Berry-Chia Baked Oatmeal is a simple, delicious, and completely customizable breakfast that can be enjoyed hot, cold, and even, on-the-go!
Hard to admit, but we were late jumping aboard that baked oatmeal train. I mean, it's oatmeal, but baked. What's so special...right? WRONG! After hearing more and more about these oven-toasted oats, we finally decided to give them a try for ourselves and now, we. are. HOOKED! Berry-Chia Baked Oatmeal is the best of all worlds. You've got tender, fluffy oats, juicy berries bursting with flavor, and a golden, perfectly crisp top to finish it off. It's soft like bread pudding yet firm enough you can eat it by the slice. It's really hard to find anything not to love.
What You'll Need
Oats
Old-fashioned, rolled oats work best for baked oatmeal. Quick-cook oats can substituted, however there will be a slight difference in texture.
Milk (or water!)
Dairy and plant based milks work for baked oatmeal. Don't have either? Water can work in a pinch. We have made baked oats with a variety of milks with perfect results every time.
Berries
The world is your oyster when it comes to your fruity filling. We love the flavor and pops of color from a mixed blend but you can use any preferred mix or single berry. Fresh or frozen berries can be used, so use what you've got!
Bananas
This recipe is completely free of refined sugar thanks to mashed ripe bananas! They lend the perfect amount of sweetness and tenderness to the recipe.
Eggs
This recipe was actually first tested without any eggs (thanks to grocery shortages with the pandemic) but when we've got them, we like to use them. Eggs help the structure of baked oats and helps them set beautifully. You can omit eggs altogether by replacing each egg with a flax or chia egg; 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon warm water for each egg needed. It's important to also decrease your milk to account for the extra liquid.
Chia Seeds
Chia seeds add fiber, essential nutrients, and also help bind the oatmeal together. You can swap with ground flax or leave out altogether if you don't have.
Oil
A little oil (or butter!) helps add moisture and tenderness to the bake. Swapping avocado oil for coconut or toasted walnut or almond oil can add a touch of slight flavor.
Simple Seasonings
This Berry Baked Oatmeal doesn't need much in the way of seasonings, so we keep it simple with a touch of cinnamon and salt to balance everything out. You can get creative with any of your favorites spices to liven things up.
How To Make
Step 1
To start, we want to mix together our wet ingredients together in a bowl.
Step 2
Next, we combine our dry ingredients, including rolled oats, spices, and seasonings.
Step 3
Now, it's time to combine our wet and dry ingredients together. It's important to mix well to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
Step 4
Now, it's time for our fruity add-ins! Fresh or frozen berries work perfectly - no need to defrost ahead of time.
Step 5
Now that everything is mixed together, it's time to pour into a baking dish. For ease, we recommend lightly greasing your pan beforehand.
For a visual pop, we like to add an extra berry topping just prior to baking.
Step 6
It's time to bake! Your oats are done when mixture is "set" and edges are lightly golden.
Make It Your Own
This is a base recipe to get you started, meaning, you can easily modify it to make it all your own. Don't have fresh berries on hand? Use frozen! Or swap them out entirely for apples, sliced peaches - even carrots! Want to add some holiday spice? Mix in cloves, nutmeg, and ginger. Love some crunch? Toss in your favorite nuts or top your slice off with a healthy drizzle of melty peanut butter. The possibilities are endless with baked oatmeal and this dish will be a winner every single time. We can't wait to hear how you enjoy YOUR baked oats!
Berry-Chia Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ¾ cup milk of choice
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds can sub with flax seeds
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 1 ½ cup fresh or frozen berries
- 2 eggs can sub with flax eggs
- 2 tbsp preferred oil or melted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, chia seeds, mashed bananas, eggs, vanilla, and oil.
- In a separate bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and stir until mixed. Fold in 1 cup of the berries.
- Pour mixture into a well-greased 8x8 baking dish and top with final ½ cup of berries.
- Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until top is lightly golden and oats are "set".
Nutrition
Looking for more tasty, one-pan breakfast options? Check out our recipe for Springtime Strata!
On my recent long drive from the Pittsburgh, PA, area to Tucson, AZ, I was so lucky to be able to eat several motel morning breakfasts of microwave-heated oatmeal blueberry bars! My dear friend in PA sent me off with several different nutritious foods, including the oatmeal bars. I will definitely be baking the bars here in Tucson for a quick, yummy, good-for-me breakfast or anytime snack! Thanks much for sharing your recipes 😋
Hi Caroline, what an incredibly wonderful comment to read! We are so glad you enjoyed the oatmeal and are grateful to your sweet friend for sending them along with you on your journey! Thank you for being here!
Absolutely delicious! I made this today using fresh cranberries. Really love the versatility of the fruit options. This recipe complemented the warm flavors of Fall, thank you for sharing! Looking forward to adapting it to each season.
Hi Marlina, we LOVE the cranberry addition and are so glad to hear the recipe was a hit. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Can you freeze this? Thanks!
Hi Iris, yes! One baked this oatmeal freezes perfectly. We often freeze half for future meals!
I love all the baked oats recipes from Compston Kitchen! They are so good - I make a different kind almost every week and have it as a prepped breakfast all week 🙂
Hi Christina, thank you SO much! Such a compliment. We are so happy to hear the baked oatmeal recipes have been such a hit!
This recipe is DELICIOUS. It is flavorful, packed with fiber, it’s so easy to make, and it made my home smell amazing. I added nut butter on top and it was incredible. I ended up keeping it in the oven for a total of 60 minutes to get it to the texture I wanted it to be. This is definitely going to be a staple in our house and it’s perfect to prep and have your breakfast made for the week! Thank you for always sharing such amazing recipes!❤️
Ah! Thank you so much for this incredible feedback! We are so glad it turned out well and was a keeper!
Easy to make - even when having to substitute ingredients. I used the flax eggs and did not have ripe bananas or berries. I used the equivalent amount of canned pumpkin and diced apples and prunes. Since pumpkin lacks the sweetness of bananas I threw in a few tablespoons of coconut sugar. The end result smells lovely and has a texture that reminds me of bread pudding.
Love to hear this! So glad the substitutions worked out so well. The texture reminds us of bread pudding as well!
This recipe has two items I always keep a stash of in my house - rolled oats and frozen mixed berries. I will make a large pot of oats and sprinkle with cinnamon and other flavors and eat them myself. Often times I would thaw the berries and sprinkle some sweetener on top and eat them at night as a snack.. This recipe looks like a colorful cobbler with just the right amount of tart and sweet. I see there is an "Almond Joy Oatmeal" recipe as well on this page. My husband is probably the world's biggest fan of coconut, almonds and chocolate combined. Can't wait to try these.
Oh this makes us so happy to hear! You can't go wrong with oats and frozen berries - or chocolate, coconut and almonds for that matter!