Baked Oatmeal Recipe | Diethood

This baked oatmeal recipe is one of my favorite breakfasts to make ahead! It has all the convenience of a breakfast casserole, only this delicious baked berry oatmeal is choc full of rolled oats, irresistibly juicy berries, and crunchy nuts.

Just like baked French toast to sheet pan pancakes, baked oatmeal is great for feeding a crowd at brunch. Or, I’ll make it, store it, and reheat slices for quick breakfasts during the week.

Recently, I raided the farmer’s market for fresh berries. I may have (MAY have) gone overboard. Let’s just say, there’s been plenty of fruit salad and berry cobbler going on, plus a few rounds of this baked berry oatmeal. This is one of my favorite breakfasts when I feel like meal prepping, because I can bake once and enjoy hearty scoops of delicious, gooey berry oatmeal all week long. It’s super easy to make, sort of like a breakfast bread pudding made with oats.

Why I Love This Baked Oatmeal Recipe

• Super filling. My easy baked oatmeal recipe is packed full of goodies like wholesome rolled oats, fresh fruit, and crispy oven-toasted almonds. I sweeten it with a combination of brown sugar and honey so it’s light but still nice and caramelized after baking. It’s super hearty– just one slice is enough to stay full until lunch.
• Bursting with seasonal fruit. Since it’s summer and I have fresh berries coming out of my ears these days, I fill this baked oatmeal with juicy ripe strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries. You can easily make it with frozen berries out of season, or replace the berries with any in-season fruit you’d like, such as apples, peaches, etc. More on this later.
• Great for sharing. Baked oatmeal is everything I love about classic oatmeal in a more… crowd-friendly format. Rather than making a big pot of oatmeal or individual bowls, all you need to do here is layer, bake, and slice!
• Even better to make ahead. When I’m not expecting a hungry brunch crowd, I’ll bake the oatmeal ahead and keep it in the fridge. It keeps fresh for days and reheats like a dream.

What You’ll Need

Most of what you’ll need are basic pantry ingredients, so there’s a very good chance you’re already well-stocked to make baked oatmeal. Here are some notes. Scroll to the recipe card after the post for a printable list of the ingredients and amounts.

• Milk – I use skim milk, but any milk works. You can use whole milk, 2%, or a dairy-free alternative, like oat milk or coconut milk.
• Eggs – I’d think that this baked oatmeal would work with a flax egg or egg substitute if needed, though I haven’t tried it yet. Leave a comment if you give it a go.
• Coconut Oil – Melted or brought to its liquid state. I use coconut oil in place of butter in this recipe, but you can substitute it with melted butter or another mild-flavored oil if you’d like.
• Vanilla – Pure vanilla extract is best, or another flavoring extract, like almond. It’s fine to skip the extract if needed, but I love the smidge of extra flavor.
• Honey – Or maple syrup or agave.
• Berries – I use a fresh berry medley but feel free to use one kind of berry or any mix you’d like. If you’re including strawberries, I recommend chopping them into smaller pieces. I also share some of my favorite baked oatmeal variations later on that you can try!
• Oats – I like to use old-fashioned rolled oats in recipes like baked oatmeal and overnight oats. They soften faster than steel-cut oats and don’t become mushy, like minute oats.
• Spices – Ground cinnamon and nutmeg for some toasty warm spice.
• Sugar – This can be brown sugar or granulated sugar.
• Baking Powder and Salt – Since we’ll bake this oatmeal similarly to a cake, it needs a little leavening to help it rise in the oven. Check the date on your baking powder (NOT baking soda) to be sure it’s not expired!
• Almonds – I sprinkle slivered almonds over top for crunch. Other good choices are chopped pecans, walnuts, or cashews.

How to Make Baked Oatmeal

I love this baked oatmeal on weekends and holidays because it takes 15 minutes to prepare and the rest is pretty hands-free. Which, coincidentally, also makes it a great breakfast to meal prep during the week! Basically, there’s never a bad occasion to bake it. Here’s how easy it is:

1. Mix the wet ingredients. First, whisk the milk with the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, and honey.
2. Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the oats and spices with sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Assemble. Fill the bottom of a greased baking dish with ½ of your mixed berries. Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over that. Next, pour over the milk mixture. Lastly, arrange the other half of the berries over the oatmeal and top with almonds.
4. Bake. Your baked oatmeal goes into a 375ºF oven for 40-50 minutes, until you can see that all the liquid is absorbed. Afterward, let the oatmeal stand for a bit before slicing.

Make Ahead

This baked oatmeal is one of my best make-ahead breakfasts! You can prep the oatmeal the night before, but don’t bake it. Instead, cover the baking dish tightly and pop it into the fridge. It’ll be ready to bake the following day. Keep in mind that if you’re baking the oatmeal straight from the fridge, you’ll need to add an extra 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time.

Another option is to assemble and bake the oatmeal as directed, and then cool it completely to store or freeze. I share my easy storage tips futher down in the post.

Baked Oatmeal Variations

This version is bursting with berries, but there are a bajillion ways to customize a batch of baked oatmeal. Just one more thing to love, right? Here are just a few possibilities: 

• Banana bread. Layer sliced bananas in place of the berries, and replace the almonds with chopped toasted pecans.
• Apple crumble. I love making a cozy variation of this recipe with chopped apples and an apple crumble topping. Drizzle the baked oatmeal with caramel sauce before you serve it!
• Protein. Make baked protein oatmeal and stir your favorite protein powder into the dry ingredients.
• Peaches. Use fresh, canned, or frozen peaches as the fruit layer. 
• Chocolate. Skip the berry layers and stir a spoonful of cocoa powder into the dry oatmeal ingredients. Sprinkle in dark chocolate chips. If you’re skipping the fruit, you’ll need to shorten the baking time to 30-40 minutes.
• Coconut. Add a sprinkle of shredded or shaved coconut over top of the baked oatmeal.
• Granola. Top your oatmeal with chocolate granola for extra crunch. I also love this pumpkin granola in the fall.

Serving Suggestions

Baked oatmeal is a stick to your ribs breakfast on its own, but it’s also great to serve as a sweet option at a big family brunch alongside sheet pan eggs or shakshuka (a total crowd pleaser). I also love this asparagus frittata or a bacon and egg bake. If it’s just me and the family, I’ll whip up a quick batch of air fryer bacon and some scrambled or hard boiled eggs.

For a special treat (like Christmas morning!) we love our baked oatmeal with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for baked berry oatmeal à la mode. Every other time of the year, I’ll sneak a slice topped with Greek yogurt to have with my afternoon cortado or matcha latte. Move over, coffee cake!

Proper Storage

• Refrigerate. Let the baked oatmeal cool to room temperature, then cover or store it airtight. It keeps in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, perfect to warm up for breakfasts all week long!
• Reheat. Warm the oatmeal slices in the toaster oven, or in a regular oven at 350ºF. You can also reheat servings in the microwave until hot throughout. 
• Freeze. You can also freeze baked oatmeal whole or in slices. Cool the oatmeal, then portion it into freezer-safe containers, or wrap the whole baking dish tightly in a double layer of foil. Freeze it for up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge before reheating.

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