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If you haven’t tried Baked Oatmeal yet, you are missing out. Mildly sweet and lightly spiced with cinnamon, this leaves the average bowl of oatmeal in the dust.
When I say this is one of our family’s most beloved breakfasts, there’s no exaggeration. Baked oatmeal is tied with our slow-cooker oatmeal for our family’s all-time favorite oatmeal recipe, and we’ve made it so many times over the years that I’ve lost count.
Baked Oatmeal
A friend introduced our family to Baked Oatmeal via an Amish cookbook over 20 years ago and it’s been a staple in our family’s meal plan ever since.
There’s something about this sweet, chewy Baked Oatmeal that is just guaranteed to make me smile. Whether right out of the oven, or warmed up in the microwave the following day, this oatmeal is always a treat. We love preparing it for breakfast, but we’ve also been known to heat it up for a midday (or midnight!) snack.
To make this recipe even better, it can also be made in advance then portioned into individual bags or containers for one portion meals. This breakfast is a lifesaver on busy mornings.
I decided I should finally write a review because I have cooked this very easy recipe so many times! I love it! I bake it in a 9×13 pan. My son likes to add whipped cream to his baked oatmeal. I like to add almond milk to mine. It reheats great for a second day serving as well. I have a pan of baked oatmeal in the oven right now. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Oats – I use rolled oats in this recipe for their distinct texture in baked oatmeal. I do not recommend substituting quick cooking oats in this recipe.
Brown Sugar – Light brown sugar serves as the main source of sweetness in this oatmeal.
Cinnamon – Cinnamon creates a warm, rich foundation for the flavors in this recipe, with just a bit of spice.
Raisins – Either raisins or craisins will work well for this recipe. I typically just grab whatever’s convenient from the pantry. Not fan? I really like them, but you can skip them.
Milk – I use whole milk, but whichever milk you happen to have on hand will work fine here. Dairy free milks will also work in this recipe.
Eggs – Eggs help provide structural support for the oatmeal, keeping every bite hearty and consistent.
Baking Powder – This is our leavening agent, and along with the eggs helps the oatmeal rise.
Neutral Oil – I use light flavored olive oil in this recipe, and in most of my baking as it is neutral flavored. Canola or vegetable oil may be substituted here if that is your preference or more easily at hand for you.
Salt – I use Kosher salt in all of my recipes unless specifically noted otherwise.
Notes on Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Spoonula – One of my favorite kitchen tools that I use pretty much every day is the Get It Right Spoonula. It combines the best parts of a spatula and a spoon in one handy tool. Nothing sticks to it and it’s completely dishwasher safe. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s practically perfect in every way.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Baking Pan
How to Make Baked Oatmeal
Preheating the Oven – To start, you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350°F.
Greasing the Pan – While the oven is warming up, grease a 10″ baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
Combining the Dry Ingredients – I add the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl. Stir until completely combined.
Adding the Wet Ingredients – Add the oil, eggs, and milk and stir to combine.
Finishing with Raisins – Last, I add the raisins to the bowl, stirring again until thoroughly mixed.
Baking – Scoop the oat mixture into the greased pan (I use a spatula to do this) and let bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Serving – Once the oatmeal has finished cooking, let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing/scooping and serving. This gives the dish time to settle after baking.
Expert Tip
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth restating, we really love our oatmeal recipes and there are endless ways to enjoy it. From the oven to the stovetop to the crockpot, we’re oatmeal experts over here. So, here are a few more tips to make sure your baked oatmeal turns out perfectly every time.
Mixing too Early: If you would like to prepare this ahead of time, bake it completely. Do not stir it together and wait to bake it later. If you stir it together too early, the oats will absorb all of the liquids producing a very different result. Instead, go ahead and bake it and then reheat as directed below.
Rotating the Pan – Rotating the pan in the oven to face the opposite direction halfway through cooking (at the 15 minute mark) is a good way to produce more uniform results, especially if your oven has hot spots.
