I have an intense love for cranberries, but you can usually only find them in the supermarket for a few months out of the year. So this year, I bought a couple extra bags and tossed them in the freezer so I could enjoy them for months after the season had ended. Well, that day is today and I used some of my cranberry stash to make this delicious Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal. And if you didn’t happen to stash any cranberries last fall, you can sometimes find them in the freezer section year-round. Baked oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfast meal preps because it’s SO easy to make and the leftovers are great. Plus, it’s freezer-friendly!
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What is Baked Oatmeal?
Baked oatmeal is a lot like bread pudding, but instead of chunks of hearty bread baked into the custard, it’s rolled oats. The end result is a soft, moist, scoopable oatmeal that is not at all gloopy like those instant oatmeal packets. It’s filling, rich, slightly sweet, and one of my absolute favorite ways to enjoy oats.
Ingredients for Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal
Baked oatmeal recipes are super simple by nature, and this apple cranberry version is no exception. Here’s all you’ll need to make this baked oatmeal recipe:
- Applesauce: Unsweetened applesauce keeps the baked oatmeal soft and moist, adds a delicious apple flavor, and provides some natural sweetness to the baked oatmeal so you don’t have to add as much sugar.
- Eggs: Eggs combine with the milk to create the custard that helps the baked oatmeal bake firm up into a scoopable texture instead of the thick porridge-like texture that you get with stovetop cooked oats.
- Brown Sugar: A little extra sugar helps balance the tart flavor of the cranberries and makes the baked oats just sweet enough that you feel like you’re having a treat.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract helps the oats taste extra rich.
- Cinnamon: A touch of cinnamon gives the baked oatmeal a warm and cozy flavor.
- Salt: Salt helps all of the individual flavors of the oatmeal pop.
- Baking Powder: A small amount of baking powder gives the baked oatmeal loft so it’s not quite so dense.
- Milk: Milk softens the oats and combines with the egg to create a rich custard.
- Cranberries: Cranberries give the baked oatmeal a deliciously sweet-tart flavor and gorgeous pink color. We used cranberries that had been previously frozen, but you can use fresh as well.
- Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats: Oats are the main ingredient, the star of the show. Make sure to get old-fashioned rolled oats instead of quick oats because they have a lot more texture and will keep your baked oatmeal from being too mushy.
Is It Breakfast or Dessert?
Baked oatmeal can be served as either breakfast or dessert! It’s only slightly sweet, so it’s still a balanced breakfast, but it’s delicious enough that I’d happily eat it as a dessert or sweet treat. If you want to make it even more dessert-like, try topping it with a simple streusel before baking. Just combine ¼ cup flour, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp white sugar, and 3 Tbsp softened butter until it forms a crumbly mixture that resembles wet sand. Sprinkle that over the baked oatmeal before baking and it turns this baked oatmeal into a decadent dessert!
How to Serve Baked Oatmeal
People always ask if baked oatmeal is supposed to be served hot or cold, and the answer is that it can be enjoyed either way! I love it when it’s still warm out of the oven and topped off with a splash of cold milk. But when I’m eating the leftovers for meal prep, sometimes I eat it cold and sometimes I warm it in the microwave. It’s totally up to you!
Whether you enjoy it hot or cold, I love to add a little milk or half and half to my bowl, or even a scoop of Greek yogurt for extra protein. If you have any walnuts on hand, they would also make a great topper for this Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal flavor. Or, if you want it a little sweeter, try topping it with some maple syrup!
How to Store The Leftovers
To store the leftovers of your baked oatmeal for meal prep, divide it into single portions and place them into air-tight food storage containers. They can be refrigerated for up to five days. Or, once cooled in the refrigerator, you can transfer them to the freezer for longer storage (about 3 months). To reheat frozen baked oatmeal either let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then microwave until hot, or reheat straight from the freezer using the microwave’s defrost function.
Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal
Servings 6Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple sauce ($0.95)
- 2 large eggs ($0.28)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar ($0.14)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder ($0.04)
- 1 cup milk* ($0.48)
- 1 cup cranberries (frozen or fresh) ($0.67)
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats ($0.58)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Add the apple sauce, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl and whisk together until smooth. Add the milk and whisk until smooth again.
- Slice the cranberries in half (no need to thaw if frozen) and add them to the bowl of wet ingredients along with the rolled oats. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Pour the oat mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish. Bake the oatmeal in the preheated 375ºF oven for 45 minutes, or until the surface is a light golden brown and it is no longer sticky in the center. Serve hot or refrigerate until ready to eat.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. In a large bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups of unsweetened applesauce, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon baking powder.
Once the previous ingredients are evenly combined, add 1 cup of milk and whisk again until evenly combined.
Slice one cup of cranberries in half (if frozen, no need to thaw) and add them to the bowl along with 2 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats. Stir the cranberries and oats into the milk mixture.
Pour the oat mixture into a 9×9-inch (or 2-quart) casserole dish.
Bake the oatmeal for 45 minutes or until it’s golden brown on top and the center is no longer wet.
Serve the apple cranberry baked oatmeal warm or divide into single portions and refrigerate until ready to eat!
I like to enjoy my Apple Cranberry Baked Oatmeal with cold milk poured over top! 🤤
Was too lazy to cut the cranberries, and I added more, so we’ll see how this turns out! Added walnuts for some crunch/protein. Excited for a way to use up some cranberries!
So easy to make and Absolutely Delicious! 😋 added extra half cup of cranberries and half a cup of chopped walnuts.
Whoa, these are so simple and incredible!!! I will be making these again and again! Great recipe 🤩
My entire family loves this! I have used many substitutions and it always is great. Whole milk plain yogurt in place of milk, any frozen fruit, chopped nuts and dried fruit-they all work well with this recipe! BB never disappoints!
I made this tonight and could not wait until breakfast to try a piece. It turned out perfectly. I added a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips to the top because why not. This was the perfect recipe to use up leftover cranberries from the holiday season and some applesauce cups taking up space in my cabinet.
Can I make flax eggs to make it vegan?
We only tested using eggs but I think that would work fine here.
Flax and chia “eggs” both work well in this recipe! I always use chia “eggs” when I make mine.
This looks amazing! I love cranberries, and I can’t wait to try this. I don’t usually have applesauce, but I do have a couple of apples. I thought I’d dice and sauté them, but I probably want to add a little bit more moisture too, right? Maybe another splash or two of milk?
This is one of my favorite baked oatmeals. I always add a diced apple as well.
Best baked oatmeal I’ve ever had ! Super easy to mix up ,I used frozen cranberries with no problems. Definitely going into the breakfast rotation . Thank you.
Wonder if either frozen or dried cranberries would work in this as I am not sure how easy it would be to get fresh ones …
Frozen would work great. :)
I rehydrated my craisins in the milk and reduced the brown sugar by 1/4 and it turned out great
Love this recipe! It’s very forgiving. I’ve made the following adjustments and it still turns out great…
I use a 9×13 in glass dish (I don’t own a casserole dish yet)
I do half and half frozen cranberries and craisins. (Cranberry season is so short and the cranberries alone were a little too tart for me)
I toss in a sliced apple (Apples and oats is always a good combo)
I’m not much of a comment-leaver, but this turned out so great I feel compelled to say something! I want to eat this every day. I used quick-cooking steel-cut oats and the convection setting, and it was the perfect amount of crunchy on top. Thanks Beth and team!
I made the recipe exactly as is, and I think the cranberry tartness is a little overwhelming. Next time I’ll drop to 4 oz instead of 6 and maybe add some chopped apple.
Just an FYI: I used quick cooking steel cut oats for this recipe and it came out just fine. (Kids were desperate for baked oatmeal and I was out of regular oats).
I also subbed dried cranberries and added a chopped apple as others suggested.
