Baked Oatmeal Recipe
This delicious Baked Oatmeal Recipe takes just a few minutes to prepare. It’s an easy make ahead breakfast for busy mornings. Top your baked oatmeal with fruit, nuts or nut butter for a hearty and healthy breakfast.
Oatmeal is a favorite for breakfast because it’s nutritious, filling, and easy to customize with your favorite toppings. Recently, rather than cooking oatmeal on the stove, I’ve been making this baked oatmeal recipe.
It is incredibly easy to make! You mix all of the ingredients together in one big bowl, pour it into a baking dish, and bake it in your oven. Then sit down and start your day with a warm, delicious meal.
This basic baked oatmeal recipe is easy to customize. Add your favorite fresh or frozen fruit or nuts to this recipe, or try my Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal or Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal. This baked oatmeal is especially delicious with blueberries mixed in.
This recipe makes eight servings, and the leftovers reheat well for a quick breakfast on busy mornings. You’ll find instructions for reheating the oatmeal below.
How to Make Baked Oatmeal
To make this baked oatmeal recipe, you’ll start by combining most of the ingredients in a large bowl: two eggs, milk, water, maple syrup or brown sugar, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix these together well using a whisk.
If you prefer a richer, creamier oatmeal, you can replace the water with additional milk.
Next, stir in the oats. If you want to mix in berries, other fruit, or nuts, stir them in now. Pour the mixture into a lightly greased baking dish.
Bake the oatmeal until it is set. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly clean. Serve the oatmeal warm, with toppings as desired.
Make Ahead Directions and Reheating
I’ll often bake this oatmeal the night before and reheat individual servings in the morning for breakfast. Be sure to let the baked oatmeal cool for a while before you put it into the refrigerator.
You can also prepare the baked oatmeal the night before and refrigerate it before baking. I recommend waiting to add any fruit or other mix-ins right before baking. In the morning all that you’ll have to do is put it in the oven and wait for your breakfast to be ready!
This oatmeal recipe tastes just as good reheated. To reheat, scoop an individual portion into a microwave-safe bowl, add a little milk, and microwave until hot. Add toppings as desired and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- You can add fruit to the oatmeal before baking. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, raisins, chopped apple or pears would all be delicious. Or try adding some shredded carrot, coconut or chopped nuts.
- If you have a ripe banana or two, you can mash them and mix the mashed banana in with the wet ingredients. The banana will add natural sweetness!
- You can halve this recipe to make fewer servings. Bake in an 8×8-inch square baking dish.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use your favorite non dairy milk, such as almond milk.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.
- Can you use steel cut oats in this recipe? You can’t swap steel cut oats for the old fashioned oats in this recipe. While you can make baked oatmeal with steel cut oats, it requires a different ratio of oats to liquid and a different baking time.
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes:
Baked Oatmeal Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups milk, whichever type you prefer
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup, or brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 ½ cups berries, chopped apples, etc., optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch or 2-quart baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, water, maple syrup (or brown sugar), vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the oats and stir until combined. If adding fruit, such as berries or chopped apple, stir it in now.
- Carefully pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until oatmeal is set and lightly browned on top. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, place a serving of oatmeal in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour in a little milk and heat until hot, breaking up the oatmeal with a spoon as needed. Serve with toppings as desired.
- If you need your baked oatmeal to be gluten-free, be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, use your favorite non dairy milk, such as almond milk.
- You can halve this recipe to make fewer servings. Bake in an 8x8-inch square baking dish.
This baked oatmeal looks fantastic, Kristine! Maple is one of my favorite flavors, and I love the addition of cinnamon! What a great idea to bake it, too. Makes it so easy to have for breakfast during the week. Pinned!
Thanks so much for the pin, Gayle! Maple and cinnamon are my favorite oatmeal flavorings.
This looks delicious! Would it work with quick oats? That’s all I have right now!
Thank you, Jennifer! I wouldn’t recommend using quick oats. They would make the texture of this not so good.
I always have to have cinnamon in my oatmeal! This version sounds so yummy!
I put cinnamon in my oatmeal every time. It’s essential!
I love oatmeal for breakfast too! Im going to have to try this one night because hubby wakes up earlier then I do and if he can reheat it – well I can sleep a little longer. 😉
That sounds like the perfect plan to me!
I love the idea of making this in advance and reheating it in the mornings! Morning always comes way too quickly for me, and this would be the perfect thing to get me going!
I bet mornings come quickly for you these days, with a newborn! I plan to keep this in my fridge once my baby girl arrives because I know I’ll be needing it for quick breakfasts. (And maybe even midnight snacks!)
I’ll have to try baked oatmeal! I love that quick prep time! Perfect!
Baked oatmeal is so convenient, Kelly! I think you’ll love it!
I LOVE baked oatmeal, Kristine, and I always love a nice toasted nut crunch! Cinnamon and maple syrup are always in my morning bowl, too — those flavors are the best! Pinned. 🙂
We are totally on the same page when it comes to oatmeal, Marcie! Thanks so much for pinning!
I’m obsessed with baked oatmeal recipes online and when I’ve had them… but I never actually make them regularly! I have no clue why… this needs to change, starting with this recipe! 🙂
This one is super simple, and the eggs in the recipe help to bind the oatmeal and give it an almost custard-like texture. It’s delicious! 🙂
This oatmeal has all of my favorite things in it! I love anything maple flavored and nuts are perfect on top of oatmeal. I would top it with yogurt and fresh berries!