Checking for Doneness – When the oatmeal is fully baked, it should be lightly browned, and slightly crisp on top and around the edges. If you insert a knife into the center of the dish, it should come out mostly clean with wet crumbs.
Serving Suggestions
I typically serve oatmeal on its own or with some fresh fruit. If we’re doing brunch or having a bigger breakfast spread, it pairs well with a Peach Fruit Salad, or this Honey Lime Fruit Salad. And if I want to add some extra protein, a skillet of Cottage Cheese Eggs always gets cheers.
Most mornings, the kids are likely to be eating their oatmeal with a Strawberry Banana Smoothie or these Spinach Smoothies. (And yes, my kids actually like them – probably because they taste nothing like spinach!)
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead: Yes! Not only can this recipe be made ahead, that’s usually our plan when making it. I love having baked oatmeal tucked away for future breakfasts. This oatmeal will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator, or several months in the freezer.
How to Store: Let the oatmeal cool completely, then cut or scoop into portions. I usually store this dish in airtight containers or freezer bags.
How to Reheat: I reheat individual portions in the microwave with about a tablespoon of water. Or cover the pan with foil and pop the room temperature pan in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes.
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal
- Baked Peach Oatmeal
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Pineapple Coconut Baked Oatmeal
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Mixed Berry Baked Oatmeal
Frequently Asked Questions
You can substitute melted butter for the oil at a 1:1 ratio (so ¼-cup, or one ½-stick of butter).
In this case, I don’t recommend it. Changing the type of oats will drastically affect the overall texture of the oatmeal. And steel cut oats will not cook through at all in the recommended time frame.
Yes, you can incorporate all kinds of add-ins into baked oatmeal! Check out the collection of baked oatmeal recipes I’ve shared above for more ideas.
The Best Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 3½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup light flavored olive oil
- 3 eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- 1 cup craisins or raisins optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch pan with butter or coat with cooking spray. Combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the oil, eggs, and milk and stir to combine. Add the craisins and stir once more.
- Scoop the oat mixture into the greased pan and bake for 30 minutes. The oatmeal should be lightly browned, slightly crisp on top and around the edges. A knife inserted will come out mostly clean with wet crumbs.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Slice into servings or scoop servings with a spoon.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
{originally published 1/26/16 – recipe notes and photos updated 8/17/26}
I cut back the sugar slightly and subbed plain yogurt for some/most of the oil to cut back the total fat and slightly increase the protein. I also added fresh strawberries and some pecans.
This came out just as I anticipated and very delicious. I had it at least 2 or 3 mornings throughout the week that I made it… and I shared it with 2-3 people. I baked this in a 9×13″ pan. It baked faster. Feel free to enjoy with whipped cream or milk added on top. I just like mine warm and chewy.
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m thrilled you like the oatmeal.
Hi Mary,
I am just eating my first try at baked oatmeal ever – topped with a bit of almond milk and sliced bananas . I really like it. “I don’t see how this could fail”. I baked it in a 9 1/2 in pan and it did fine, has a moist cake-like texture and it tastes like oatmeal. I substituted Earth’s Own Vanilla unsweetened almond milk. I didn’t have any lactose free milk on hand. Since I substituted, do you think I should have put a little more almond milk in the recipe or shortened the bake time to have it be a little moister. I will definitely be making this again and will try it with lactose free milk next time, but prefer to use almond milk. I would appreciate your comment on the almond milk substitution. I see all sorts of possibilities for variation regarding the yummy stuff to add. Really like this recipe. Remember folks, to read and check your measure twice and bake once.
Barbara – I am so glad you enjoyed this baked oatmeal. It is a really good recipe to add things to and scale as needed. Your milk substitutions sound just fine. Baked oatmeal is naturally a bit drier, to begin with. I would suggest adjusting by maybe 1/4 cup of extra liquid the next time if you want it to have a bit more moisture. I would not shorten the baking time. Does that make sense? Let me know how it goes when you try it again.
