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This baked steel cut oatmeal is a great healthy hot breakfast that’s easy to make. High in fiber and low in sugar, this breakfast will keep you feeling full until lunch. Great for meal prep and an endless amount of options for healthy toppings. Find out how to cook steal cut oats in the oven for a fuss free breakfast.
Steel cut oats usually require 15-20 minutes cooking on the stovetop. Check out my tutorial on how to make steel cut oatmeal on the stovetop. But if you’d rather not stand by the stovetop the whole time, the oven method is a great hands-off appraoch!
This is great when you have guests coming over in the morning and want to serve something warm without doing last minute cooking! The baked steel cut oatmeal does take a little longer in the oven than over the stovetop or microwave. But it works so well for a big batch of oats. And you can just set it and forget it.
How to cook baked steel cut oatmeal
- Start by mashing a banana.
- Adding the wet ingredients on top of the mashed banana.
- Add the steel cut oats and the cinnamon.
- Stir to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking pan. It helps to spray the baking pan with cooking spray, but it’s not necessary. Place it in the oven with a foil loosely covering it for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the steel cut oatmeal from the oven, remove the foil and sprinkle pecans on top. You can use other nuts instead or leave them out all together. Return to the oven to cook until it’s golden brown and set.
So now you’ve teased your guests with the sweet smell from the oven and you’ve kept your stovetop and pots clean in the process. Then it’s ready to be served. You’ll notice that it gets thicker as it settles. You can wait until it’s set to serve as oatmeal squares or you can serve it immediately with a splash of milk – oatmeal style.
Tips for making baked steel cut oatmeal
- Make it more hearty by using two eggs instead of flaxseed. The eggs will help the oatmeal bind better and will give it more protein. I like keeping it vegan and using the ground flaxseed though instead.
- Tent the baking pan with foil the first half hour of cooking. This really helps to cook the steel cut oats without browning the top of the oatmeal. Otherwise, it will start to bubble and brown the top too quickly.
- Double or triple the recipe. Just remember to use 2 parts liquid to steel cut oats, and you can easily multiply the recipe for a bigger crowd.
Frequently asked questions
Because of the different composition of rolled oats and steel cut oats, the ratio of liquid to oats is different and the baking time will vary. Try one of these other recipes that use rolled oats instead
Banana Baked Oatmeal
Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Steel cut oats can be cooked with milk or water on both the stovetop and in the oven. I much prefer baking it – no stirring involved!
This oatmeal is really tasty! I’t’s baked with mashed banana for a natural sweetness and vanilla and cinnamon add to the flavor so it’s not bland. You can add so many toppings to the baked oatmeal, I like to switch it up each morning with different berries, nuts and seeds.
Oatmeal is a great option for a healthy and filling breakfast. They are a gluten-free grain and are a great source of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. They are high in fiber so it will help you to stop reaching for mid morning snacks. Eating oats at breakfast has many health benefits, including, lowering blood sugar, weight loss and management and a reduced risk of heart disease.
This baked steel cut oatmeal recipes is the perfect stress-free healthy hot breakfast to serve your guests or even your family. This also works well for meal prepping breakfast because you can divide the baked oatmeal into containers and just reheat in the morning. These tender tasty steel cut oats with are a huge hit with everyone!
For more oatmeal recipes:
- Baked Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal
- How to Make Oatmeal
- Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
- Steel Cut Oatmeal on Stovetop
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups
- Easy Overnight Oats
- Quinoa Oatmeal
- Protein Oatmeal
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Baked Steel Cut 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!
Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup steel cut oats
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 3 cups almond milk
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Lightly coat an 9 x 9 baking dish or 8 x 11 baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the banana, almond milk, ground flaxseed, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the steel cut oats, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and add the pecans on top. Bake an additional 30 minutes until golden brown (55-60 minutes total).
- Serve hot, scooped into bowls, or let cool for 10 minutes and cut into squares.
Notes
- Instead of almond milk, you can use any other plant-based milk or regular milk or even water.
- Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey or any other sweetener.
- Instead of banana, you can use another fruit puree or leave it out all together.
- Instead of ground flaxseed, you can use 2 tablespoons chia seeds or 2 eggs.
- Instead of coconut oil, you can use another oil or fat or leave it out since you’re using the mashed bananas.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
It’s perfect 🤩 I tried so many ways for baked steel cut oats and never liked them. Thank you Yumna for this one!!!!
