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?
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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.
I have to say that while I love the various baked oatmeal variations, this is the one my kids love and keep asking for. It might be from the added chocolate chips (not swapped for raisins, but included with) or the way it feels like eating cookies for breakfast, but with less sugar. I also love how flexible the recipe is and the variations possible in adding different dried fruits, chopped nuts, or different flavored chips like chocolate or peanut butter.
Loved this a lot. Whipped cream an maple syrup come to the rescue.
This is one of my go-to recipes…I modify it to lighten it up a bit, but it is still delicious!
Today’s version:
Dates instead of raisins
Coconut oil instead of butter
Cashew milk instead of cow milk
1/4 cup brown sugar instead of 1/2 cup
Added 1/4 tsp ground clove and 2 Tbsp flax seeds
I’ve made it with dried cranberries, I’ve added pumpkin pie spice…I’ve really done a bunch to this recipe over the years and it never disappoints.
I eat one portion, then put the other 5 in mason jars. I heat it before I leave for work and enjoy it on my drive. So good!
I just made a variation on this recipe as my first attempt at baked oatmeal and I am very happy with how it turned out. The oatmeal cookie flavor really shined through, and I enjoyed the texture as well, compared to regular oatmeal.
The modifications I made were to veganize this recipe, using smart balance instead of the butter, a flax egg instead of a real egg, and oat milk in place of dairy milk. I also replaced half of the brown sugar with roughly 1/3 of a cup of stevia-sweetened vanilla protein powder to add a bit more protein. I was a bit worried about how it would turn out with all the substitutions, but I think the end result was better than I could have hoped for, and I’m definitely going to make this recipe again!
This is my favorite breakfast!!! I try to have oats every morning, and I was looking for a new way to have them. I’m SO GLAD I found it! To reduce sugar, I use a brown sugar/ stevia baking blend and only use one ounce of raisins. I use freshly grated nutmeg, which I highly recommend. It turns out amazing. Thank you! I will have to try the other flavors!
SUCH a tasty way to start the day! SO GOOD I had to immediately stick half of it in the freezer – otherwise I would have inhaled the entire thing in one sitting! I can eat this hot or cold (straight out of the fridge.)
This exceeded my expectations. It is absolutely a amazing. The only sub I did was chocolate chips instead of raisins. This is now added to my rotation. Thanks again for another great recipe! Everything I have made from your site is fantastic!
I just made this again this morning so I have easy breakfast for next week. It’s baking now and smells delicious.
This is a great recipe and fairly flexible! I made some substitutions based on what I have in the cupboard (canned pumpkin instead of applesauce, molasses instead of brown sugar, etc.) and it still worked like a charm.
I made this yesterday since I had all the ingredients and didn’t have to leave home during our covid stay at home orders. The house smelled like an oatmeal cookie and this baked up so well. Will definitely keep this on my meal prep rotation.
This is answers remake ahead breakfast. Other dried fruit like tart cherries and cranberries are good in this too,
OMG! I forgot to say I puree’d a whole bunch of spinach into the liquid before mixing with the oats. It’s not pretty but it’s a quick & easy way to get some greens in.
I didn’t have applesauce on hand, so I mashed up some brown bananas. I also swapped the raisins for chocolate chips. OMG it was absolutely delicious, and much more satisfying and hearty than a cookie!
I’m on day 8 of eating this for breakfast and I’m obsessed. I like to pop a portion in the microwave then top with some plain greek yogurt and sprinkle with cinnamon and it’s AMAZING! I can’t wait to dive into all of your other oatmeal recipes. Thanks for making breakfast easy!
I’ve commented on this recipe before, but since I’ve made it much more since then and since we’ve been on a baked oatmeal for breakfast kick for the last few months to the point that I have this recipe memorized, I felt it worth commenting again! I like this recipe for two reasons: First, the oat-to-wet-ingredients ratio is higher and there’s only one egg, which keeps it in a more cake-ward direction than your other baked oatmeal recipes I’ve tried which are too custardy for my liking (sometimes I add 1/4c flour, too, but not always). Second, if you omit the raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg, it’s a great blank slate to play around with. I have used the applesauce base with other fruit mixed in (apples with chai spices, blueberry with either maple or cardamom, blackberries with lime zest, and cranberries with orange zest), have used the applesauce base with sliced fruit, the butter, and part of the sugar on the bottom of the dish upside-down cake style (peaches and plums mostly), have swapped part of the applesauce for yogurt for a creamier version (especially like this when doing apple chunks mixed in to keep it balanced), and have successfully swapped other purees for all of the applesauce (pumpkin with pie spice and dark brown sugar, and mashed banana with half the sugar). And in the past when my dairy tolerance was lower, it worked fairly well with fake milks. I know you have other baked oatmeal recipes on here (including pumpkin and banana), but this one is so versatile that it’s all I need!
