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If you’ve tried stovetop oatmeal and microwave oatmeal, it’s time to try baked oatmeal! This baked blueberry oatmeal is vegan, full of nutrients and perfect for a crowd. It’s a very versatile recipe that you can adapt based on the ingredients you have on hand and your taste preferences. Make a big batch as part of your meal prep and reheat individual portions for a few days.
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If you are looking for an amazing time saving breakfast recipe then I’ve got the perfect post for you in the form of this baked blueberry oatmeal. Nutritious and filling this is the perfect family breakfast and can be made ahead of time.
Baked oatmeal is basically oats cooked with milk and a few other kitchen pantry items in the oven. Baking the oatmeal creates a chewy soft casserole-like dish that’s full of breakfast goodness. It’s made by combining all the ingredients together and baking in the oven – a healthy, convenient meal that is highly adaptable and nutritious!
Ingredients
- Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. They are a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants and are so yummy!
- Oats: Use old fashioned oats for this baked oatmeal. Check that they are gluten-free certified if you are intolerant.
- Pecans: I like to add nuts to add texture. Try candied walnuts for a sweet crunchy bite.
- Cinnamon: A little cinnamon adds a nice sweetness and the flavor works so well with the blueberries.
- Baking powder: This helps to lighten the blueberry oatmeal so that it is not too stodgy.
- Salt: Salt helps to bring out the natural sweetness of the blueberries.
- Milk: I made this oatmeal with almond milk to keep this dairy-free and vegan. You can make this with other plant based or dairy milk.
- Maple syrup: To naturally sweeten. You can also use honey.
- Flaxseed: I like to add flaxseed to my oatmeal for some healthy omega-3s.
- Coconut oil: To help bind the ingredients together.
- Vanilla extract: For sweetness and flavor.
How to make blueberry baked oatmeal
- Start with the dry ingredients in a prepared baking dish and stir to combine. That includes the old fashioned rolled oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pecans. You can use other nuts instead of pecans, like walnuts or almonds.
- Next, combine the milk, flaxseeds, maple syrup and melted coconut oil in a small bowl. Then pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Next, place half the blueberries on the bottom of the dish, and then pour the oats batter on top. Sprinkle more blueberries on top before baking.
- Now you’re ready to bake the oatmeal in the oven. It will take about 35-40 minutes, and you’ll know it’s done when the blueberries and oats soften, and the oats become golden in color. I divide the 8×11 baking dish into 6 servings, but it can easily serve 8 people.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is highly adaptable with many kitchen staples! Here are some ways to switch it up that work really well.
- Change the fruit: The blueberry can easily be swapped for other fruits like strawberries, apples or peaches. You can even do half blueberries and half bananas if you’d like. Also, if you only have frozen fruit, that works well, and there’s no need to thaw it in advance.
- Change the nuts: Instead of pecans, try it with walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios or cashews. It’s a good idea to chop the nuts, so they blend well with the other ingredients.
- Change (omit) the sweetener: I only use a little maple syrup to offset the tartness of the blueberries, but you can swap it out for honey, agave syrup, brown sugar or stevia. If you’re using sweeter fruits like bananas or peaches, for example, you can leave out the sweetener all together.
Tips for making this recipe
- Don’t use quick oats. Quick oats are chopped into finer pieces, which makes them faster to cook. Although they taste the same as rolled oats, the texture of quick oats is much finer, so they soak up more moisture and can dry out the baked oatmeal.
- Do not mix the oats with milk ahead of time. If you want to prep the recipe halfway before baking, you can mix the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another bowl. Just don’t combine them until you’re ready to bake. Otherwise the oats will soak up all the liquid and yield a dry texture.
- Keep liquid ingredients at room temperature before combining. If the milk and maple syrup are cold, the melted coconut oil will solidify when it comes in contact with them. Having the ingredients at room temperature helps with the blending process. If the coconut oil still solidifies, just microwave the combined wet ingredients for 15-30 seconds until the coconut oil melts again.
- Double the recipe for a bigger crowd. If you double the recipe, use a large baking dish and just add 10 minutes to the baking time.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this baked blueberry oatmeal works really well with frozen blueberries. There’s no need to thaw the blueberries in advance. Doing so may turn the whole dish to a purple color as the thawed blueberries mix with the liquid.
The oatmeal is great for meal prepping. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Then you can reheat individuals portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds before serving.
Yes, the baked oatmeal freezes really well. Allow it to cool completely, then store in individual portions in freezer-safe bags or containers. Reheat individual portions with a tablespoon of water or milk before serving.
This baked oatmeal is a perfect make-head breakfast that the whole family will enjoy. You can double the recipe for a larger crowd or for breakfast throughout the week. Leftovers taste just as good reheated and topped with a dollop of coconut yogurt and maple syrup. Baking oatmeal gives it a chewy soft texture that is so warm and satisfying in the morning!
For more oatmeal recipes:
- Baked Cranberry Oatmeal with Pecans
- Easy Overnight Oats
- How to Make Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups
- Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal
- Protein Oatmeal
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Baked Blueberry Oatmeal recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
This Blueberry Baked Oatmeal recipe post was originally published on August 25, 2019, and recently updated with new images and step-by-step instructions.
Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup pecans roughly chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups almond milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Place the oats, pecans, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in the baking dish and whisk to combine.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk the almond milk, maple syrup, flaxseed, melted coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined. Pour over the oat mixture and stir to combine. Fold the blueberries and gently press down to make sure all the oats are covered with wet mixture.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven until the top of the oatmeal is golden and the mixture is set, about 35-40 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Serve with yogurt and maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- Make it your own: You can change up the milk, the fruit and the nuts to adjust it to what you have on hand or your taste preferences.
- Make it gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Make it sugar-free: Omit the maple syrup or used mashed or pureed fruit in the base recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
#holywow just made this and am having a serving now for breakfast on a cloudy, chilly day, and it is so good!! Can’t wait to freeze half and have some in the coming weeks. Thanks!
So glad you liked it Thelma!
Pretty disappointed… Each bite came out tasting different, some too salty, some bitter (from the baking powder?), some bland, some sweet and flavorful. I think I would try mixing the wet and dry ingredients in the bowl before adding to the pan next time, to make sure they all blend and the dish is consistent. I will still eat the results because I can’t bear to waste good ingredients, but I doubt my toddler will enjoy it like I hoped.
Did you use aluminum free baking powder? It sounds like the dry and wet ingredients weren’t mixed enough on their own before added. So sorry to hear that it wasn’t what you expected.
Hi, I love you pb banana baked oatmeal and am going to try this one, but can it be made without fruit? I wanted a baked oatmeal recipe for my husband, who has an aversion to ALL fruit except canned pineapple. I know, don’t get me started lol.’
Thank you!
Hi Belinda! You absolutely can omit the blueberries. It will just be a cinnamon maple oatmeal. If you want to bump up the cinnamon flavor, add another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon to make it more pronounced. If you think you can get away with adding banana, I have a Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal recipe you might like as well.