Mmmm yogurt and fresh berries sound delicious! I’ve never topped my oatmeal with yogurt – I’ve got to try that soon!
Wow!! I need to try this. Oatmeal is my favorite, but the stove-top variety isn’t my favorite.
This baked oatmeal is more flavorful than plain stove-top oatmeal, and the eggs give it an almost custard-like texture. It’s delicious! If you try it, I hope you like it!
I love a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast in the mornings, it’s delicious! This baked oatmeal sounds perfect and easy for people like me who are always rushing out the door 😉 Pinned!
It doesn’t get much easier than a quick reheat in the microwave on a busy morning! Thanks for pinning, Danielle!
Bakes oatmeal has been on my list of to do’s for quite some time. This looks so good Kristine. Yummm
Thanks, Kathy! You’ve got to try it!
Mmm, I love baked oatmeal. I kind of want to go make it right now so it’ll be ready to go in the morning!
I think that’s a very good idea! 😉
I’ve never baked oatmeal before but I absolutely must give it a try! After all your granola recipes pushed me over the edge and I finally made homemade granola, so I have a feeling you are right about baked oatmeal! Pinned!
I’m pretty sure you’ll love this, Lindsey! You just reminded me, I need to make a batch of granola soon! Thanks for pinning! 🙂
I just love baked oatmeal! It’s such a simple, fuss-free breakfast option. I can just imagine how perfect this oatmeal would taste nice and hot with lots of milk and extra syrup on top! 🙂
That is one hearty dish. Love baked oatmeal!
Thanks, Ginny! It’s a great way to start your day!
I haven’t tried baked oatmeal, but this looks really easy and delicious. I’ll have to make it soon!
Thanks, Andi! I hope you do!
Cinnamon is definitely my favorite oatmeal flavor, so this is lookin’ great right about now! And I love how it’s baked too! Pinned 🙂
Gotta have lots of cinnamon in our oatmeal! 😉 Thanks so much for pinning!
You know, I’ve actually never baked my oatmeal before. But I should start because it sounds so easy! I like mine with lots of milk too. And raisins and almonds. Great warm breakfast for cold mornings. I love your maple and pecan version!
My husband thinks I’m crazy for how much milk I put in but it is sooo good that way! Now I can tell him I’m not the only one who drowns their oatmeal in milk. 🙂
I used to make fun breakfasts all the time but lately I’ve been in a rut… Baked oatmeals are SOOO yummy, I’ve gotta make one soon! Love the cinnamon and maple flavors in this one!
This baked oatmeal is just the thing to get out of your breakfast rut! 🙂 I also love to make granola – it gives me something to look forward to in the mornings!
This looks delicious. If I were to make this is smaller portions (separated in muffin tins) to freeze and reheat as I want, how long do you think it would last in the freezer?
I haven’t tried freezing this baked oatmeal, so I can’t say for sure how it will reheat from the freezer. Be sure to bake it and let it cool completely before freezing, then it should keep for 1-2 months. Let me know how it works for you!
This looked and read like a dream and made it right away! In the oven as I write. Thank you for sharing this inspirational healthy yet delicious recipe! Pinned.
Thanks, Marielle! I hope you enjoy this!
Thank you @Kristine for co-hosting this great giveaway! I was contacted by Kristi and I am the winner! Yeah! I love following your blog and collecting all of these fantastic recipes. I will be stopping by often.
Congratulations, Trish! Thank you so much for reading and for leaving such a sweet comment! 😉
Dear Kristine, I would love this for breakfast. Baked oats is something I have not tried before, but it sounds delish. xo, Catherine
Once you try baked oatmeal, you’ll be hooked! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Simply loving your gingerbread baked oatmeal cup! I’m wondering if you can tell me how many calories there might be in a serving ie two cups. Thanks
Hi Lynn, thank you! The gingerbread oatmeal cups have 225 calories per 2 oatmeal cups serving. I’m so glad you are enjoying them!
Hi Kristine, I love your blog and all your recipes, you’ve been a lifesaver for me. I have a question for you, I’ve run out of vanilla extract and wont go to the store for non essentials these days ? would it be a problem the bake this recipe and others without vanilla extract ?
Vanilla extract is included for flavor only. You might notice a little less sweetness or other flavor in recipes, but they should still turn out fine. 🙂 Thank you for trying my recipes!
Hi there! Just mixed this up and my mixture seems a lot frothier than yours in the picture before I poured it. Is that normal?Â
It should be fine. It may just be a little frothy from air if you mixed up up a lot.
Is there a substitute for the eggs? I can’t have eggs. Otherwise I would love to try this because I love oatmeal.
I haven’t tried this without the eggs, but it may work with flax eggs. Instead of using the 2 eggs, you could try mixing 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 5 tablespoons of water. Let the flax and water sit for about 5 minutes to thicken, and then add it to the recipe in place of the eggs.
I love baked oatmeal! I make an 8×8 size each week for my M-F breakfasts. Being diabetic, I have made a few tweaks to lessen the sugar/carbs… I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk & sugar free syrup. It still tastes fantastic! I love mixing in a chopped apple and I always an extra tsp (maybe more!) of cinnamon. I’ve also used dried cranberries and used almond extract instead of vanilla… so good!