Hi, do you think I can add some frozen berries to this? Would that change any other ingredients amount? Probably should account for added moisture. Thanks!
Yes, you can add some frozen berries with no problem. :) I have a blueberry baked oatmeal that uses 8 oz. frozen blueberries and I don’t do anything differently. They don’t add a ton of extra moisture.
just tried it this morning w some frozen berries about a cup – turned out amazing. thank you so much!
Hi! Just made this as part of my meal prep to change things up with the baked oatmeal. It turned out very well and tastes delicious! I prepared it as listed.
We make this all the time for easy weekday breakfasts. Another yummy alternative we do is omit the nutmeg and substitute chocolate chips for raisins for an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie oatmeal!
Oooh great swaps!
This is the only baked oatmeal I make! Freezes well. I prefer the thickness in the 11×7 pan.
Thanks for sharing Jane!
I know that baked oatmeal is more like bread pudding. But are there any recipes that create a crunchier alternative. We make apple crisp and I love the oat topping on that.
Beth has a great peach almond crisp here https://www.budgetbytes.com/peach-almond-crisp/
I want to try to back in mini
Oaf pa s and freeze…. what would you guess for baking time
I’d suggest 10-15 minutes. And check throughout!
Sounds really yummy and a great alternative to cookies… I was wondering how many calories per serving?
We do get that request a lot, but unfortunately I don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, I just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. I prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
Do you think you can double this recipe in a 13×9? How long would you bake it?
I’m sure you could, but unfortunately I can’t estimate the cooking time without actually testing it out.
I’ve made this recipe a few times and I love it. We usually eat some fresh and then have breakfast leftovers for the next couple of days. I don’t have a 9×9, but a 9×13 for 30-35 minutes seems to do the trick!
Do you think this recipe would taste good if I substituted the raisins with chocolate chips? I love oatmeal stuff with chocolate chips, but I wanted to make sure the spices wouldn’t be too much!
Yes, I think that would be delish!
Just curious if I could make this without applesauce? Or use something else instead?
You can use yogurt or mashed bananas, but they will both change the flavor a bit (the yogurt less so than the banana).
Out of curiosity do you know how well this freezes? This feels like it’d be a good breakfast meal prep but the amount it gives me wouldn’t last before I could eat it all.
Yes, it does. :)
Could I use unsweetened coconut milk instead of the milk?
That would probably work. :)
If I wanted to add some peanut butter into this, how much would you recommend, and also would I need to increase anything like perhaps the milk? Thank you.
I think you could successfully add 1/4 PB to the batter without making any other changes. :)
Where did you get your baking dish? Would a 9″ 13 baking dish be okay for your baked oatmeal recipes?
I think that one might have been from World Market? It’s definitely a bit smaller than a 9×13. I think a 9×9″ square would be best.
Hi, I just had a question I hope you can help me with. I was wondering if this recipe minus the raisins and replacing the milk with eggnog, would make a good eggnog baked oatmeal. It seems to have the appropriate spices! I’ve been trying to find a recipe for one but haven’t been thrilled with my findings. I notice in your baked oatmeal recipes(which I’ve made numerous and they are all amazing) have some kind of thickener? like applesauce, pumpkin, or yogurt etc. what do you think would work for an eggnog baked oatmeal or is nothing necessary? Thank you.
Yes, I think that’s an excellent idea! And you’re right, I use pretty much the same “formula” for all the baked oatmeals. :) I think I’d stick to the applesauce for the eggnog version, since it’s not very strong in flavor (although pumpkin would probably be amazing, too!).
