Baked Oatmeal is delicious for breakfast or as snack bars when cooled. Baking the oatmeal results in a spongy texture much like bread pudding. It’s easy to make and customize with your favorite nondairy milk, fresh or dried fruits, and spices.
Traditional baked oatmeal, an Amish creation, usually calls for eggs, butter, cow’s milk, salt and sugar. My recipe uses none of these ingredients, and is simple, healthy, and bakes up quickly. The variations are endless when it comes to the types of nondairy milk, fresh and dried fruit, and spices you can use. The recipe does not call for any added sweetener aside from the raisins and apples, but see “Notes” below if you’d like a sweeter version.
- 2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1¾ cups nondairy milk (or water)
- 1 large apple, cored, skin on, and chopped (about 1½ cups)
- ½ cup raisins
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together with a spoon.
- Spread into an 8×8-inch square baking pan lined with parchment paper (or use a silicone pan), and bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Spoon out portions while warm for breakfast, topped with nondairy milk (and cut up fruit if you like), or let cool and cut into snack bars.
Strawberry-Cardamom Baked Oatmeal: Instead of the apples and raisins, add in 1½ cups sliced strawberries and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, a delicious combination. Make this version unsweetened or with dates.
Other fruit options: Also try sliced pineapple, bananas, pears, raspberries, and/or blueberries.
Instead of old-fashioned rolled oats: Try using quinoa flakes or quick oats.
Above: With cinnamon and grated nuts on top, and homemade almond milk.
Above: After cooling, Baked Oatmeal can be cut into handy snack bars to take traveling, hiking or for breakfast on the run. Kids will love them!
Above: For the version in this photo I used quick oats, which results in a more refined texture (I used Old Fashioned rolled oats in the photo below); both types work great.
Above: This is the Strawberry-Cardamom Baked Oatmeal, made with old-fashioned rolled oats and cut into bars after cooling.
Above: The three most commonly used types of oats (L to R): steel-cut, old-fashioned, and quick-cooking. I’ve not tried steel-cut with this recipe, but if you try it, let me know how it works out. If you only have old-fashioned but you want “quick,” just pulse the Old Fashioned in your food processor briefly until the pieces resemble the above “quick” oats.
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I made this for breakfast today, and oh my lawdy dee was it good! I didn’t have enough almond milk so I added some water and unsweetened applesauce and blended that up with about 8 dates and some vanilla extract. And then I used a couple chopped dates since I didn’t have raisins, and it turned out great! It reminds me of the unhealthy but amazing apple crisp flavor except with an oatmeal consistency. I’m finishing the rest off for lunch!
Thanks for all of your amazing recipes, you really make eating vegan and enjoying it so much easier!
Wow, great substitutions, Anna! Thanks for the comment! 😉
I made your unsweetened Strawberry-Cardamom Baked Oatmeal version and it was so good! My 4-year old son and I ate the entire dish between the two of us. And it was quick to pull together, baking while I fed my 1-year old.
I will definitely be making this again!
Thanks for the comment, Desiree! Cute image! 😉
Can’t wait to try this!
Made this today using apples and banana. Absolutely delicious and so easy!!
Oh good! Thank you for the comment Monica! 😉
I made this last weekend, and it turned out well and was so tasty! Thank you for sharing!
With the strawberry cardamom version, do you leave in the cinnamon and nutmeg?
I don’t, but you could. 🙂
I’ve made this a few times now, substituting the apples and raisins with blueberries and chopped softened dates–delicious! I also add 2 tsp sugar to suit my taste. My entire family loves to eat these as bars for a snack or for breakfast.
Will definitely give it a try .
I have this in the oven right now – in preparation for watching The Great British Bake Off this evening on TV! I didn’t have quite enough oats, but by empyting out my museli container I had just enough in total 🙂 This would be yummy made with prunes and spices – like a Xmas-flavoured bread pudding :!
So glad I found your site! New to whole food plant based eating…going on 6 months. This oatmeal looks devine!
Very good! Opted for the blended dates in the soy milk and it’s perfect!
I didn’t have raisins so I substituted 1/2 cup of banana. I love the texture of this recipe.
Oooh, the banana sounds like a really good option! I have to try that next time!
Kathy – loved this recipe! I combined your versions: used the blended dates in unsweetened coconut milk, added the 1/4 tsp cardamom, and left in the raisins. Yumm-mmm-mmm! New favorite…
New favorite way to make oatmeal! I used your recommended cardamom, added the dates, 1 grated apple, 1 chopped banana. Oh so good! Love the cardamom flavor! Thanks for all your fabulous recipes~!
😉
hi Kathy, just want to clarify one item on the recipe, do you add the milk in with the other ingredients in the oven? Or do you add the milk AFTER the oatmeal mixture has been dry baked? Thanks..
With the other ingredients, everything together before it bakes. 🙂
Thats good for breakfast ? how about the calories ?
Yes, it’s just like oatmeal but baked. I don’t calculate calories, but you can at Cronometer.com if you like. 🙂
Looks delish! I think I will add nuts and seeds when I make mine, so as to create a lower-glycemic meal.
Much appreciated for the inspiration! 🙂
Why not low fat milk?
Hi Patsy, I don’t use any animal foods (meat, dairy, eggs, fish) on this blog and in my diet personally. For more information on why cow’s milk is not health-promoting, see this article.
I made this yesterday using apples and blackcurrants, and sprinkled some dry oats and almonds on top before baking. It’s great cut into bars as you suggested, or this morning I cut a bar into large squares and ate as a cereal with cold soya milk. It worked so well I’m about to try a carrot cake version! Grated carrots, sultanas, orange zest, spices and once cooled I may even try spreading a cream cheese on the top – fingers crossed it works! I’m a veggie and just started to explore cutting out refined sugar, so thanks for the inspiration!
