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)
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!