I’m wondering how this could be made in advance? I would love to prep it on Christmas Eve and just throw it in the oven on Christmas morning! I just don’t want it to get too soft. Thoughts? Thanks!!
I think that prepping it ahead would work fine. :) Just make sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats and not quick oats. The thicker old-fashioned oats will hold up to soaking overnight.
Oh and one more thing, you may need to bake slightly longer if everything is chilled when it goes into the oven.
My 8 month pregnant self has been craving oatmeal raisin cookies and I stumbled upon this…breakfast tomorrow! It looks so delicious and hoping it’s a healthier way to curb my craving!!
My new favorite baked oatmeal! I followed the directions exactly and it turned out perfect! Sweet, but not too sweet. Thanks for sharing with us!
This tastes more like apple pie baked oatmeal than oatmeal cookie and was a bit too sweet for my taste for breakfast. Still tasty as a healthier dessert though!
Hi
Can substitute the egg for something else? Thanks
I haven’t tried it without the egg or an egg replacement, but a few people have commented that they’ve made a flaxseed egg replacer (flaxseed and water) and it’s worked for them.
I’d like to use chocolate chips rather than raisins…any concerns about doing so, or modifications I should make?
Nope, I think that should be an easy and seamless substitution. :)
I’m not so well versed in freezing meals. What would you suggest? Do you bake it before you freeze it or do you place it in the freezer uncooked and cook it when ready? Temperature and time suggestions? This seems like a great idea for a care package meal. I was hoping to give directions to the friends I’m making it for.
I like to freeze it in single serving portions, after baking. It’s always best to chill the food completely in the refrigerator before transferring it to the freezer. Once frozen, I just reheat it in the microwave with no real technique. I just start with a minute or so and keep adding time until it’s heated through. :)
Yum, this is one of our favorites! I just made a quadruple batch, which made 3 – 9×13″ pans. I will individually freeze the leftover portions for quick breakfasts later this fall. We also just ate some fresh from the oven for dessert tonight, with a little cold 1/2 and 1/2 drizzled on top with some whipped cream.
I like it! Do leftovers need to be refrigerated?
Yes, they do. :)
I made this into terrible recipe. Top is a little cranky but the bottom of soggy. I think it needed more time in the oven. Even then it’s too thick.
Looks great! If one were to bake in muffin tins instead of baking dish, would you modify the baking time? Thanks :)
It would probably be a shorter cooking time, since there is more surface area, but I haven’t tested it to know exactly how long it would need.
What would be a good substitute for raisins?
You could potentially use any dried fruit cut into small pieces, or you can just leave them out.
I like cranberries and walnuts. I’ve also used dried apricots.
What anout steel cut oats in the crock pot? How would you modify?
That would just be a different recipe all together. :)
I made this recipe today and it’s perfect. The only thing that tweaked was adding chocolate chips, but I should have left them out. The apple flavoring was stronger than I anticipated, and I’m not a huge fan of chocolate + apples. Next time I will probably add chopped nuts or dried cranberries if I want to perk it up.
Baked oatmeal is a ‘kitchen sink’ recipe for me. I throw in whatever I happen to have. So far, the one with chopped apple, blueberries, raisins, and walnuts is the favourite.
Just made this for my very first baked oatmeal project. Oh, my gosh, this is good. I am diabetic and overweight and really should not have cake, cookies, pie, ect. at all. But the fact is, I have a raging desire for them and if I don’t have something ready and healthier, then sometimes I will go buy some even though I shouldn’t. There are times when I just must have a baked sweet. I am hoping that the baked oatmeal and granola recipes on this site will help to subdue my craving. At least, with these, I can leave flour out of the equation and at least some of the sugar. I will still have to use some restraint since there are still plenty of carbs here but it’s better. I ate my first sample and my whole system was going ‘woot, woot!’ since it had been so long since I’ve had anything even approaching a cookie. I used a quarter cup of a brown sugar/splenda mix and may cut back a little the next time. The applesauce I used was unsweetened and bland so next I will consider increasing the spices and vanilla. I can think of so many ways to make this REALLY decadent, like cream over it, but I better not even start thinking about that…;)
WOW!!!! The Oatmeal Cookie Baked Oatmeal is so freaking good!!! My apartment smelled heavenly when I got out of the shower this morning. I had to refrain myself from getting seconds because I want to make sure that I have enough oatmeal to eat for breakfast for the next few days. I will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you, Beth for creating baked oatmeal!!!! :-)
Made exactly as listed and it was delicious. Portion sizes for six servings were very generous so I am stretching mine to eight. I like the suggestion of adding nuts, and will try that next time. Maybe some diced apples too.