Hi Beth, Do you think it would work to add some apple chunks in the way it’s prepped in your apple pie baked oatmeal so this has a more pronounced apple cranberry flavor? Maybe half apple and half cranberry, or would you suggest a different ratio? I’m also wondering about pear cranberry. I know that is combo great for tarts, crisps, and other desserts but not sure how it will translate for baked oatmeal. (I would probably prep the pear the way you do the apples in the apple pie baked oatmeal too.)
I’ve been trying a new baked oatmeal of yours each week; it’s been so fun and they are amazing! I enjoy your site very much. Thanks for keeping me well-fed and for all you do!
Happy to hear you’re loving it Priya! Yes you could do half and half, just play with the ratios and have fun!
Update: I did the full cranberry amount and prepped 1 one apple like the apple pie baked oatmeal. The apple taste was a tiny bit more pronounced than the cranberry and it was really good! Have also made the recipe as is and it’s great! You don’t get the apple flavor as much since the applesauce is more for moisture than for flavor, BUT there are plenty of cranberries to make for a flavorful breakfast.
Question: I noticed this baked oatmeal recipe calls for just 2 cups oatmeal and 1 cup milk whereas the others call for more of each. The end product is a bit smaller and isn’t as filling as a result. (It is, though, more custardy than the others I have made, so I liked that.) Any suggestions on if I wanted to increase the oatmeal/milk for a fuller batch? Thanks!
I have a pear-cranberry baked oatmeal in the oven right now! My pears were really soft so they didn’t need much to become pear sauce. I ended up cutting the amount of milk way down because the pears were so wet. I have then baking in a mini muffin pan. It’s just the right amount of batter to fill all 24 mini muffin cups.
Thanks for sharing!
I was low on applesauce so subbed 1/2 a cup with orange juice + zest. I also added some almonds and a bit of almond extract – delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
I only have frozen cranberries! Would those work?
Yes, that should work fine. :)
I added a large diced apple. This is a great recipe. I’ve tried several baked oatmeals, but the applesauce in this one is a game changer as it ensures nice moisture.
I’m a fan of your baked oatmeals in general, and this one and the pumpkin spice one are my favorites. I’ve made them both a few times now, and wanted to share some of the tweaks I’ve made over time.
I drop the brown sugar from 1/4 cup (equal to 4 Tbsp) down to 3 Tbsp. I mix 2 of the tablespoons in at the beginning, and the third tablespoon I put in the food processor with the cranberries, rather than chopping them by hand. It’s a lot faster to chop them this way (just don’t go overboard!), and pulsing them directly with the sugar sweetens the cranberries directly. It’s an America’s Test Kitchen trick, although they suggest pulsing the berries with a pinch of salt as well. I’ve also used frozen cranberries successfully instead of fresh.
I couldn’t get this to bake evenly (or in only 45 minutes) in an 8″ x 8″ pan. Since I don’t have a 9″ x 9″ pan, I’ve been using a 7″ x 11″ glass baking dish, and that’s been working great. Last night, I tried dropping the temperature to 350 and using convection, and I got a perfect bake in 45 minutes. I’ve also made these in jumbo muffin tins before when I wanted to store them in the freezer for later, and that worked well too.
Now, for the best part: eating it! I prefer to reheat a slice in the countertop oven these days rather than the microwave, for a better texture. Then, I put a dollop of plain, full fat Greek yogurt on top, followed by a drizzle of boiled apple cider (it lasts forever in the fridge, so I always keep some around). The boiled apple cider really brings out the apple flavor of the bake and more than makes up for the missing tablespoon of brown sugar. When you mix it with the tart yogurt, you end up with something that resembles a healthier, more breakfast-y version of cream cheese frosting. I love to spread it over the whole slice so that it’s like a little breakfast cake. When I make the pumpkin oatmeal bake, I do the same thing, except I use maple syrup instead of boiled apple cider. I’m sure that would work well for this too, although you wouldn’t get the hit of apple flavor.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you for all these tips! I will be using many of them when I make this dish today. I appreciate you taking the time to share them with the rest of us. Hope your autumn is going well and that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.
