What is baked oatmeal and why is it different than regular old boiled oats? I had the exact same questions, my friends.
Baked oatmeal is the thicker, almost custard-like cousin, to oatmeal. How can that not be good, right? Well, it took me a couple tries to get the recipe right but I’m happy to say that last weekend I had baked oatmeal success!
You can use any fruit on the bottom. Apples are always an economical choice but use whatever is in season (peaches were on sale this week). I also used some frozen blueberries because I keep a big bag of those in my freezer. You can also try adding things like nuts, ground flax seeds, or other spices. Banana would be incredible with dulce de leche drizzled on top… ooooh.
One word of warning: I don’t like things too sweet so I used a very minimal amount of sugar here. If you want a richer, more decadent, dessert-like baked oatmeal, double the brown sugar.
Baked Oatmeal
Baked Oatmeal
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 med. peaches ($1.06)
- 1/2 cup blueberries ($0.71)
- 1 1/2 cups milk ($0.56)
- 1 cup plain yogurt ($0.50)
- 1 large egg ($0.18)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.08)
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats ($0.34)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda ($0.01)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1 tsp ground ginger ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ($0.02)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Clean the peaches and cut them into chunks. Place the peaches and blueberries in the bottom of an 8×8 baking dish coated with non-stick spray.
- In one bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (milk, yogurt, egg, sugar). In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon). Combine the two bowls and stir until evenly mixed. Pour the mixture over the fruit in the baking dish.
- Cover the dish with foil (to keep the moisture in and steam the oats) and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove the foil at 20 minutes and continue to bake until the top is golden brown (about 25 minutes more).
- Serve warm with cold milk, whipped cream, vanilla yogurt or just plain!
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!This dish can be refrigerated and eaten either hot or cold throughout the week.
Step By Step Photos
These big beautiful peaches were on sale this week so I had to grab ’em up! Use whatever fruit you want. You’ll need about 2 cups worth of chopped fruit.
Preheat the oven and coat a baking dish with non-stick spray. Use an 8×8 inch dish or something close in size. A 9×13 dish will be too big and will make a very thin, flat baked oatmeal. Not good.
Whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl (milk, yogurt, egg, sugar).
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger). Stir until evenly mixed.
Combine the two bowls and stir until mixed.
Pour the oatmeal mixture over the chopped fruit.
Here’s a side view before cooking. It’s not very thick now but as it cooks, it will plump up. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for about 25 minutes more or until the top is golden brown.
See how much thicker it got? The oats soaked up all of that moisture and the milk/yogurt/eggs created an almost custard like texture. Awww-yeah.
Serve it warm or keep it in the refrigerator for a quick breakfast every day of the week!
I like a cold/hot temperature contrast so I like to pour cold milk over top.
I love oats.
I used apricots instead of peaches, and I was out of ginger so I threw in some garam masala and vanilla extract. It tastes a like a chai latte and it’s amazing.
I have made this recipe several times now with whatever fruit I have on hand, delicious everytime. Such an awesome quick breakfast or snack to have on hand! Also I have accidently left the brown sugar out of this and still yummy.
This was awesome, very easy to throw together, and now I have an easy brunch for all week ^_^
I couldn’t find Peaches in store, so I bought some nectarines. Found a berry multipack, and just threw the entire cup of those in with a couple cut up nectarines. When I heat it up, I just cut a pie piece out of my pie pan, nuke for 90 seconds, and pour over some cold whole milk. It’s divine. Perfectly sweet, creamy, and decedent. Thank you for sharing your recipe! I’m very excited to try more fruit combos!
I loved this fleible recipe! I chose to use frozen cherries and almond & vanilla extract instead of the ginger and cinnamon. It was a wonderful, creamy mix and we will be doing it again, but doubled so it lasts longer than one day! :)
Can canned peaches be used? Should cook time be decreased?
Yes, you can use canned peaches. :) I suggest getting peaches canned in juice instead of syrup. You won’t need to decrease the cooking time, as the oats will still need that amount of time.
