I get a lot of recipe requests and ideas from readers and, although I can’t try them all, I absolutely love hearing them. They’re so inspirational! Not too long ago, Sarah dropped me a line on Facebook asking if I had ever thought about making an oatmeal cookie flavored baked oatmeal. Well, what could be more natural than Oatmeal Cookie flavored Baked Oatmeal?
What’s in Oatmeal Cookie Flavored Baked Oatmeal
So I asked myself, “what makes an oatmeal cookie taste like an oatmeal cookie? What could I add to my generic baked oatmeal recipe to make it less like regular oatmeal and more like an oatmeal cookie?”
Of course it will need a little extra sugar, but I still want my baked oatmeal to be breakfast worthy and not just a large casserole dish full of dessert. So, I used a little extra brown sugar, increased the vanilla and cinnamon, added a pinch of nutmeg, threw in some raisins (obvi), and used up some unsweetened apple sauce that I had left over in my fridge (for added sweetness). Oh yeah! And butter. We’re going for “cookie” here, so I added a lil butter. The result?
It’s like an oatmeal cookie’s older, more healthful sibling. Not quite as rich and sweet as an oatmeal cookie (otherwise it would just be one), but it shares the same genes for sure. And yeah, this Oatmeal Cookie Baked Oatmeal WILL make your house smell like oatmeal cookies while baking!
What is Baked Oatmeal Like?
This tends to be a source of confusion on all past baked oatmeal recipes: the texture of baked oatmeal is not crunchy. It’s soft and moist, yet solid. Baked oatmeal is just oats baked into a custard. So think of it like bread pudding, but made with oats instead of bread.
How to Eat Baked Oatmeal
I love baked oatmeal because it can be served several different ways. It’s great hot right out of the oven, reheated in the microwave, or even cold. Sometimes I eat it as is, sometimes I add cold milk on top. This one is sweet enough for me, but if you want even more sweetness you can add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
Meal Prep It!
Baked oatmeal makes a great breakfast meal prep, or make-ahead breakfast. It will last about 4-5 days in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for long term storage. I suggest dividing the baked oatmeal into single serving containers just after baking, then refrigerating them overnight. Once completely chilled, transfer some to the freezer for later and save a few in the refrigerator for the next few days.
“Oatmeal Cookie” Baked Oatmeal
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1.5 cups unsweetened applesauce ($1.00)
- 1 large egg ($0.27)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar ($0.16)
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract ($0.42)
- 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon ($0.15)
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg ($0.02)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1 tsp baking powder ($0.06)
- 2 Tbsp melted butter ($0.20)
- 1.5 cups milk ($0.56)
- 1/2 cup raisins ($0.75)
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.51)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a large bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and melted butter. Once whisked smooth, add the milk and whisk until smooth again.
- Add the raisins and dry rolled oats. Stir with a spoon until the mixture is combined. Lightly coat a 9×9 casserole dish (or any 2-3 quart casserole dish) with non-stick spray, then pour the oat mixture into the dish.
- Bake the oatmeal uncovered in the fully preheated oven for 45 minutes. Divide into six portions and serve. Baked oatmeal is good warm or cold and tastes great with cold milk poured over top.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Oatmeal Cookie Baked Oatmeal – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups unsweetened applesauce, 1 large egg, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder, and 2 Tbsp melted butter.
Whisk those ingredients together until smooth.
Then add 1.5 cups milk and whisk again. It’s easier to add the milk after the thicker ingredients are already combined because it will be really splashy if you try to add the milk first.
Add 1/2 cup raisins and 3 cups of dry old-fashioned rolled oats. I like old-fashioned rolled oats the best because the pieces are large and have a lot of texture. If you use quick oats, there will be less texture variation in your final product.
Switch from a whisk to a spoon and stir the oats and raisins into the wet ingredients.
Lightly coat the inside of a 2-3 quart casserole dish (about 9×9 inches if using a square) with non-stick spray. Pour the oat mixture into the dish.
Bake the oats uncovered in the fully preheated oven for 45 minutes. The oats will absorb the liquid and become tender, but slightly chewy. The outer edges and surface should be ever so slightly browned.
Baked oatmeal tastes just as good cold as it does warm. Sometimes I reheat it in the microwave in the morning, but sometimes I just eat it cold. I love it with some cold milk poured over top.
Baked oatmeal 4 life! (Especially when it’s OATMEAL COOKIE Baked Oatmeal)
So good! We have a dairy allergy in our house so I did use oat milk in place of milk and avocado oil in place of the butter. It was delicious! 10/10 recommend. Also a great recipe if you have little helpers as it’s easy for them to stir together.
We make this several times a month, every month. I follow the recipe exactly and It always turns out perfectly. I love the health benefits of oatmeal and eating Oatmeal Cookie Baked Oatmeal makes my family feel like they’re getting a treat every time they have it!
Literally the best baked oatmeal I’ve ever had. Followed the recipe to a T and it was perfect. I’m singing its praises to my friends and family and it’s going in the permanent breakfast rotation.
I’m just like you (but older) and normally, I don’t sign up for anyone’s newsletters or emails!!! For you I’ve made an exception because of the way you wrote up the recipe and because of your philosophy. I wish you a ton of success!!
Thank you!!
Can you use almond milk in place of cows milk?
Yep, that will work great for this. :)
Delicious and filling! My husband doesn’t like raisins, so I add chopped dried dates instead.
Hands down the best baked oatmeal! This oatmeal cookie is my favorite and your banana bread baked oats is my husbands. It’s so easy to make and I love meal prepping it for the week. The only substitution I use is coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Can I use this recipe to make oatmeal cookies?
We haven’t tested this recipe with the goal of making cookies, so I’m hesitant to say it will work out without being absolutely certain. However, that’s a great recipe idea I will share with the team! I think you could definitely make this into oatmeal bars! I’d suggest baking the batter in a square dish lined with parchment paper. Once completely cool, lift out of the dish with the wings of the parchment and slice into bars. ~ Marion :)
This is the best baked oatmeal recipe I have ever made! Great recipe, thanks!
This is sooo delicious, believe the hype and do yourself a favor and make this. I did make two changes to the recipe (1) I used coconut oil instead of melted butter and (2) added two big handfuls of shredded coconut to the mix. This is my second baked oatmeal recipe I have tried and this one truly is amazing. I can see how many people have commented how easy it is to add/swap ingredients for this recipe. Next time I may do a little less brown sugar, not that there is anything wrong with the amount listed. It’s just I’m personally trying to cut back on my sugars. I’m looking forward to enjoying this for the rest of the week. Thank you!
Yum. I wouldn’t say it tasted like a cookie, but it is definitely oatmeal raisin goodness.
Worth the extra few minutes it takes to brown the butter! I can already tell we’ll make this on repeat.
Up until I found this recipe I wasn’t a fan of baked oatmeal. I wanted to love it but every recipe I tried was dry, bland or a weird texture. That is until I found your recipe… THIS IS THE BEST BAKED OATMEAL EVER!! Perfect texture, amazing flavor, so easy to make and meal prep! And when reheating it I added a touch of maple syrup and some oat milk. DELICIOUS! Today I’m baking your banana bread baked oatmeal!
This recipe gave me an idea for using up an open jar of applesauce. Since I like freshly-cooked oatmeal, I made it this morning with equal amounts of rolled oats and applesauce. Then I eyeballed water, dried cranberries, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and microwaved for several minutes. This turned out really well, though I’ll add more of my aged/weakened nutmeg next time. This will be my daily breakfast until I use up that darned applesauce.