Made this for Christmas breakfast and it was delicious! I had to bake mine for closer to an hour, perhaps because I used almond milk, or maybe it’s just my oven. I’m wondering what you think about adding another egg to this, or any of your other baked oatmeals. I had a couple sections that got a little more egg than others and had a sort of bread pudding-like taste to them, which I loved, so I’m wondering if making it more egg-y would affect any of the other ingredient ratios?
I think adding another egg would be great! I don’t think it would affect anything too much, just a more custard-like texture. If anything, you may need to bake slightly longer. :)
These were delicious! It was my first time baking with fresh cranberries and I think I am now going to look for some more recipes. I made the mixture up last night before bed and kept it in the fridge so all I had to do was put it in the oven this morning. My husband, toddler and I all enjoyed it!
Can you sub the cranberry’s for blackberries?
You sure could! :)
I love baked oatmeal! I have modified this one to suit what I had on hand..chop up one apple, and use dried cranberries instead of fresh…I always use extra cinnamon (2 tbsp) and have started adding about 1/4-1/3 cup of ground flax for extra nutrition..yum yum!
Another delicious baked oatmeal recipe. I added some chopped nuts and replaced the brown sugar with some honey. This one came out super moist, although the apple flavor didn’t quite come through as much as I would have hoped. Maybe next time I’ll add a diced apple to the mixture. Thank you for the recipe! I tried baked oatmeal years ago and thought I just didn’t like it, because it always came out hard and dry, but yours have definitely changed my mind.
Can I use fresh diced apples as a substitute for applesauce?
Unfortunately you really need the puréed, cooked texture of the sauce here because it provides moisture to the oats and helps them soften during baking.
Thanks for relying!
I went with the applesauce, and oh my, is this delicious.
And thanks for the recipe.
Not sure if you’re still reading comments on something this old, but I was wondering if I’d be able to use steel cut oats for this recipe instead of old-fashioned rolled oats? I have seen recipes for baked oatmeal using steel cut oats, but I’m not sure if I’d use the same two cups as listed in this recipe if I substituted old-fashioned for steel cut. Any idea?
You won’t be able to simply substitute in the steel cut oats because they take much more liquid and a much longer cooking time to soften. Unfortunately I haven’t tested it out with steel cut, so I can’t recommend alterations that would make it work. :(
This is obviously a super old comment, but I like to do part steel cut and part rolled oats for a bit of texture in the oatmeal. Usually I do about a third or a half steel cut (3/4c to 1c of the oatmeal).
I thought this was great! It was just what I was looking for. Unfortunately I didn’t have cranberries, but I used dried cranberries and raisins. I also threw in some sliced almonds because I had them. Great breakfast meal. It makes a nice big quantity so we’ll be eating it for a few days. I thought it was a little too sweet and not enough apple flavor came through (surprising based on the amount of apple sauce!). Next time I will chop up some fresh apple to add to it, and reduce the sweetener (I used honey). The texture was great and I ate it as pictured, heated up with milk over the top. Thanks!
Do you think you could make this with cranberry sauce? I have a jar whole berry cranberry sauce but no fresh cranberries.
Ooh, that actually sounds pretty good. You might be able to swirl it into the oats before it’s baked.
Made this and it was great. I just wanted to chime in and say I tried the ripe banana to sub for applesauce like you suggested and it was really good…awesome way to use up odds and ends of yummy things you have in the kitchen
I made this recipe every other week when my first was starting solids and just popped it in the oven today after about a year! My second is starting solids and this is a great Baby Led Weaning recipe! I substitute blue berries because I found the cranberries a bit too tart. Thanks!
Is there a substitute for the apple sauce? It’s the only ingredient I do t have in hand. Thanks!