I made this following the recipe, but next time will try at 375 degrees with no foil, and more baking powder (following the comments you made in the apple pie baked oatmeal blog). I’ve tried almost every flavor and I agree that this one is more mushy (but still tasty!). Maybe you could do a recipe refresh for these older recipes? :)
Just wanted to comment that if you’re looking for a great meal to make for new parents or someone who is sick, this is one of my go-to choices!
This is a fantastic recipe! I was pleasantly surprised by how much my 16 month old loved it & it ended up being a amazing breakfast finger food.
Once schools and daycares open back up, this is going to be on heavy rotation.
This recipe made me fall in love with baked oatmeal. I am going to try something different this time and use grapefruit on top to try to get a creme brulee affect. What I’m not sure of is what fruit I want to mix into the oatmeal. Any suggestions for what pairs well with grapefruit?
Can you double this and use a 13×9 pan to bake it in?
Probably, although you may need to increase the baking time.
Just baked this recipe this morning, it was lovely!
I didn’t have any yogurt so added a little more milk and i’m Really pleased with the results. Just trying not to eat it all!!
Thanks for the recipe 😊
tried this recipe once before and loved it, I added more sugar because I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but all in all, great recipe! I wanted to try the recipe again and I was just wondering if it would this work with steel cut oats? I don’t have any rolled oats on hand and I want to use up the steel cut ones. Thanks!
Unfortunately steel cut oats require a lot more liquid and a much longer cooking time, so it wouldn’t work to swap that here.
So I attempted this with steel cut oats a few times, and the trick is to soak the oats overnight in the milk that was going to be used for the oats mixture (you can put a bit more milk than what is recommended, but not too much). Worked really well, though I prefer regular oats over steel cut ones! Put it in for the same amount of cooking time as well :)
The husband and I just downed this whole thing in one sitting. Needless to say, it was freaking delicious.
Do you think this would work without the fruit? My son does not care for fruit mixed into recipes. So I was thinking I could leave out the fruit and serve some on the side instead.
Yes, it should work fine. You should also check out my “Oatmeal Cookie” flavored baked oatmeal (it’s not too sugary) because it’s kind of a basic/generic flavored baked oatmeal. You can leave the raisins out of that one. :)
Thanks for another awesome, easy, and flexible recipe. Turned out delicious even with many substitutions. I used soy milk for the milk, applesauce for the yogurt and egg, and bananas and defrosted strawberries for the fruit. And cooked it in a toaster oven. So good. I am going to try the fruit on the bottom trick with your other baked oatmeals. Gingerbread is next, with apple and banana at the bottom. Mmm!
Made this with 3 cups total of frozen peaches and frozen (and apparently presweetened!!) strawberries. I also accidentally doubled the baking soda. It took a lot longer to bake because of the frozen fruit and extra liquid.
It still turned out great! It’s not sickeningly sweet — I can still eat it for breakfast. With just a bit of milk, the bottom layer is custardy and the top layer is like an oat muffin. I split it into 10 piece instead of 6, but quickly regretted that since I wanted more!
Just wanted to thank you for this wonderful recipe. I of course did a couple of tweaks as most people seem to, used 3 apples because that’s what I had in the house, and did a combination of Chobani 0% plain and 100 Vanilla. Also used almond milk instead of regular. Oh, and cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice instead of ginger and just 1 tbsp. of Splenda-brown sugar blend. And it is fabulous – had to cook it a little longer than what’s posted because apples take longer to get soft than peaches. Am eating it with a scoop of cottage cheese this morning for breakfast and I think I’m in love. Thank you thank you.
Can you substitute plain yogurt with greek yogurt?
Yes, it does have less moisture, so the oats will probably be a bit more stiff, but I think it will still work okay.
I accidentally bought strawberry yogurt instead of regular plain yogurt. It would still work, right?
Yeah, it will just add a nice strawberry flavor and be a little bit sweeter. :)
We’ve just had it last night, and other than few changes (had apples and blackberries on hand, and vanilla yogurt instead of plain), it was perfect! I did not have a right size dish, so I used a round cake form. Boy was I happy I put a cookie sheet underneath!