Thanks for the recipe!!
I have tried a few of your baked oatmeal recipes and this is my favorite, though that’s probably mostly because it’s a bit sweeter. In any case, it’s very good. I’ll be having it for breakfast this week.
Nutritional data?
This was absolutely delicious! I doubled the recipe and it made a 9×13″ pan and an 8×8″ pan, so now I have some to stock the freezer.
Love all of your baked oatmeal recipes! They’re great for heat-and-eat breakfasts before work! Quick question: if I don’t have any applesauce on hand, what would you recommend substituting? More milk?
I would do mashed banana or yogurt. You definitely want something with a little more body than milk. :)
applesauce is really easy to make – peel, core and cut up apples, put them in a saucepan with a pinch of salt and just enough water to get it going – simmer til tender, stirring every now and then. Cooking time will depend on the size of your apple pieces. Puree or use a potato masher.
This was delicious! My husband and I both loved this recipe. Thank-you Beth!
Love this oatmeal bake! Great snack for the family. Thank you!
Holy crap this is phenomenal! I added 3/4 cups of chopped walnuts to give it more crunch and I replaced the raisins with cranberries because I hate raisins. It turned out amazing! I can’t wait to bake it for my friends at our next boardgame night. Thank you!
Beth, how long do you think it’ll keep unrefrigerated? I’ll be travelling without a fridge (or rather, I will be staying in a hotel without a minibar fridge during the week, I’ll be home during weekends) and I’m thinking to make these in muffin moulds and just take them as snacks/quick breakfast.
Usually I would put it in the fridge and consider it to be good for a week, but without that… I can grab breakfast at a bakery at the end of the week, but I’d like to take some from home and maybe just grab a small yoghurt from a store to go with it on my way to appointments. Any advice? (I’m asking this for basically every baked oats recipe, not just this one.)
I’m basing room temp storage on this http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-baked-oatmeal-cups-222825
Their baked oatmeal looks a lot drier than mine, more like a muffin texture, so it might be safe unrefrigerated. My baked oatmeal is a little bit more custardy, so I wouldn’t suggest keeping it more than a couple hours unrefrigerated–just to be safe.
I made it the first time and followed the recipe exactly and it was great. Reheating it and pouring some milk over is my new go to breakfast. To sweeten it up for a dessert version, I added some white chocolate chips and loved it. Great recipe.
I just made this! However I used steel cut oats. I used one cup of the oats and slightly under 2 cups of milk. All other ingredients,were kept the same. I did have to cook it longer…a little over and hour. It was delicious!! I will make this over and over again! It stays in my fridge all week for a quick, hearty, on the go breakfast! Thank you!
This was it! A baked oatmeal that I liked! This is a good baked oatmeal for people with texture issues, I think. I love oatmeal in other contexts: stovetop oatmeal, overnight oats, granola, oat bars…etc, so I really wanted to like baked oatmeal, but when I first tried making it a few years ago I just did not like the texture. Last fall, having mostly switched over from cereal to oats for breakfast, I decided to give it another shot and made your pumpkin baked oatmeal. That was better, but I still wasn’t sold on the texture and was meh on the pumpkin flavor, and I unfortunately forgot it needed refrigerating so by day 3 it had a bit of an off flavor and I had to throw the rest out.
Then you posted this recipe, and again, it sounded so good…When I read the recipe and saw it had closer to a 1:1 wet:dry ratio and had only *1* egg rather than 2 like most of the others, I decided to give it another try, because those two changes sounded like they’d fix the issues I’d had with past baked oatmeals (really soft oats and custardy texture, respectively). Lo and behold, I did like it! :D Ok, I admit, I did make two small tweaks: I added in 1/4c flour to help with the custard texture issue, and added less vanilla (ended up doing 1/2 tsp) as per another commenter’s recommendation. Next time (!!!) I’ll try without flour as written, or with maybe a bit less milk, to keep the oats firmer.