You’re so welcome!! Glad to hear you liked it!
I am an avid steel cut oats fan, but wanted a quick recipe that would cook without needing to be watched. These were perfect!! I doubled the recipe and everything turned out beautifully. I have breakfast for the week and can add in different toppings each morning. I did use cashew milk vs almond milk and put in my protein powder. Thank you!
Thanks for letting me know about the additions you made, sounds like a great way to get an extra protein boost in the morning. Glad you like the recipe!
Fantastic! It was my first time baking steel cut oats and I absolutely loved it! Next time I will add more cinnamon. Otherwise it’s perfect 😍
So happy you liked it, these make such a hearty and warming breakfast!
This was delicious and i am am adding apple compote and cottage cheese for breaky tomorrow.Can’t wait.Thanks for the recipe Yumna.
You’re so welcome, Phyllis!
Unfortunately, these took almost two hours to cook and were still not set. I think the proportion of almond milk to oats may be off.
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t turn out as expected for you. Maybe my oven runs a hotter, I will take a look and reevaluate the cooking time. Thank you for your feedback!
Flavor was good but I was looking for fluffier steel cut oats. Not sure how I happened upon this page but they were quite chewy and not exactly what I was looking for.
So sorry they didn’t work out as expected, J.
I can’t remember if I had rated before but I’ve made this at least six times in the last six months lol. It’s delicious! I usually follow exactly except regular milk and avocado oil for coconut and it comes out perfectly. It def needs to cook about ten minutes longer most times but sets nicely after sitting for a bit. My 1.5 year old scarfs this down!
So glad you and your 1.5 year old like it, Erin!
Was excited to find a baked oatmeal recipe with steel cut oats. Flavor is good but recipe did not work as it should have. Essentially, all the oats sank to the bottom while baking and the liquid rose to the top. The result, a layer of cooked but too-dry oats at the bottom with a custard-like layer on top. Will eat because I cant justify the waste, but wont be using this recipe again.
Oh no, I am sorry to hear that! Thank you for the feedback.
Hi, thanks for the recipe! Do you have any recommendations about the best way to add peanut butter? Would I need to change anything else in the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Sarah, I haven’t made this recipe with peanut butter. I am not sure that the flavor of PB would meld well with the other ingredients, but you can try adding it when mixing everything together.
I love the recipe but can we use honey instead of the maple syrup? And can we make it more lighter using stevia?
Hi Fadwa, absolutely. You can substitute the honey and a 1:1 ration with maple syrup. You can also use stevia, but I am not sure how much should be used to replace that maple syrup. It might be a little trial and error with the stevia to get the right amount of sweetness.
These were delicious, but either my oven is old and inefficient or maybe less milk is needed. After the suggested 55 minutes cooking time, it was still very liquid- ultimately it took more than 2 hrs to bake so as to be somewhat firm- the inside ends up a little thicker than actual cooked oatmeal.
I substituted apple sauce for the oil and reduced the syrup qty. Still yummy!
Can they be frozen?
Hmm, yeah, it should not have taken that long to cook. What size baking dish did you use? Maybe next time, bump it up to 400 and see if that helps speed up the cooking process. You can absolutely freeze any leftovers or bake it ahead in an aluminum pan and freeze for a quick breakfast.
Ooo this is so yummy! Whole family loves it. I use dried cranberries and chopped pecans, top it with some yogurt! So delicious!
Thank you so much! That sounds like such a delicious combo. Yay!
This baked oatmeal is my favorite! I’ve been making recipes using the old fashioned oats, but I love the chewier texture using the steel-cut oats. It seems more filling and satisfying. Thanks !
That makes me so happy to hear! You’re so welcome!
Could you make the baked steel cut oatmeal in a muffin pan like you do for the recipe for baked oatmeal???
Yes, you should be able to!
Can the amount of maple syrup be reduced?
Yes, it should work!
I made this for breakfast this morning and it was great, served it with fresh fruit. My husband like it too. We are definitely going to make this again. I used regular milk for almond milk. Olive oil in place of coconut oil and 2 eggs instead of flaxseed. Yummy!!! I’m so glad I found this site. I’m definitely going to try some of the other recipes. Love the videos.
That’s amazing! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thank you! Let me know what you think of the other recipes too.