You can use mashed banana, but that will change the flavor quite a bit.
Have you had positive results freezing this and then reheating later?
Thanks!
I don’t know if I’ve frozen/reheated this particular one, but I have with several of my baked oatmeal recipes and they turn out great. :)
Just made this and it was delicious!! I was a bit short on applesauce so I added a little extra milk and it turned out perfect. It would be great with nuts added too!
Oh wow. My new breakfast fave. I had to do a switcheroo b/c I was trying to use what was in my pantry and had only dried cranberries and fresh apples, but it came out delicious.
i don’t think mine came out right. i baked it for 48 mins and it was still gooey inside like oatmeal. i just used a regular baking pan but i used aluminum foil to make it square, and the mixture was about 1 inch deep. is that the problem??
It will still be moist and soft when baked, but not liquidy. Kind of like bread pudding. It doesn’t really get dry.
I found your website today, and I’m a complete and total fan. I made this as a desert tonight. Followed the recipe except I used dried cranberries and it was amazing, I put a scoop of ice cream on top and the family loved it. And my family will not eat regular oatmeal no matter what you dress it up with. I will be making this and your other flavors as well many times again. Thank you…
I would totally buy a cookbook of just your oatmeal recipes also! I have only within the last few months discovered the awesomeness of baked oatmeal. I made this, and I used dried cranberries (it was like maybe 2.5 oz, i think, just a small bag from the local Dollar Tree). I also added an extra cup of oats, made it in a muffin tin – got 12 muffins, plus 12 mini muffins. Ate this on the go all week. LOVE LOVE LOVE your site. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
Prep last night and refrigerated. Baked this morning. The taste was amazing. But it turned out more of a cake & muffin texture rather than the pic showed. I did make some adjustment:
1. I used 1/8 honey instead of brown sugar.
2. Used one egg and an egg white.
3. I think this is the most important one resulting in cake & muffin texture: I used quick oat instead of old-fashioned one since that’s the only version I got in the pantry.
And also I subbed dried fruit for fresh cranberry. And let them soak them in the water beforehand. Please help me out of here. The outcome was not bad, and i like it. But I REALLY want the texture just like you made them. Many thanks.
Yes, I think the main culprit is the quick oats. They have a much finer texture than old-fashioned rolled oats, so they’ll act more like flour and give you a more cake-like texture. Not using that second egg yolk may have also affected it because that extra fat will create a denser texture (not as light and caky).
This recipe held up very well to rough measurements and substitutions. I made a 1.5x batch using white sugar instead of brown and raisins instead of fresh cranberries. The raisins softened and plumped up while cooking, which was fantastic :). My baking powder measurement was pretty rough, as were my measurements for some other ingredients, I added extra cinnamon, and I omitted the vanilla. It was still delicious.
I will definitely be making this again, and in different flavors. Thank you for the recipe!
I just made this with a few revisions because of dietary restrictions and because of what I had on hand, plus I doubled the recipe.
First, I veganized it with soy milk and Ener-G egg replacer. Then, since I didn’t have any apple sause but had tons of apples, I pureed four medium sized apples, which yielded about three cups of apple sauce. And since I can’t find fresh cranberries in March, I just used a bag of frozen mixed berries.
As for baking a double batch, I used a 9 x 13 casserole dish. I covered it in foil and baked at 375 for 45 minutes. Then I removed the foil and baked for an extra 15 minutes. It’s cooked perfectly and it’s delicious.
I just discovered your blog and must say thank you! I plan on using it often.
Over the last few months I have made most of your baked oatmeal recipes. I make a batch on Sunday and have an easy go-to breakfast the rest of the week and because there are so many flavors I never get bored.
The apple cranberry flavor was one of the first baked oatmeals I made. I liked it but felt like it needed more apple. I made the recipe again today and subbed chunky applesauce for the unsweetened and I cut down on the brown sugar since the chunky sauce had sugar in it. It turned out great and has more of the apple flavor I wanted.