Hooray for finally finding a baked oatmeal that I like! :D
I am totally making this over the weekend! Awesomeness!
This is so good! I work at a job with unpredictable hours and I am also trying to go on a spending fast after this holiday season, so while I had a slow week at work made a batch to keep in my freezer. Now that things have gotten busier I can just pop a piece in the microwave for breakfast! Instead of the applesauce I used plain yogurt I had lying around that needed to be used up. I made up for sweetness by increasing the sugar to 3/4 cup although in hindsight 2/3 probably would have been just fine. I love your baked oatmeal recipes and I am so glad I learned you can freeze them because I don’t necessarily like eating the same thing for breakfast all week so now I can have some to keep in the freezer just for when the mood strikes!
This is by far my favorite baked oatmeal on your site. I have tried a bunch (not all). I was wondering if there was any formula that you follow for the liquid to oat ratio. All the recipes seem to be so different. I want to know how to make a baked oatmeal based on whatever I have on hand.
I vary them a little from recipe to recipe based on the amount of moisture in the add-ins or based on how much bulk the add-ins have (if it’s really bulky I’ll use less oats, but then I also have to reduce the liquid, etc.). So it’s a loose formula that I tweak for each one. :)
Hi Beth!
I love your ideas and your website, you opened up a whole new world for me! :)
Unfortunately I’m on the FODMAP diet right now and can’t have apples (or pears or plums or any of my favourite fruits). Do you think I could use banana puree as a substitute for the applesauce?
Keep on cookin’!
Tineke
Yep! I think that would work. I’ve used mashed bananas in other baked oatmeal recipes and it works quite well. :)
Loved this recipe! This is great to grab out of the fridge and give a scoop to my toddler and a bowl for myself. The texture is great even when it’s not heated.
I doubled this and it came out great. Almost filled up a 13X9 and still only took an hour to bake. Do the leftovers need to be refrigerated? I was worried to leave it out because it was soft and didnt have that much sugar in it.
Yes, the leftovers definitely need to be refrigerated, but they can also be frozen for longer storage. :)
Any suggestion on how much more sugar to add if I wanted this to be a dessert? I thought it was perfect as is for breakfast, but for dessert needs a little more sugar? Maybe an extra cup?
Maybe try adding 1/2 cup of regular white sugar. A lot of the oatmeal cookie recipes I looked at had both brown and white sugar.
Could I make this with steel cut oats? Would you make adjustments for the steel cut oats? Thanks
I haven’t tried baking steel cut oats in the oven like this, but generally they take much more liquid than rolled oats and have a longer cooking time, so it probably won’t work as written.
I absolutely love baked oatmeal. More specifically, your baked oatmeal.
I literally cook one recipe of baked oatmeal every Sunday (#mealprepsunday), cut it into wedges, and keep it in the fridge for breakfast.
I reheat a wedge in a bowl, pour milk over it, and add some fruit for a well rounded breakfast. It keeps me full till lunch, and my toddler loves it too.
Hooray for quick breakfast!
It’s also super portable. I’ll put a wedge in a bag and take it to work. I heat it in a bowl and pour on some milk that I keep in the office fridge.
I made chocolate banana last week and it made all my coworkers jealous.
Keep the awesome baked oatmeal recipes coming!!
Thanks for this! I made this this morning and everyone devoured it. I 1.5’ed it, which sounds awkward, but I didn’t make it in the proportions you have, and I didn’t double it…
Anyway. It fit nicely in a 9×13 and barely a bite left over. To complete the cookie effect and make my kids smile I whipped up a simple powdered sugar and milk glaze and dribbled it over the top. My husband pronounced it to taste just like an oatmeal cream pie, and couldn’t believe the majority of the sweetness came from unsweetened applesauce! (However, in the interest of full disclosure, if anyone wants to add the glaze, I’d cut back on the sugar…it was almost too sweet for my tastes. For breakfast, at any rate.)
We are big fans of baked oatmeal, and got started on it with your pumpkin recipe a few years back. This one will definitely go into the regular rotation as well!
I’ve made this for three weeks in a row now and I’m not sick of it. My successful modifications: dried cranberries instead of raisins, and fresh blackberries baked into it instead of raisins (can you tell that I don’t like raisins)
I put frozen blueberries in there instead of raisins, it was fantastic!