Big dollop of vanilla yogurt on top, and I have never seen my 3 year old clean 3 bowls of everything that fast (or at all) before! My husband felt bad eating 2 bowls of “cobbler” for dinner, until I told him it was oatmeal with minimal sugar. Even my dog ate a bowl, after my youngest left his bowl unattended!
Thank you!
AHH this is SO good! I just finished a bowl now. I didn’t have any peaches, so I just put enough frozen berries at the bottom of the dish to cover. Also I used rice milk instead of normal milk, as my family doesn’t keep normal milk in the house. Everything turned out spectacular, and I added a little extra rice milk on top and drizzled a little maple syrup :)
Just made this with apples and blueberries, so good! I didn’t have yogurt so I used applesauce and it came out nicely. Having for dessert now and breakfast in the morning! Loving your blog :)
Anonymous – It should work the same with frozen peaches as it does with fresh and the amount is flexible, so you don’t have to worry about substituting an exact amount to make up for the blueberries. Just make sure the bottom of your baking dish is covered with peaches and you should be good! :) If the peaches are still frozen when you put it in the oven, it may take slightly longer to bake. Just bake until the top is nice and golden brown. Good luck!
I would like to make this with frozen peaches as I have a bunch of them from making smoothies, I also don’t want to add the blueberries. Any suggestions for changes?
I made a double batch with peaches, strawberries, and nutmeg instead of cinnamon this evening! I’m hoping it’ll last me a while, though considering how hard it is to keep myself from trying a slice tonight, it might not. :D
Tinks – I haven’t tried it in the crock pot yet, but that’s a great idea! I think the recipe would have to be tweaked quite a bit for steel cut though, because they require a lot more liquid. So, I don’t know if they’d work because these oats are baked in a custard like mixture, rather than straight liquid.
Have you tried this in a crock pot? Can you use steel cut oats or groats for a bit more texture? Just curious. This sounds delicious!
This dish is fantastic! I’ve been making it once a week in half-batches, using soy milk for extra protein, and adding nuts and dried fruits instead of the fresh. It makes an amazing work breakfast and I am saving $2 a day on substandard muffins from the coffee kiosk in the train station! Still just as good Friday morning as it is on Monday, too. :)
This recipe is amazing! I didn’t have any plain yogurt in the fridge so I substituted vanilla instead, obviously the result is sweeter but I have quite a sweet tooth so I am fully satisfied with it. Also, my fruit combination was apple and nectarine, the apples are sooooo good. I think I might try it with only them next time! Love this!!!
I made this, and stuck it in the fridge still in the pan. For breakfast I cut it in to chunks and put peanut butter on it. It is unbelievably good. I may have cooked it for an incorrect amount of time, because I have a chewy layer of mostly oats with most ofit being slightly mushy. It is rather good this way, but the peanut butter brings it to a whole new level of deliciousness!
How many calories per serving???
You can add it right in but you might need to bake it for 5-10 minutes longer… or let it thaw first :)
If I use frozen fruit, can I add them directly to the recipe or would you suggest thawing them first?
Cranberries would be great although you may want to add more sugar because they are quite a bit more tart than peaches :P
Do you think cranberries would work well with this? I want to try it with apples, but I’m not sure how their texture would hold up over the course of a week.
wow!!!!looks yummy but can u recommend anything that can replace the eggs?
I’ve made this once with blueberries and bananas, and once with apples and cinnamon. It’s delicious! I make one batch on Sunday evening and my husband eats it for breakfast throughout the week, with milk. He loves it. I use a Pyrex dish with the plastic cover and it stays in the fridge throughout the week just fine. I don’t know if this will be relevant to anyone, but just in case…I was out of yogurt so I substituted kvark / fromage blanc for it and it was perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe, and my husband thanks you too: his breakfasts have vastly improved from the cold cereal he was having before. :)
I’ve made this several times and am about to make it again right now! SO good! Even the kids I babysit loved it, their parents were surprised I got them to eat oatmeal. I am thinking about adding applesauce and less sugar this time. Also, Chia seeds are a nice addition.
