Baked Oatmeal Casserole is the best way to start off a day. I mean is there truly anything more comforting than a warm bowl of oatmeal on a chilly winter morning!?
This chewy, soft and delicious Baked Oatmeal offers the perfect amount of sweetness and a hearty satisfying texture. A slice of this will surely keep you feeling full and happy all morning!
Simple, Easy, and Quick
With oats, milk, craisins and other kitchen staples this cozy breakfast casserole comes together in a snap. Mixed together in one big bowl, poured into a greased casserole dish it is ready to place in the oven to bake! That’s it, you’re done. Easy as that! This is especially a great recipe for preparing on the weekend and then storing to pull out and serve throughout the week on busy mornings.
If wanting to make individual bars to store and enjoy later in the week bake as normal and allow to cool entirely. Once cooled cut the breakfast casserole in to desired size and shapes. Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and place in freezer bag for easy on-the-go breakfasts bars to pull out and enjoy later!
Oats Expert
So, what kind of oats work best? Is it Old-Fashioned, Quick-Instant or Steel Cut Oats? Truly you can use any kind of oats you might have on hand. You just need to adjust the recipe according to the type of oats you choose.
And if you are like us and didn’t know there were so many varieties of oats out there, Quaker Oats created this great resource to learn the differences between all our favorite oat varieties. Check it out HERE and let us know which kind of oats you prefer!
For this recipe we suggest going an Old Fashioned Rolled Oat. This will give your breakfast casserole the best texture and an optimal cook time.
If you choose to use quick oats keep in mind they will soak up more moisture faster. Thus, making your baked oatmeal a little drier and require less cook time. If you choose to use steel cut oats you will need to soak your oats in the milk prior to adding to the recipe. We suggest soaking for at least 20 minutes to give them time to soften before baking. And you may still have to allow your casserole to cook for a few extra minutes so just keep an eye on it.
Make it Your Own
Make this baked oatmeal breakfast casserole your own by swapping out the dried cranberries and coconut shavings with any of these other yummy add-ins.
- Berries, fresh or frozen
- Apples, skinned and chopped
- Peaches, peeled and cubed
- Pears, peeled and diced
- Bananas, sliced or chunked
- Chocolate or Peanut Butter Chips
- Chopped Nuts
- Raisins
Baked Oatmeal
Chewy, soft & delicious Baked Oatmeal is sure to keep you feeling full all morning with its perfect amount of sweetness & hearty texture. Truly the best way to start off the day.
Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ⅔ cup honey
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 6 cups rolled old fashioned oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Move oven rack to lowest setting and pre-heat oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl mix together your wet ingredients: softened almost melty butter, appleasauce, honey, eggs and milk.
- Add cinnamon, baking powder and salt to wet mixture.
- Add oats to bowl and mix well.
- Once mixed incorporate coconut and dried cranberries to mixture, saving a little to sprinkle on top before putting in oven.
- Pour into greased baking dish, top with remaining cranberries and coconut. Bake for 40 minutes or until desired doneness is met.
- Pull out and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before cutting to serve.
Notes
- Do not mix wet mixture and oats together till ready to go in the oven. If oats sit in the wet mixture they will begin to absorb the liquid and bake time and texture will be thrown off.
- For a softer, creamy oatmeal bake for 35 minutes or until the center appears almost set.
- For a drier more solid, bar like texture (like pictured) bake until the center appears firm and set.
- Cover tightly and store in refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for 3 months.
- To make bars, allow to cool entirely and then cut into individual bars, wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer bag for easy on-the-go breakfasts bars to pull out and enjoy later!
- If the edges appear to be browning too quickly cover with alumininum foil and allow to finish baking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 414Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 737mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 6gSugar: 29gProtein: 10g
Other Brunch Time Favorites
If looking for delicious brunch time pairings check out some of our other yummy, morning time recipes that are sure to win everyone over.