Great ideas! So creative. 🙂
has anyone tried the quinoa flakes
I love it. I made them last weekend and have been eating them for breakfast topped with mashed banana, strawberries and walnut sprinkles. Yum.
Great recipe. Thank you.
I wish you had a restaurant near me so I can come and eat everyday. It would be heaven.
Thanks! 😉
I make a similar version of this recipe. After it bakes I crumble and spread on a cookie sheet. I bake it till lightly browned. It makes great granola.
What a great idea. My husband will love that.
I can not wait to try this..looks amazing!
Hey Cathy, thanks so much for the recipe. Im trying to incorporate oatmeal every day for breakfast. I had a general question, even for when making oatmeal alone with almond milk. For someone trying to desperatly lose weight, should i be skipping the almond milk because of high fat? and when having just oatmeal with water then(like suggested here – http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2014/11/17/the-key-to-my-weight-loss/), that seems very bland. Please what can i do?
Hi Jennifer, you can use oat and rice milks, they are lower in fat than the seed/nut milks. Although many people like their oatmeal dry, just with some cinnamon and/or fruit. You can increase the water a bit during cooking so it’s soupier (rather than stiff and dry). If skipping the milk makes you not want to eat it though, I would add it (since it’s not much/a condiment) and focus on bigger things to cut out like oils, animal foods/ingredients, and processed grain products (pasta, cookies, bread, etc.). 🙂
I’ve been meaning to make this for a long time and finally whipped it up yesterday morning. It was a cool morning and it was wonderful to have a warm breakfast from the oven. I didn’t add any extra sweetener as I found the apples and the raisins sweetened it enough, but my husband put maple syrup on his, and we both had it topped with some raspberries and a little bit of warmed up cashew milk. Absolutely delicious and so simple to make. It also really “stuck to my ribs” as my Mom used to say. Spent much of the morning on a long bike ride and didn’t really get hungry again until almost noon.
Another fantastic recipe! I enjoyed this very much for both breakfast AND lunch. I would recommend it to anyone looking to switch up their morning breakfast routine.
Tried this today with a Fuji apple added into it and no raisins. I also added 5 Medjool dates with Pacific Brand Oat milk. Easy recipe and plenty of room for your own experimental additions. Enjoyable for breakfast or snacks. Thanks.
Love this recipe. Not too sweet, but perfect for a great ‘any time’ snack. Thanks
I have been making this on the weekend and it makes enough for me to refrigerate and reheat every morning before work. For a little bit of flavor I add some apple juice and vanilla extract to the liquid, and some pumpkin pie spice. I also chop up a small amount of walnuts. I look forward to this every morning with sliced banana on top. When blueberry and strawberry season comes to the farmers’ markets, I’m going to try a new combo. Thanks for this recipe!
Yum!! 🙂
Hi Cathy, I’ve been making this recipe for breakfast lately and absolutely love it. However, I’m finding I eat half the pan and am hungry again not long after. I usually eat 1/2 to 3/4 of cooked oats for breakfast with some berries and a banana mashed in. Do you know why I might find myself hungrier when I’m actually eating more oats with this recipe?
Also I just wanted to say I’m so in love with your site. It is the perfect site I’ve been looking for. I had been trying to avoid salt, oil and sugar but had never heard of the term SOS free. I was struggling looking for recipes but now feel like I’ve hit the jackpot!
Thankyou so much!
Hi Ellie, not sure, but I do eat 5 times a day (3 meals with 2 snacks) because I get hungry every 2-3 hours. So if you’re hungry, just eat, making sure you’re eating healthy. 🙂
Could this be made in a slow cooker. I make steel cut oats overnight on low. Just a thought.
It could be prepared in a slow cooker, but it would have the same consistency and dry out in the same way as in the oven. 🙂
Cathy, My son is here from London with his German fiance, and it is our first time to meet her, so I wanted something special for breakfast. I also wanted to use up a couple of items I don’t usually have in the pantry and fridge. So I made the baked oatmeal using granola, soy milk, and a bit of coconut milk. I cut it into six generous portions and she loved it and ate a piece and a half. It was delicious. Now I’m going to use up the rest of the granola making it into bars for an upcoming trip. I love the versatility of the recipe and plan to use whatever fruit I have on hand – maybe a nectarine, dates AND apple – for the next batch.
Yay! 🙂 Thanks Rebecca!
I’m enjoying your cookbook, I have made several recipes and I have loved every one of them. I have many more to try. I’m so glad I bought the book.
Thank you Madeleine! 😉 xo Cathy
This recipe is just so amazing. Easy, healthy, yummy, critter-free…what’s not to like?! I use old-fashioned oats, Zante currant instead of raisins, added a banana, smidgen of clove, cardamom, 1/4 tsp ginger and sprinkled some frozen blueberries on top right before baking. Poured some homemade cashew milk upon serving and drizzled just a tiny bit of homemade date paste….oh my, heavenly! Your recipes are truly appreciated in our house Cathy <3.
Yum!! Thanks Chen! 😉
Great recipe! Perfect amount of natural sweetness and I love the chewy consistency. Delicious and so easy!
This is one of our go-to quick breakfasts the whole family loves. Our favorite combo is with fresh peaches and cinnamon and for dessert, we’ll add whipped coconut cream. My 6-year old son makes this recipe on his own as well. We only have to do the oven step for him.
Delicious! I added a handful of chopped nuts for some crunch and might add a small amount of coconut flakes next time. This lasted me a few days for breakfast and I just reheated a portion and topped with almond milk and chopped strawberries. A perfect breakfast for the winter months!