So glad I found this! Better way to use up overripe bananas than bread and just as simple. 🙂
I left out the nuts and oil, added 2 cups wild blueberries, and doubled the cinnamon. So delicious.
This is going in the rotation. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! I love that!
Recently found this recipe and quickly tried it out….wow!! Everyone in my house loves this so much that I frequently whip up a batch at night and pop in the oven when I get up. Hubby and kids love waking up to that yummy smell! Thanks for this 🏆
Also, I really splurge once in awhile and use 2 cups milk and 1 cup cream…omg it’s like custard and oatmeal for breakfast. Also made in a 9×13 pan a cut the leftover into squares and ate them cold 😊
That makes me so happy to hear! It’s definitely a wonderful smell to wake up to. Sounds delicious!
I mixed this up last night & baked it today. I followed all the ingredients except I subbed 2/3c applesauce for the banana (based on a prior comment about subbing pumpkin). At 30 min I stirred the pan to redistribute the oats & removed the cover. It was still quite liquidy at the hour mark so I stirred again and baked for another 25-30 min. It was still a bit wet & bubbly but firmed up more after about 15 min resting on stove. Next time if I use apple sauce I might decrease milk by 1/2c. I’m also wondering if it might be possible to cook in instant pot & set it to come on early in the morning. Flavor was great! I might decrease maple syrup by 1-2 Tbsp for my taste. Thank you so much for sharing your creation.
That’s a good call with the milk! So glad you enjoyed. Check out my Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats recipe!
I used 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato instead of 2 mashed bananas. I added 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in addition to the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. I used chopped walnuts instead of pecans. I also added raisins. I was delighted with the outcome!
That sounds delicious!
I have some steel cut oatmeal, but it’s the quick cooking kind. Will that work?
Because of the different composition, the ratio of liquid to oats is different and the baking time will vary. Try my Banana Baked Oatmeal or Blueberry Baked Oatmeal recipe instead!
So easy and delicious! I mixed in some vanilla plant protein powder before baking it and served topped with berries 😍
Thank you so much! I love that idea!
I made this recipe this morning and it turned out great…eventually! I doubled the recipe, cooked in a 9×13 pan but I couldn’t put the nuts on after 30 minutes. They went on after an hour and I had to cook it for about 90 minutes total to get mine to look like the picture. It’s not too sweet and reminds me of a really soft banana bread. So good! I can’t make this on a busy weekday morning (as I did today) but I will make it in advance and heat it up for the busy weekday. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! You can definitely prepare this in advance to take on the go or for those busy mornings.
Hi! Wheat can i substitute for the flaxseeds? I am allergic to them. Can i use Chiai seeds or hemp hearts instead?
Instead of ground flaxseed, you can use 2 tablespoons chia seeds or 2 eggs.
I just want to let you know I made your delish square oats
It’s sooo good
I added a bit of maple sirup hemps and grounded flex seed
Thank you lovely Yumna 😘🤗
Thank you so much! I love the sound of that!
I love this recipe!!!! We always have bananas to use up…voila! I just used a covered casserole rather than foil for the first half of the baking. Also used walnuts! THIS IS A KEEPER!
Thank you so much! I love the sound of walnuts for some crunch!!
Can you prep this the night before and keep covered in the fridge before baking? How much would this reduce cooking time?
I would recommend baking it and storing any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 5 days in the fridge, and you can reheat in the microwave for 1 minute with a splash of water or milk to loosen the thickened oats.
Does the sugar substitute have to be liquid?
Instead of maple syrup, you can use honey or any other sweetener. I like the texture better with a liquid sweetener, but it will also work with other sweeteners.
These are a great low-sugar snack! What time and temperature would I need to hard-bake them?
Thank you! I haven’t tried hard-baking this oatmeal recipe, so I’m not sure. I’d recommend checking in on it every additional 10 minutes until it has reached the texture of your liking.
Followed the recipe as directed but did not turn out anything like the picture shows. Waste of my ingredients and time unfortunately. Very disappointed.
I’m so sorry. Could you please talk me through what went wrong, so I can help pinpoint what went wrong? Is it possible you used rolled oats instead of steel cut oats?
I used pumpkin left from an Easter cheesecake. At the 30 minute mark taking off the foil, it does not look like it is cooking at all.