I prepared this the night before then threw it in the oven when I woke up and the timing worked really well and the texture wasn’t altered. The only thing that I would change is either use less cranberries or more sugar because we found it a little to tart.
I just finished my first serving and this is a great recipe. I think my cranberries may have been a little under ripe because I found myself wanting a bit more sugar to balance them out. I ended up using some leftover cinnamon syrup I had and it was perfect.
(Cinnamon syrup: 1/2 white sugar, 1/2 brown sugar, 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup water. Thoroughly combine everything in a small saucepan. Boil 5-8 minutes stirring constantly until you get a syrup-like consistency. Remove from heat. Easy-peasy!)
Those are 1/2 CUPS of sugar in the cinnamon syrup recipe. Oops!
Yum, that sounds good!
Have made this four times now, and adore it. This time I added some diced candied ginger — divine! Great as always, Beth.
Do you think this would work well in a crockpot overnight?
Probably, although I’ve never tried it. It’s not a gooey texture like regular oatmeal, but more like a soft oatmeal cake.
Holy monkey, this stuff is so good! Added an additional 1/4 tsp vanilla, a bit more cranberries, and dotted lightly with butter. Also, I was a half cup short on oats, so I added 1/4 cup white rice out of desperation. Soooo goood!
Bought cranberries for first time and didn’t know what to do with them- thought this would be perfect. It was, but I didn’t realize out of oatmeal(not that cold in Ca yet) so I used 6 packets of my daughter’s instant peach flavored oatmeal. Delicious! Will make again with regular oatmeal. Almost like cobbler!
I’ve never had baked oatmeal before, but since it’s that time of year for all things cranberry I decided to give it a try. Surprised and pleased how fantastic this was. Next time will add a bit of orange peel.
Any suggestions for egg substitutes?
Some people have had luck using a mixture of ground flax seed and water, although when I tried it I wasn’t a fan of the results.
I don’t eat eggs, so I replaced one of the eggs with one tablespoon of ground flax seed + 3 tablespoons of water. I replaced the other egg with a banana. You could also add a little more applesauce (1/4 cup applesauce + 1 teaspoon baking soda = 1 egg). Using the applesauce or banana as egg substitutes works very well in this recipe because it adds to the flavor.
This looks and sounds heavenly! Making it for breakfast in the morning!
If I baked this a little longer, do you think it could turn into baked oatmeal bars? Or decreased some liquid? I’m looking for a more portable recipe since I typically eat breakfast on the go. This sounds so good!
Hmm, I don’t think I could say off hand. I would need to do quite a bit of experimenting to figure out how to make that work. I don’t know if you’ve seen these Soft Oat & Nut Bars, but they are a good option.
This is delicious. We have been enjoying the banana-blueberry bake oatmeal since summer and this is a wonderful change for fall. I make a double batch and am thrilled that my husband is eating a healthier breakfast. Thanks so much..
Very good. eating it for breakfast right now. The best part is the aroma when it’s baking.
Doubled this recipe (except I used half a bag of last year’s cranberries from the freezer and chopped up four smallish apples into the mix) and baked in one 9″ square dish and one 8″ round one. One for the freezer, one for tomorrow morning! (We will all heat up our own as we get up and moving.) thank you!
This is my favorite baked oatmeal yet! Thank you :)
If you have time, could you do a raisin date walnut oatmeal recipe? I’ll happily donate a bag of Bob’s Red Mill date crumbles for you to test with! My husband bought a case of them to use in granola, but they are too hard for that. Soaking and baking them into oatmeal should work though.
Oooh, now that does sound good! I know I can get little date bits pretty inexpensively from the bulk bins at whole foods. I’ll have to give that a shot. Thanks for the idea!
I was really looking forward to making this recipe,and it is okay but not as good as expected. I wanted to use up the whole bag of cranberries, so doubled recipe which was fine, but found it perhaps needed more sugar or maybe the cranberries were too tart or something – some seemed a little underripe. I usually eat oatmeal just with raisins, and no sugar. Wondered about drizzling honey on for some sweetness. Just needs something.
