This dish is adaptable to all seasons and can even be prepped ahead of time. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine has!
I am always looking for simple ways to give my family a hot breakfast. I ate quite a bit of cereal as a kid, and while we occasionally have cereal, it is definitely not a staple in my house.
Even though we don’t rely on convenience foods, I’m not looking to spend hours slaving over a warm breakfast while my family sleeps peacefully. There are some mornings I need my sleep, too!
Enter in – the most versatile, simple baked oatmeal recipe you will ever use.
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Your New Favorite Oatmeal Recipe
I have adapted this dish for all seasons. And when I know I’m going to have a busy morning, I prep it the night before!
With just a few recipe substitutions, you can turn this into a peaches-and-cream summer dream or a warming, pumpkin-spice fall comfort dish.
Simple Ingredients
For the exact measurements of each ingredient, scroll to the bottom of this blog post for the FREE printable recipe card!
In a 9×5 greased baking pan, add your old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Mix lightly.
Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Be sure to pay attention to the recipe substitutions! If you are using pumpkin, you need to use pumpkin in lieu of milk.
If you are adding berries, top the oatmeal with those prior to baking.
If this is for meal prep, store in the refrigerator overnight in an airtight container. You can also bake immediately at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the oatmeal is firm throughout.
I personally love the cake-like texture this takes on when you bake it immediately after combining your ingredients!
Let it cool for about five minutes and top with your favorite toppings. I have used everything from berry compote and whipped cream to maple syrup. If you have fresh fruit that’s in season, like strawberries in summer or apples in fall, use those, too!
I like to grease my baking dish with butter, but a neutral-tasting oil or coconut oil works great, too.
Store your oatmeal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you don’t have an airtight container, let your oatmeal cool completely and cover with plastic wrap.
I like to reheat my oatmeal on the stovetop with some milk. I show you how to do that in this blog post.
I like to double this recipe and make the oatmeal in a 9×13 casserole dish so I can feed my family two or three times while only dirtying the kitchen once. However, you can also save the leftovers for future meal prep. Jump ahead to storing leftovers to see my hacks!
You may note that lots of baked oatmeal recipes include baking powder. I don’t include baking powder in my baked oatmeal because I never got a good rise when I did include it in baked oatmeal.
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The Substitutions Are Endless
I am not kidding when I say this is the most versatile oatmeal recipe you will ever use!
I love that I can have one recipe that will truly serve my family all year long. I know we each have our favorite recipes for each season, but there’s nothing better than having one recipe you can use again and again, and you know it’s going to work.
This recipe converts to dairy-free when you use coconut oil to grease the pan and unsweetened almond milk as your liquid.
This recipe is egg-free when you sub in a quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce for each egg.
If you run out of vanilla extract, use a little honey instead!
If you don’t like whipped cream on your oatmeal, top it with a dollop of Greek yogurt instead.
It’s important to note that quick oats are not a good substitution for this oatmeal. Especially if you plan to meal prep this the night before. Rolled oats, or old-fashioned oats, are heartier than quick oats. That means rolled oats hold up better to soaking in moisture overnight.
In fact, for recipes like overnight oats, you would rather use rolled oats because they will spend the night soaking up the moisture in the recipe.
Seasonal Substitutions
I have substitutions for every season!
In the spring, I top the plain oatmeal with berries. In the summer, I top the oatmeal with peaches. If you like to make peach butter like I do, you can make peach butter and substitute it for a cup of milk in this recipe.
In the fall, I love to focus on pumpkin. However, you can easily add stewed apples to this oatmeal for another fun, fall twist.
When I’ve exhausted all additions, the plain oatmeal holds up just fine.
Properly Storing Leftovers
I like to use individual portions when freezing something like oatmeal. That’s just my preference.
Grease a muffin tin and transfer oatmeal to each muffin portion. If you have leftover, frozen berries or berry compote, top your oatmeal muffins with it now.
Freeze for about an hour and transfer your oatmeal cups to freezer bags for long-term storage. Be sure to label the bags with the date and type of oatmeal you froze!
What About Overnight Oats?
This recipe is perfectly suitable for overnight oats! My family prefers baked oatmeal.
If you are creating overnight oats for the week, combine your dry ingredients in one bowl and transfer a half cup of your mixture to four airtight containers. Repeat the process with your wet ingredients.
No baking is necessary for overnight oats. However, it’s important to note that the texture of overnight oats will not be the same as baked oatmeal. If you use this recipe to make overnight oats, I can’t promise the same fluffy texture.
Isn’t This the Perfect Breakfast?
I’m telling you – it’s the best oatmeal recipe!
While I make this for my kiddos, it would be the perfect addition to any brunch party. It would also be the perfect thing to gift to a postpartum mama.
Simple Baked Oatmeal Recipe Card
Baked Oatmeal
This dish is adaptable to all seasons and can even be prepped ahead of time. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine has!
Ingredients
- 4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Eggs
- 4 cups Milk
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 pan with butter or a neutral flavored oil.
- In the same pan, combine all of your dry ingredients. Mix well.
- To the dry ingredients, add your eggs and milk. Mix well.
- If you are preparing this in advance, cover with an airtight lid and store in the refridgerator overnight. In the morning, let the dish warm slightly to prevent the glass baking dish from cracking in the oven.
- Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Cut in to 8 portions and serve warm with your favorite oatmeal toppings.
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