It may take a while, as the additional 25-30 minutes is needed to fully cook the oatmeal and get that golden brown.
Outstanding. Couldn’t stop eating it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it that much!
I realized the steel cut oats I bought are quick cook. Can I use those?
You could, but you may need to reduce the cooking time.
I’m curious if you can substitute applesauce for bananas? Thanks in advance for advice!
For best results, follow the recipe as is. However, instead of banana, you can use another fruit puree or leave it out all together.
Thank you for this recipe! For the “Uncover the pan and add the pecans on top. Bake an additional 25-30 minutes until golden brown (55-60 minutes total).” – do you re-cover loosely with foil for the additional 25-30 minutes?
Most welcome! For those additional 25-30 minutes, I do not re-cover loosely with foil.
Delicious! I made this with oat milk, honey instead of maple syrup ( my friend has honey bees!) and used the 2 egg option. Instead of adding pecans for the last half hour, I added a sprinkling of raw sunflower seeds and raisins. Cooked for allotted time but left it in the oven, with the oven off, for about another 15 minutes. I’ve been eating it with plain Greek yogurt with a drizzle of maple syrup on the yogurt. I’ve now given this recipe to six of my friends!
Love the alterations to make it your own! Hope all your friends have enjoyed the recipe too!
Made this recipe for breakfast for the week and was so excited to eat breakfast every morning. It was so delicious and smelled amazing!!
Having a delicious breakfast to wake up to is the best! Thank you!!
Very tasty recipe and quick to prepare! My kids were getting tired of eating traditional oatmeal in the morning and this was a great way to make oatmeal that my kids loved! Definitely will be making again!
So glad to hear it! I’m glad you all enjoyed it. Thank you!!
I made this recipe instantly and it was super easy and so yummy to make! I am no baker but this recipe was so easy to follow and my whole family is obsessed! Thank you Yumna xo
I’m so glad you were still able to make and enjoy this! Thank you!!
Love your page! I just made your steel cut oats and they were so good I couldn’t get a picture before the family dove in.
Thank you so much, Lisa!! I’ve definitely experienced that myself too!
I followed the recipe but added a bit of Greek yogourt and substituted the flaxseed with 2 eggs. After an hour in the oven, the top is still very wet (pecans are floating). What did I do wrong? Is it the 1/4 cup of yogourt I added?
Most likely! If you add Greek yogurt, you should cut down on the mashed banana, so it doesn’t turn out watery.
Great, I prefer steel cut so I was very happy to find this recipe! Thank you
So happy to hear that!
The bottom of the pan was mostly oats and the top a spongy mixture. Still good but don’t understand why they sunk to the bottom.
Oh that’s odd. Did you change anything about the recipe? Usually the oats absorb all the liquid.
Hi! If I’m substituting pumpkin puree for the 2 mashed bananas, what volume of pumpkin puree should I use?
Use about 2/3 cups of pumpkin puree.
This was delicious! Thank you
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!
I made this per the recipe last night to have for breakfast today and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product! This was my first experience with baked oatmeal and I was not disappointed. I plan to keep this recipe in my regular rotation. Thank for such a wonderful recipe! 10/10
Yay, so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing your feedback 🙂
Hi, I am excited to try this tomorrow for breakfast. If i want to make half the recipe, will the baking time differ ? Also can i skip the banana ? I dont have any in hand. Should i substitute with anything else ? Thanks !
Hi Priya – Sorry for the late response. If you make half the recipe, it will depend on how deep the pan you use is. But it will still need at least 45 minutes in the oven. I would check it at that point and see if the liquid is absorbed and the oats are tender. Also, you can skip the banana, but it may not be as sturdy that way. You can substitute with an egg to help it bind or another fruit puree like applesauce if you’d like.
thanks for the recipe! it’s delicious 🥰
So glad to hear that! Thank you for the feedback!!
What happened to the other steel cut oats recipe that was topped with almonds and chocolate? I had saved that one to my phone, only for this one to replace it. Can you please post it again?
This is still pretty much the same recipe with less milk so it’s more solid after baking. You can still add more liquid to this or you can add more milk after it finishes baking. Please let me know if I can help trouble shoot at all!!
Bought some steel cut oats to switch things up and I’m so happy I found this recipe. ill definitely repeat.
Thanks
So glad to hear it!
Made this for my adult daughters and the LOVED it!