I added 1/2 cup each of chopped pecans and cranberries. It was really good.
Does this recipes freeze well? My husband doesn’t like oatmeal (I don’t understand it!). I would be the only one eating it and I wouldn’t want it to go to waste!
Yep! I freeze my baked oatmeals all the time. I freeze it in single serving portions, then pop it straight from the freezer to the microwave. :)
Thanks for this recipe! Since school started, we’ve had a daily struggle wherein my kids aren’t interested in food when they get up, and then they wait too long to eat and we’re dealing with hangry kids. It’s a brutal start to the day. I decided to try this recipe to tempt them to the breakfast table, and I credit you with two lovely, peaceful mornings as a result. :) They loved it and I loved having a little more harmony to start our day. Thank you!!
Awesome!! :D
Oh. So. Good.
I just made this for lazy Sunday breakfast and it was delicious! I can’t wait to make other flavors!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m now taken my seat on the “baked oatmeal” bandwagon.
Hey Beth! This looks amazing, but I was wondering if it would be possible to substitute the applesauce? It’s not as common in my part of the world as in the US… Thanks!
You can do mashed bananas, but it will change the flavor a bit. :)
You can also very easily make your own applesauce if you have access to apples. That’s what I did (living in China). Pretty much just requires apples…easiest in a slow cooker but if you don’t have one you could do it on the stovetop.
Can I make this with water? My kids are dairy free and we’re not really into alternative milks. Thanks!
You can, but it just won’t be as creamy or custardy.
Made this for breakfast today… tastes so good! Mine came out with more of a cake-like texture though than your crumbly texture. Did I bake it too long? Still tastes great.
It should have a cake texture.
This was so delicious! I made it last night and had some this morning. I wasn’t sure if I’d like it cold with some almond milk, but it was like eating a cold, oatmeal raisin cookie. So good! I had a banana on top and it was perfection. Thank you!
What a great recipe for oatmeal. Pinning this to the Healthy Snacks!
I can’t wait to try this when it isn’t 80F in my house at 10pm! This looks delicious!
Would it be possible to replace the rolled oats with steel cut, as that is what I currently have? I’m guessing that increasing the liquid/baking time would be necessary?
It would definitely need more liquid and a longer baking time, but unfortunately I’ve never tested it to know exactly how much. :(
Made this today and it is so good!! I made it for my husband and daughter to eat for breakfast this week.They both love it and are so excited.
I put some walnuts in for an extra crunch (only about 2 TB), and it was a nice addition.
My kids are going to go crazy for this! They love the other baked oatmeal recipes.
I love recipes like this for winter. So my kids, even better! Thanks!
I love seeing a new baked oatmeal recipe (especially since I’ve tried most of them). I’ve been thinking a PB & J version would be awesome.
I agree!! :)
My boys are devouring their new favorite “oatmeal pie” as I write! I put all the dry ingredients in one Tupperware and all the wet in another last night, then this morning I could preheat the oven while I worked out and dump everything in the pan when I was done! Loved it!
Wondering if this could be made in the slow cooker overnight?
It could, but I’m not sure if the liquid would need to be adjusted. I know a lot of people cook oats in the slow cooker, but I don’t have experience doing it myself.
would this be good minus the raisins? my husband is a raisin hater:)
I guess so. A little more boring, but it will taste good. :)
I bet cranberries or chocolate chips would be a good substitute!
Hey Liana. Just tried IT With chocalate chips and almonds. Amazing Breakfast.
This looks yummy. I won a first place ribbon at a county fair for my oatmeal cookies, and the secret ingredient is a small amount of grated orange peel.
Would this work as 6 portions in a muffin tin?
My family has done this with her previous baked oatmeal and they turned out lovely.
Thank you Brittany, I’m going to try it this weekend.
Did you adjust the baking time in muffin tins? I’m thinking that will be the best form factor for me.
Just made the recipe in a jumbo muffin tin (6 muffins) and it turned out great! Baking time was about 30 minutes.
Yes, but the baking time will likely be shorter since there is more surface area. :)
I can’t wait to try oatmeal that tastes like cookies!! :-)
Thank you for this recipe! Oatmeal cookies are my favorite cookies and I am going to love having this for breakfast.