Vegan Baked Oatmeal

Enjoy vegan baked oatmeal for a hearty, filling, and healthy breakfast on busy mornings. Make it quickly on the day of, or meal prep it in advance! Switch up the flavors by adding fruit, chocolate, spices, and anything else you love.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Healthy: Even though it tastes like a dessert, vegan baked oatmeal serves as a great source of plant-based protein, fiber, and antioxidants.
• Allergen-friendly: This recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free. That means everyone can join in on the fun!
• Simple: Just combine the ingredients in a bowl, then bake them until golden! It’s that easy. Plus, you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand.
• Make-ahead: Prepare vegan baked oats days in advance for quick and painless mornings before work or school.

If you love easy breakfasts like baked berry oatmeal, you should really check out our high-protein overnight oats, vegan breakfast casserole, bionicos, or Mexican oatmeal.

🥣 What is baked oatmeal?

Unlike your typical bowl of oats, baked oatmeal is served casserole style. Generally, it’s made from a base of rolled oats, milk, eggs, and other pantry staples. From there, berries, nuts, chocolate chips, spices, and other mix-ins can be added to create different flavors.

The texture is meant to be similar to bread pudding rather than creamy and porridge-like. So if you’re not a fan of traditional oatmeal, this baked berry oatmeal may be the answer!

Just mix everything together, add it to a dish, and wait as it transforms into a golden-brown masterpiece! It works great for meal prep too! Just make a large batch at the beginning of the week, and you’ll have quick and easy breakfasts for days.

🌱 Is baked oatmeal vegan?

Traditionally, baked oatmeal recipes include ingredients like eggs, milk, and butter. However, it’s incredibly easy to make a vegan baked oatmeal recipe with a few swaps. Here’s how it’s done:

• Eggs: Replace eggs with mashed banana, applesauce, pumpkin puree, or sweet potato puree. In addition, use flax eggs (ground flaxseeds and water).
• Milk: Substitute regular milk with your favorite non-dairy alternatives like soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, or pea milk.
• Butter: Use dairy-free butter or coconut oil!

🤔 Which oats work best for baked oatmeal?

The best oats to use for vegan baked oatmeal are old-fashioned rolled oats. They provide a perfectly chewy texture without turning out too mushy.

You can use quick oats in a pinch, but you won’t achieve the same textural characteristic baked oatmeal is known for. And we don’t recommend using steel-cut oats as they require a much longer baking time.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Pecans: Provide a toasty crunch all throughout the vegan baked oats. Use pecans, walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, or pistachios.
• Rolled oats: Make sure you have old-fashioned rolled oats for the best texture. If you have gluten sensitivities, double-check that the oats are labeled “gluten-free.”
• Baking powder: Gives the oat batter lift, preventing a dense vegan baked oatmeal. You’ll want baking powder, not baking soda!
• Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds sweet, warming flavors. Ceylon cinnamon is the better choice compared to cassia cinnamon, both in taste and health effects.
• Salt: Brings out the other flavors, adding depth to the baked oatmeal.
• Coconut sugar: Sweetens the recipe while creating layers of rich, complex, and caramel-like flavors. Brown sugar also works, just make sure it’s vegan-friendly.
• Flax egg: Binds the oat mixture together. Ground chia seeds also work as a 1:1 replacement.
• Vegan butter: Adds richness and moisture, preventing a rubbery texture. No vegan butter on hand? Substitute it with coconut oil or more mashed banana.
• Soy milk: We typically use plain, unsweetened soy milk. If you use a sweetened variety, reduce the overall sugar added. Oat milk is another favorite!
• Banana: Mashed banana adds natural sweetness and moisture. Make sure it’s extra spotty! If not, use unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin, or sweet potato puree.
• Vanilla extract: We always recommend pure vanilla extract over artificial. It’s worth the splurge!
• Berries: We used frozen mixed berries, but we love fresh berries when they’re in season. Feel free to use only blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan baked oatmeal

Step 1: Make the flax egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9×9 baking dish with coconut oil or vegan butter. Mix the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl. Set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.

Step 2: Toast the nuts

When the oven is ready, toast the chopped pecans on a baking sheet for 3-4 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.

Step 3: Whisk the dry ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and coconut sugar.

Step 4: Mix the wet ingredients

Melt the vegan butter in a heat-safe bowl. Add it to the bowl of dry ingredients along with the soy milk, flax egg, mashed banana, toasted pecans, and vanilla.

Step 5: Layer the berries

Cover the bottom of your baking dish generously with frozen berries (about 1 ½ cups). Layer the oatmeal mixture over the berries, then add the remaining berries on top.

Step 6: Bake the oats

Bake for 35-40, or until the oats reach your preferred consistency. Bake them less for a softer texture, or bake them longer for firmer slices. Let the dish rest for 10 minutes, then serve warm. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this vegan baked oatmeal recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🧈 Toppings for baked oatmeal

Once your baked berry oatmeal has cooled slightly, serve it with sweet and creamy toppings like these:

• Maple syrup or agave
• Vegan butter
• Peanut butter
• Coconut yogurt
• Coconut whipped cream
• Blueberry compote
• Strawberry compote
• Fresh fruit slices

🌡️ Storage & reheating

For leftover vegan baked oatmeal, follow these storage and reheating tips:

• Fridge: Keep your baked oatmeal in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. It’s best to transfer it to an airtight container or wrap slices in cling wrap and aluminum foil. 
• Freezer: Freezing is the best way to keep vegan baked oats fresh for longer periods of time (especially if you’re meal-prepping). Just cut it into single-serving portions and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3-4 months.
• Reheating: When you’re ready for breakfast, heat slices in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5-7 minutes, or until warmed through. Alternatively, microwave them in 20-30 second intervals.

♻️ Variations

• Chocolate chip: Create an even more dessert-like vegan baked oats by swapping out the berries for dairy-free chocolate chips. You can also add a dash of cocoa!
• Apples and cinnamon: For an oatmeal classic, mix in diced apples and cinnamon. For extra soft apples, cook them for a few minutes in a skillet with vegan butter.
• Maple and brown sugar: Another fan favorite! Replace the coconut sugar with brown sugar, and add maple syrup in place of some mashed banana.
• Peanut butter and jelly: Top vegan baked oatmeal slices with natural peanut butter and your favorite jam or jelly. There is no better combo!
• Pumpkin spice: During cool fall months, start your morning with pumpkin spice vegan baked oatmeal. Add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice, replace the banana with pumpkin puree, and substitute the berries with more pecans or chocolate chips.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Prep flax eggs first: You’ll need about 5-10 minutes for the flaxseed and water mixture to thicken. Combine these before anything else!
• Use rolled oats: For the best texture and slightly sweeter flavor, use old-fashioned rolled oats instead of quick or steel-cut oats.
• Let the bananas ripen: Make sure your banana is extra ripe, which will provide natural sweetness and a creamier texture.
• Add a touch of salt: We can’t stress adding salt enough! It really brings out the sweet flavors of recipes like baked berry oatmeal.

💬 FAQ

🍴 More breakfast recipes

If you enjoyed this vegan baked oatmeal recipe, be sure to check out some more easy breakfast recipes like these:

• Chilaquiles Verdes: A plant-based version of Mexican chilaquiles featuring homemade chips and green salsa.
• Tofu Scramble: Simple tofu scramble flavored with fresh vegetables.
• Enfrijoladas: Tender corn tortillas filled with squash and greens, then covered in a smooth bean sauce.
• Air Fryer Hash Browns: Crispy hash brown patties made in the air fryer.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.