I’ve made this twice in one week! Apples are great in this. I’ve used banana instead of egg, as I was out, and it substitutes perfectly!
I can’t wait to try this. I’ve been wracking my brain lately on how I’d eat healthy in the a.m. now that we’re back to school. This will work perfectly! A pan for the whole work week! Less dishes (cuz I’m not washing the pot every day) and less work. I’m sold.
Anybody tried this with steel cut oats? Just wondering how that would affect the cooking time and taste.
Rachael, you can use quick oats although the overall texture will be more gooey. Old-fashioned oats are larger pieces so you get better texture. I’m sure it would still taste yummy, though!
This looks really good! I am out of old-fashioned oats, but I have quick oats. Will those work with this recipe?
Oh, and if you halve the recipe, you can still use a whole egg.
Natalie – you might have some water seepage after thawing… but not totally sure. Egg mixtures can sometimes act funny when frozen. Instead, I would suggest halving the recipe and then just keeping it in the fridge. I ate this one for about 5-6 days and it kept pretty well in the fridge :) I even ate it cold most mornings!
Beth – do you think this would freeze well in smaller portions? I’m the only one in my house who eats oatmeal. :)
I see that this comment is from a few years ago, but in case anyone else is wondering the same thing, I thought I’d mention that I made a batch of Beth’s pumpkin baked oatmeal and froze it. The night before I wanted to eat it, I put it in the fridge to defrost and microwaved it the next morning. It worked fine; I suspect this recipe would be similar, though the fruit might give off a little juice, as Beth mentions.
Thanks so much!!
I think you can just substitute the milk and yogurt with soy milk ( so 2.5 cups total) and then add an extra egg to help solidify everything. I haven’t tried it, but I think it will work! :)
My son is lactose intolerant- any ideas on how this would work without the yogurt or how to substitute? Can’t wait to try to recipe for me and the hubby either way :)
I have tried a few baked oatmeal recipes before and while I’ve liked them all, yours I can’t wait to try. The addition of yogurt is what got me…and the fruit on the bottom. Can’t wait to make this; might even do it in my new DIY solar oven to give it a test run.
My 10-month old and I gobbled this up for breakfast this morning! I used frozen blackberries and maple syrup in place of the brown sugar. A great, make-ahead option for this busy mama and baby with a big appetite!
Yeah your photos are looking really good Beth. Your last line is my favourite. I JUST made that claim myself along with a post on my new favourite oatmeal pancakes – I think you’d love them too (cooked porridge AND oatbran in a pancake, uh huh) :D
I just made this today for breakfast and instead i sliced a banana and put it on top and it was amazing and I used an apple and rasberries! SO good!
For what it’s worth, the McCanns Irish Oats took about an hour to bake. Delish!
The first four photos are quite beautiful, probably some of your best photos I’ve seen on here. I love how (just two!) fruits are so naturally bright and artful.
yummy x
I used McCann’s Irish Oats… We’ll see what the cooking time is on this and I’ll try to post an update. It smells delicious!
This looks good enough to make me actually want to turn on the oven! I’ve made baked oatmeal before, but it didn’t look nearly as good as your version. I think the yogurt makes a big difference.
What a great idea!! Thanks :)) Ill be trying this soon too!
My college roommate was from PA Dutch country and made this as a special brunch treat. I love that you substituted plain yogurt for the butter/oil.
Wow, this looks amazing! Thank you so much for all the wonderful breakfast recipes you post. I sometimes have a hard time coming up with breakfasts that will really hit the spot for me, but there have been several on your blog that I’ve loved.
Yum, this looks delicious! Like a healthier/breakfast version of cobbler.
delicious! Love oats of all sorts!
Looks gorgeous and tasty — like the perfect big-group brunch dish! If only I were more of a brunch person…
<3 Oats <3
This looks fabulous!!! I can’t wait to try it.