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Why I Love Baked Oatmeal
The next time you need a quick breakfast and do not want cereal, make this baked oatmeal recipe. In my house, baked oatmeal is a freezer staple. I love to make this on a weekend and enjoy it for breakfast all week long. The best part is that the ingredient list is simple and uses pantry items we often have on the shelf. So if you’re looking for something to make this weekend, this is the recipe!
View this as a baseline recipe, one where you start and build upon. This makes a slightly sweet oatmeal with good oat flavor. Dried fruits and toasted nuts can be mixed into the batter and baked. But rather than adding to the raw batter, my favorite method is to add these additions after baking, right before eating. Either way, the dish is utterly delicious!
Baked Oatmeal Ingredients
- Eggs, since they provide texture, are what make this a baked oatmeal and not a bowl of oatmeal. The eggs also add good protein and healthy fat for a breakfast food.
- Applesauce is a holdover from the 1970’s as a way to reduce the use of oil. Oil adds moisture but does nothing for flavor. Applesauce, on the other hand, lends some sweetness and moisture. Use no-sugar-added applesauce or make it homemade.
- Honey adds the needed sweetness, but not so much that this becomes a dessert. When it comes to breakfast, sweetness has a fine line. You need just enough to balance out the flavors, and that’s exactly what happens in this recipe.
- Greek yogurt adds protein and richness to the baked oatmeal. Yogurt acts much like sour cream, but has more health benefits with probiotics and nutrients.
- Milk acts much like it does when making a bowl of oatmeal. The milk brings the ingredients together but sets up to create a baked oatmeal that is sliceable rather than soupy.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats are the main ingredient. I recommend only using rolled oats rather than minute oats. Rolled oats are less processed and have a thicker texture. The outcome is a baked oatmeal that puts the oats at the forefront for a nice chew and good flavor.
The ingredients mix together easily in one bowl. Once baked, the squares can be cut and served immediately or frozen individually for a quick breakfast. To up the protein, serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and berries.
This really is the fast-food breakfast item we can all have ready to go. When we bake ahead and plan for the mornings, healthier choices are easy to make!
Follow These Tips
Storage
Once the oatmeal is baked and cooled, slice it into the desired serving size. Store each cool piece in a freezer-safe container, making sure to leave a small amount of space around each piece. Alternatively, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight freezer-safe container.
More Breakfast Recipes
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
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Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup honey
- 6 cups old-fashioned oats
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Once whisked, mix in the applesauce. Add the Greek yogurt and milk and whisk to combine. Pour in the vanilla extract and honey. Whisk until smooth. Add the oats, baking soda, and salt. Using a spatula, fold to combine.4 large eggs, ¾ cup applesauce, 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 cup whole milk, 2 tsp vanilla extract, ¾ cup honey, 6 cups old-fashioned oats, 3 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp kosher salt
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake in the preheated oven until the baked oatmeal is golden and set in the middle, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
My husband did not like this. This is from someone who eats breakfast bars that taste like cardboard. I thought it was OK but I will not make it again.It was somewhat bland and lacked sweetness I have tried many of your recipes with great flavor and success this one not so much.
Hello! That’s too bad you didn’t enjoy the baked oatmeal. I understand a recipe cannot always be everyone’s favorite and sometimes recipes on the healthier side are not crowd pleasers. Glad you have enjoyed other recipes.
Just made this with frozen blueberries added in!! I didn’t see anything in the instructions about refrigerating. Can this hang in the fridge for a week, or should it be frozen right away? Thank you!
Hello! Yes you can keep this in the fridge for up to a week, no problem! I am so used freezing everything I often forget about the fridge!
I was so excited to make this, I had all the ingredients. I just took them out of the oven and let them rest for 10 minutes and took a corner off and I’ve got to say they are flavorless and kind of eggy tasting. I followed your recipe to a T…I don’t know where I went wrong. I wanted them to taste delicious. Help? My only additions were half a cup of chopped walnuts and quarter cup of dried cranberries.
Hello! The additions should not have been a problem at all. I often add various nuts or dried fruits and do not change anything. The fact of it tasting eggy is a hard one, the result should be slightly sweet but not eggy per se. I will say this is a base recipe and for flavors, you can always add cinnamon or other spices that you enjoy, even like pumpkin pie spice.
with the eggs, yogurt, milk, and honey, looks like a great beginning for french toast too!
I LOVE all your recipes and I’m very much looking forward to making this!
This looks wonderful, but I have a slight dairy intolerance. Is there something I could substitute for the yogurt, or could I simply leave it out and maybe increase the “milk?” I would probably be using Almond Milk.
Hi Kaleb, I have been following your post on Facebook for some time and I just love everything you get yourself into (lol). I also love to cook and garden. Do you have a cookbook, if not you should? I have tried other recipes for Baked Oatmeal and was not impressed but will defiantly give yours a try. I added the comment about leaving the oatmeal for 10 minutes prior to placing it in the pan in the written instructions, a good tip to let it rest. Thanks!!
Have you tried mixing this up the night before and keeping it in the refrigerator overnight? Would that work? I loved making this – 3/3 kids gave thumbs up on breakfast!
Hi Kaleb,
I want to make this recipe so badly but I have a couple questions. Is the oil absolutely necessary? And it sounds rather sweet and sugary so I wanted to ask if you have any tweaks or alternatives?
Thank you so much!
There is no oil in this recipe. It is not very sweet at all, unless 7.5 g of sugar per serving is excessively sweet for you. Perhaps you got this recipe confused with another recipe. The baked oatmeal is a delightful tender chewy oatmeal base that is topped with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. Or just fruit. We like it dusted with cinnamon too.
This is a terrific brunch recipe!!!
Hi Just wondered if these would be good to cut in squares and kept in frig for little bars to munch on? Just wondered :>
OH MY!! How crazy is this … I’m getting company next weekend and had just made baked oatmeal for in my freezer for a brunch we are having! WOW!! Great minds think alike! 🙂
I LOVE all your recipes and I’m very much looking forward to making this!