Aww, so glad to hear it!
So good!
So glad you liked it. Thank you!
Hi there! I’m super eager to try this recipe! I was wondering if there was a replacement for the flax?
Yes, you can use 2 tablespoons chia seeds or 2 eggs instead.
Can I use rolled oats instead of steel cut oats? How much would I need to change the baking time? Thanks!
I would recommend making one of my other baked oatmeal recipes that use rolled oats instead.
https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/banana-baked-oatmeal/
https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/baked-blueberry-oatmeal/
If I substitute vanilla Greek yogurt for my binder instead of the mashed bananas, how much do you think I should use?
I think 1/2 a cup will work well!
This didn’t work for me. The oats sat on the bottom of the pan and didn’t really cook or soften. I will still to the stove top method.
Did you stir halfway through? I’ve never heard that happen before…
I just made this for the first time and after an hour and 20 minutes in the oven, I have soggy weird almond milk custard like stuff on top of a layer of sort of cooked oats. Followed the recipe exactly. Not sure what the issue could be. When you ask the first commenter if she stirred them, are you saying she should have stirred them or implying that she did and caused the issue?
I asked that question to the other commenter because stirring it can help to redistribute everything, although I never stir mine. Are you sure you used steel cut oats and not rolled oats? Steel cut oats need a lot more liquid to cook compared to rolled oats or old fashioned or quick oats. I’m trying to think what else could have gone wrong. But I will make a video for this recipe to help out as well!
I made this for me and hubby. I’ve NEVER liked steel cut oats but after making this and tweaking it a bit, I’ve made it twice in 5 days. I carmalized Granny Smith apples in brown sugar and cinnamon, topped off with honey Greek yogurt, black Zante currants and blueberries. (Hubby likes a few vanilla wafers in his) Mmmm, mmmm, mmm! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you tried steel cut oats and enjoyed it! Loe how you topped it…sounds so delicious!
It was so delicious! Loved the texture of the steel cut oats. Will definitely make again for sure, thanks again Yumna! ??❤️✨
So glad you loved it. Thank you!!
I was using the recipe on Coach’s Oats, but was unhappy with the texture. Your recipe solved the problem…not enough liquid! I also found I could use straight water (out of plant milk currently) and it was still perfect. Thank you Yumni!
So glad to hear that! And I actually prefer making oatmeal just with water because it will last longer and then you can always add a splash of milk before eating. So glad you liked this!
can I freeze this with almond milk
Yes you can
If I double the recipe will this change the cook time
No, it wouldn’t, but you would need a deep baking dish for it because this amount works for the 9×13 baking dish and fills it up about 75% full.
I’ve made this twice now in two weeks, it’s the only oatmeal recipe I’ve ever been able to finish (I hate the mushiness of all other oatmeal besides steel cut apparently).
Oh that’s so awesome to hear! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! I really appreciate it 🙂
Hi Yumna,
Thanks for such a detailed recipe. You also answered many questions that pop up. I am surely trying this for breakfast and will revert with pictures and a feedback. I love one pot gluten free and low fat veg recipes (egg will do) for lunch and dinner as well. Do share links if you have any.
Hi Manisha – Thanks so much for the feedback! I will continue to make more vegetarian recipes and gluten free ones. There are quite a few on the site already if you search “vegetarian”. Thank you!!
Could you clarify the nutrition information? Serving size says just 1 gram. Should that be 1 cup?
Yes, sorry for the confusion, it automatically assigns 1g as the serving size. It’s basically 3-4 total servings for the entire recipe, so it equals more than a cup of cooked oats. I hope that helps!
Can you use quick steel cut oats?
Yes you can, but only use half the liquid (so 3 cups of either water or milk or combination) and only bake it for 20-25 minutes.
I love that his is hands-off and I don’t have to stir on the stovetop. It’s so convenient and my family loved it!
A great recipe! Thanks so much!
Awesome! Thank you for the great feedback!
This is incredibly good! I loved it!!! I put in two mashed bananas and a Granny Smith apple. I added a little more cinnamon, 4 cups of milk a ten packs of Truvia. This is not just breakfast, it’s a snack and dessert. I also baked it an extra 25 minutes because it was too wet. The crusty top is very good and the tart apple and bananas made it perfect. Thank you very much.
So glad to hear that Gayle! Thank you for sharing!! 🙂