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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.
Can I Use Frozen Berries?
Sure! If you don’t have fresh berries, or if they’re out of season, make this baked oatmeal recipe with frozen berries instead. You don’t even need to thaw them first. Just assemble the oatmeal and bake as usual. You may need to add an extra 1-2 minutes to the baking time.
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:
- Mix the wet ingredients. First, whisk the milk with the eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, and honey.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the oats and spices with sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- 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.
- 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.
Recipe Tips
- Use the right oats. The best oats for baked oatmeal are rolled oats. Steel-cut oats don’t work well in this recipe. Quick or instant oats can be used in a pinch, but they tend to get very soft once baked.
- Serve warm. Whether we enjoy it fresh from the oven, or reheat portions later on, I’ve always found that baked oatmeal tastes best warmed up. There’s nothing wrong with having it cold, it’s just a personal preference.
- Toast the nuts. If I have time, I’ll sometimes lightly toast the slivered almonds. Even though they toast in the heat of the oven, toasting them beforehand takes a few minutes and brings out their flavor even more. Just add the nuts to a dry skillet over medium-low heat and stir while they brown. Stay close to the stove, as nuts toast quickly!
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.
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.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Creamy Crock Pot Banana French Toast
- Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Banana Walnut Muffins
- Zucchini Egg Bake
- Overnight Breakfast Strata
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Ingredients
- 2 cups skim milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup honey
- 4 to 6 cups mixed berries, divided (if using strawberries, cut them in half)
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and honey. Set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the oats with baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and light brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
- Assemble. Arrange half of the berries on the bottom of the prepared dish. Top the berries with the prepared oat mixture, and then pour the milk mixture over the oats. Top with the remaining berries and slivered almonds.
- Bake. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the oats have absorbed all the liquid. Remove from the oven and let the baked oatmeal stand for several minutes.
- Serve. Serve immediately, or let the oatmeal cool before storing.
Notes
- To store: Store leftovers in a container and keep them in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.
- Freeze: Freeze individual portions in freezer-safe bags or containers.
- Make-ahead: You can also prep the baked oatmeal the night before and pop it in the oven the next day. Add approximately 15 to 20 minutes to the baking time if baking chilled from the fridge.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Can you freeze this, would you bake ahead of time of freeze uncooked then thaw and bake??
Hi! You can freeze it after it is baked and completely cooled off. The other way might work as well, but I’ve never tried it so I am not sure how it will turn out. Hope this helps! ๐
Can I use steel cut oats instead of rolled oats?
I’d happily eat this breakfast or dessert! What a great way to start the day.
Can I substitute the skim milk for almond or cashew milk?
Hi Nichole! Yep, you absolutely can.
Super yummy except mine was still a bit watery after 50 minutes. Just keep cooking until it’s solid? I’m a texture person and I don’t know if it was the honey or the milk or the combo of the two, but there was a layer of gelatin-like at the bottom of my dish. Any suggestions? As I said, this was DELICIOUS- I just need some help perfecting it
Hi Taylor! I’m so glad you like it! Sorry about the texture thing. :-/ All ovens are a bit different, so I would suggest baking it a bit longer, but don’t burn it. ๐ The extra liquid could just be from the fruits, too. You might want to add less next time, or add more of the dry ingredients, and see if that helps, as well. ๐
Just wondering if the fruit can be frozen…….
Hi!
Is there a good substitute for the coconut oil? I ran out but I really want to make this this morning!
Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth! Sure! You can go ahead and use 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, instead. Though the coconut oil does add a bit to the taste. ๐
Thank you so much for a quick response!
Hi there!
Do you know if this would be good leftover? I’d love to make this on Monday morning and use it as breakfasts for the week if you think it would stay good!
Hi Valerie! Yep! You can definitely do that. That’s what I do. ๐ Just refrigerate the leftovers and then reheat as much as you want before serving it.
How many servings does this make? The recipe says 1 but I am assuming that is incorrect!
Hi Leann!! It should say 8, but this new recipe card I am using is glitchy – some people are seeing how many servings all together, and others are only seeing the individual. Ugh. ๐ Sorry!!
#technologyproblems ๐ Thanks so much for your quick reply!
#yougetme haha ๐ No problem!!
Is this ok for diabetics