Oh, and it makes an awesome dessert served warm with vanilla ice cream ;)
Just made and polished off a dish of this this morning! I think my 2 year old ate a third of it herself (she was also the one popping raw cranberries in her mouth last night as I prepped it). I will be doubling a batch tonight for quick and easy breakfasts this week! We’re a family of 6 (well, 5 eaters, but the baby is nursing so I guess I am eating for him as well!) and the recipe was the perfect amount for one meal for us. We have milk and nut allergies in the family so I made it with rice milk successfully!
I was wondering if you ever tried preparing this the night before? I think it is delicious, but too much work for the morning! Could it soak overnight???
I think that would work well, although I haven’t tried it. :)
I got everything mixed and in the dish the night before, popped it in the oven while we got up and ready for church and the timing was perfect! I actually think I liked the texture better after it sat overnight.
When you prepared it overnight, did you mix in the oats the night before as well, or did you add those in the next morning? If you added them in the night before, did sitting overnight make them soggy?
Yum yum, I love your baked oatmeal recipes! This might even be my favourite one yet…or it might just be the fall season talking. The tart-sweet cranberries are just such a wonderful flavour in there. I used almond milk (my preferred dairy substitute) and it was amazing!
This is seriously now my favorite baked oatmeal! I have tried almost all of them and this one is now first place. I already loved cranberries and they add the perfect tart to the sweet. Thanks Beth for another wonderful recipe!
Making this next week!!!
Do you think steel oats woul work well in this recipe?
You would have to do quite a bit of adjusting to make steel cut work. They require a lot more moisture and a much longer cooking time than regular rolled oats. I don’t even think I can estimate without doing some experimenting. :P
Oh my gosh! I’d never had baked oatmeal before and I’m definitely in love. I looked at your other recipes and got so inspired. So I ended up substituting half the apple sauce with pumpkin and using pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon. It was to die for. All the best seasonal things about fall in one bowl.
I have a version very similar to that in my upcoming cookbook! Great minds think alike! ;D
Any ideas how to keep the baked oatmeal from being dry? I bake it for the length you suggest and I frequently have to pour milk over it before eating it to soften it up. Any ideas? Thanks.
Yep, you can increase the milk and it will give you a softer end product, closer to normal oatmeal. You can just play around with the amount until you find a texture that you like.
My daughter and I LOVE making up our own recipes with oatmeal and even pancakes. We’ve often used the dried cranberries from Winco bins. We’ve used them in muffins and pancakes, as well. Incredible!
PS If you’re wanting a dessert-type cereal, buy canned, crushed pineapples and some coconut flakes from the bulk bins. Sub a little of the juice for the water, then put however much you feel like of the two ingredients. You’ll think you’re eating cake!
Looks fabulous! I love cranberries.
I’m a total dingus. I bought dried cranberries after looking at this recipe briefly, even though I hesitated because 1 cup of dried cranberries seemed excessive (and expensive, totally not beth style). Derp. Do you think they would work if I poofed them up in water beforehand and added significantly less?
p.s. I had the kale pasta tonight and it rocked my socks off. I would have never thought of using kale like that, so thanks!
You can try soaking them in some hot water to see if they’ll rehydrate some. I don’t think the flavor will be the same, but it will probably still be good!
They sort of rehydrated. I used about 1/2 a cup and put them in hot water while I got everything else ready. Not sure how it compared to the fresh cranberries, but it was still SO GOOD.
Glad it still turned out delicious!!
I just did a baked oatmeal for the first time the other day. :) Used your basic baked oatmeal as a guide and substituted the peaches with a banana and an apple. I’ll definitely be baking oatmeal again.
Keep ’em coming! I would purchase a cookbook of just your baked oatmeal recipes. :)
So simple! Love this idea!