This Baked Oatmeal is perhaps not the worst thing I have ever tried to eat but it is a strong competitor for that distinction. I have been cooking and baking for nearly 65 years (including about 25 years cooking professionally) so I have tried many recipes and conducted many experiments so I’ve had a fair number of disappointments but this one stands out. As is my custom when trying a new recipe, I followed this recipe exactly as it is written. The result is gloppy and tasteless – so far off the mark that I struggle to think of any way to improve on it short of just dumping it in the compost pile.
Good morning, Ron! As a cook with 65 years of experience, I’m floored that you found this oatmeal gloppy. As you can see in the photos, it should’ve been baked until it was firm enough to slice or easily scoop into bowls. Something was definitely off there.
And for what it’s worth as MY opinion here? If you found it to be flavorless, perhaps with all those years of experience, you could have reviewed the ingredient list and known in advance what you were going to be making. All of the ingredients here are easily adjustable to your own tastes. It’s a very simple recipe for baked oatmeal. Perhaps not the most flavorful food around, but certainly not tasteless if made as directed in the recipe.
At any rate, I’m choosing to be honored that the oatmeal we love so much stood out as one of your worst fails. (Do you hate oatmeal in general? Maybe this was an attempt to try it again?) I have zero clues how this particular recipe rates as one of your worst fails (my children have been making this oatmeal since they were about 6 years old) but hey, as you likely know after spending 25 years in the food industry, you will never please everyone. Better luck with another breakfast. I wish you only the best!
With all due respect Ron… err.. is there any due respect? I am a 23 year old home cook, already capable of improvising on the fly and constantly deviating from recipes. I hardly ever measure my ingredients anymore – I just have an eye for it at this point in my life. With that all being said, I have never had any baked food turn out the way you described – if I ever see a recipe that I want to try, but has questionable proportions, I adjust it according to my own judgements.
I think the most likely scenario here is that you forgot an ingredient, or misread something and measured it wrong. You are the only commenter here who is complaining about a gloppy recipe. I would suggest that you try to remake this recipe, paying closer attention to the ingredients/instructions, and try it again. Either that, or just remove your review, as it’s hurting an otherwise good recipe’s reputation for something that is seemingly an issue on your end.
I feel bad for Ron. He gave his opinion and he gets railed. Heaven for bid someone says something that is different. Authors blasts him with jabs and complete defensiveness. He was being honest on the recipe and his experience. He didn’t attack the family or anything else personal. He also said he followed it as is, but he’s being accused of forgetting an ingredient or doing something wrong. So what if he doesn’t love it like everyone else. Taste is in the mouth of the beholder. Ron, I’m going against the grain here but I don’t believe you were wrong for stating your feedback, no matter how unpopular it was.
I really like this recipe. I would add a bit more milk maybe 3Tbsp. it was a bit dry.
I love this recipe! I substitute Chinese 5 spice for cinnamon and use raisins. It turns out just perfect.
Very yummy. I added plumped blueberries and raisins
Thanks
Perfect in oatmeal for sure.
This tasted delicious. Next time, I will blend up the oats first and let it all sit for about 10 minutes before baking. For this batch, I added a mashed banana and layered in fresh blueberries. Yum!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I was looking for a while for a good baked oatmeal recipe, and after trying a couple on YouTube and the one from Quaker Oat’s website, this one is it. It wasn’t overly sweet, which I really liked. The texture was good, and of course, it’s great for if you need to eat on the go or just want a quick breakfast while you get ready for work/daily tasks.
The only thing I changed was changing out the olive oil for some butter, as I currently have a lot more butter than I do olive oil. :c
I’m thrilled to hear that it worked well for you! I swap butter and oil in most of the baked oatmeal recipes on this site without any issues at all. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it!
