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
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)
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.