Add-Ins - These Baked Oats are delicious as-is, but you can also add nuts, fruit, and more for extra flavor. Check out the Variations section below for ideas.
This recipe is naturally vegetarian, as well as gluten free. Of course, if you have an allergy, use oats specifically marked gluten free to avoid cross-contamination. For a vegan option, use plant based milk and skip the eggs, or use a vegan egg replacer.
You'll Also Need
You'll need a small bowl to beat the eggs, a large bowl to mix the oatmeal ingredients together, and an 8 x 8-inch square pan to bake the casserole. I used my beautiful Emile Henry Square Baker ... it's easy to clean and looks so pretty on the table!
How to Make Baked Oatmeal
This recipe couldn't be easier to make! You'll find a detailed recipe card below, but here's an overview of the steps:
- Mix the dry ingredients. Start by mixing together the rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nuts (if using) in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients. Next, add the milk, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Bake. Transfer the oatmeal mixture to a square baking dish, then bake until firm and lightly browned on top.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. While this oatmeal casserole is tasty plain, it's even better served with fresh fruit, yogurt, and other toppings.
Wasn't that simple? And it tastes great, too ... you are going to love this easy Baked Oatmeal recipe!
Variations
This tasty breakfast is about as basic as it gets ... which means it's easy to customize! Here are some easy ideas to inspire you:
- Fresh Fruit - Stir in two cups of your favorite fruit along with the wet ingredients. Apples, blueberries, bananas, peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and more will all work.
- Dried Fruit - You could also add ½ cup dried fruit, such as cranberries or raisins. A little diced crystallized ginger would also be a super tasty addition.
- Nuts - Mix in ½ cup nuts for added texture and flavor. Walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, and more would all be delish.
- Chocolate - Treat yourself by stirring in ½ cup chocolate chips or chunks.
- Spices - This recipe uses cinnamon for a classic flavor, but other warm spices, like cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, or allspice, would also be delicious. You could even use a spice blend, like apple pie spice, pumpkin spice, or chai spice.
- Sweetener - Substitute ¼ cup maple syrup for the brown sugar for a natural sweeter.
- Vegan - To make this recipe vegan, simply use plant based milk and skip the eggs (or use a vegan egg replacement).
- Cups - Want to portion the recipe into single servings before baking? Bake it in a muffin tin instead of a square pan. Make sure to spray the cups with nonstick spray, and watch them closely, because the baking time will be about 10 to 15 minutes less.
Serving Suggestions
As you can probably tell from the photos, Baked Oatmeal has a different texture from the creamy porridge you get when making stovetop oats. It's more of a breakfast casserole and has a firmer, bread pudding-like consistency.
You can keep things simple and serve this oatmeal as-is, or you can top it with fresh fruits, fruit sauces (like this Strawberry Compote or this Blueberry Compote), nuts, and yogurt. Some people even like it with milk. If you like a sweeter breakfast, sprinkle it with a little brown sugar or drizzle with maple syrup.
Storage
Baked Oats are a wonderful make ahead breakfast that's perfect for meal prep! Prepare the recipe on Sunday, then enjoy it all week! Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container (they'll stay fresh for four days), then reheat gently in your microwave before eating.
You can also freeze leftovers for one to two months. I recommend wrapping individual portions separately, then storing them in a larger airtight container. That way, you can easily pull out exactly what you need.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this delicious breakfast, you'll love these recipes, too:
- Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal - This scrumptious variation on this basic recipe is loaded with fruit. So tasty!
- Apple Baked Oatmeal - Pair this recipe with apples for a cozy fall breakfast.
- Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal - If you're a pumpkin lover, then you have to try this tasty recipe!
- Peach Baked Oatmeal - Treat yourself to the easy version that's loaded with fresh, juicy peaches!
- Overnight Oats - This no cook breakfast is one of my favorites ... so easy to customize with different toppings.
- Homemade Granola - You won't believe how easy it is to make granola at home!
- Yogurt Parfait - This simple breakfast parfait is a morning treat you'll look forward to eating.
- Fonio Cereal - A cozy, gluten free porridge that has a wonderful creamy texture and nutty flavor.
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- nonstick baking spray
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups milk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Equipment
- 8 x 8-inch Baking Dish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Stir together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Add milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and nuts (if using). Mix well.
- Transfer oatmeal to baking dish. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
- Serve oatmeal hot or warm. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This sounds so good and it would be a tasty way to start the day.
Thank you so much, Paula! It's definitely a favorite around here 🙂