I was wondering about subbing butter for the OO…..I am not an OO fan at all, except in pizza dough. Glad it worked for you, that’s what I will do.
I have made this twice now and love the recipe. The following are the mods that I made the second time- give the oats a light blend in the blender to make them a little smaller and place in bowl for mixing with dry ingredients. Add a mashed up banana to the blender with liquid ingredients and give a quick pulse to blend. Pour wet ingredients in with dry ingredients, stir and let sit about 10 minutes and then bake. I also added blueberries to the pan for more fruit. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for your comment, Cheri. I always appreciate hearing how readers customize recipes to make them their own.
This recipe was fun to make and fast and easy!
It also was delicious! thank you Mary!
Thank you so much, Carla. I am so happy you loved it.
This was excellent! Only change I made was to use Splenda Brown Sugar Blend (I started using that when my husband had diabetes & continue to use it) instead of the brown sugar and I used chopped walnuts instead of raisins. It is wonderful! It’s cooling now and then I will wrap up the pieces for the freezer. Thank you so much for yet another wonderful recipe. I have tried a lot of your recipes and they have always been great!!
I’m so glad you’ve been loving the baked oatmeal, Esther. It’s been a favorite breakfast recipe in our home for many years; happy to hear that it’s becoming a favorite in another kitchen. Enjoy the recipes, and happy cooking!
I have a question when making baked oatmeal so I need to use the regular rolled oats or can I use the quick cooking rolled oats???
Either one will work, but my preference is rolled oats. The texture is better with the larger oats.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I tried a very similar one and it turned out great…but then I like oatmeal. I did like the comment about subsituting plain yogurt for the oil. Will be trying this in the future. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Bruce. I hope you love the oatmeal.
OMG this was just the best thing I have eaten in a long time! I followed the directions exactly and my family “licked the platter clean”! lol Thank you for sharing this recipe. I appreciate you!!
Donna D
I’m so glad you like it, Donna!
I love baked oatmeal but have never used olive oil. I’m confused as what would be a light olive oil. It would be greatly appreciated if you would you give me some pointers, please.
You can use any oil you like for the oatmeal, Rita. However, “extra virgin” olive oil will have a much stronger taste and I don’t recommend it. I use a light-flavored (anything NOT labeled extra virgin) olive oil for most baking purposes because that’s what I keep on hand.
Mary – are the nutrition facts provided based off the whole recipient or serving sizes??
The nutrition is based on serving size. For this recipe, you’ll divide the pan by 6 and that is the nutritional info per serving.
This was the first time I ever made baked oatmeal, and it was delicious! I used avocado oil, oat milk, and raisins. I also had to cook mine for about 35 minutes to firm it up more (may have been because of the oat milk), but once it set for 10 minutes as directed, it was perfect. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that you love it!
I would like more cinnamon in the ingredients. Seemed a little bland.
I definitely love to add more cinnamon sometimes. My personal rule is to let your heart be your guide when measuring spices! Be sure to let me know how it turns out!
I mowed the recipe directly, only substituting for almond milk and dried blueberries instead of milk and raisins, and it came out absolutely delicious! So easy to make and perfect for meal prepping! Thank you!
I followed the recipe directly, only substituting for almond milk and dried blueberries instead of milk and raisins, and it came out absolutely delicious! So easy to make and perfect for meal prepping! Thank you!
I’m glad that it turned out so well! Thank you for such kind words!
Good morning,
I enjoy your baked oatmeal recipes. I like their texture. For convenience I would like to make the oatmeal as jumbo muffins/cups. What adjustments would be needed?
Thank you for your help.
That will work fine. You’ll just need to watch the first time you bake them in the muffin cups and adjust the baking time accordingly. I can’t guess that without testing them in the exact cups myself. So, just test for doneness. Depending on how jumbo the muffin cups are, you may only need the lessen the baking time by a few minutes or up to 10 minutes less.