Easy Vegan Baked Oatmeal

We love oatmeal.  Full stop.  Oatmeal breakfast cookies, cinnamon roll overnight oats, mango overnight oatmeal, you name it, we love it!  As a busy mom of 3 girls I’m not complaining about it one bit.  I love that one of my favorite foods makes them just as happy!

One morning while making breakfast, I started to wonder if I could find another type of make ahead breakfast that would satisfy us all.  This Vegan Baked Oatmeal is the result of that idea and some recipe testing, brainstorming and taste testing with my littles.  With just 6 ingredients, and no extra bowls to clean up, this baked oatmeal has quickly become a staple in our house.

I love that I have a dairy free, gluten free breakfast option that I can make ahead of time.  It’s perfect for unexpected overnight guests, for kids to make their own breakfast, and for mom and dad when they need to grab something delicious and nutritious to power the day!

Ingredients

• Oats: I like to use old fashioned oats in just about every oatmeal recipe I make. I like the texture of them the best. You can use quick cooking oats as a substitute if need be, but baked oats won't have as much of a "chew'.
• Almond milk: We happen to like the flavor of almond milk the best, but any plant based milk you have will work well. If you don't need to keep the recipe vegan or dairy free, you can substitute with cow's milk.
• Maple syrup: Use the real stuff. It's worth it. Can also be substituted with honey if you aren't needing to keep the recipe vegan.
• Brown sugar: Adds the right amount of sweetness with a bit of that molasses flavor. Using the brown sugar reminds me of the maple-brown sugar oatmeal of my youth.

How to Make Vegan Baked Oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8x8 baking dish by spraying with baking spray.

Then to the prepped baking dish add all of the ingredients. Yep, that's right, it all gets mixed up in the baking dish, no other clean up necessary! Kind of like a dump cake...everything in at once 😊.

Baked for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned and the oatmeal has just set.

Remove from the oven and serve warm or room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

• Drizzle with additional maple syrup
• Add fresh berries: Blueberries, sliced strawberries or juicy blackberries are my kiddos favorite additions.
• Sliced bananas or mangos: For a tropical twist the vegan baked oatmeal, slice the bananas and mangos on top and serve with a coconut whipped cream.
• Drizzle with warm nut butter: Simple warm your favorite nut butter up for 10-15 seconds in the microwave and drizzle over the top.

Variations and Additions

While vegan baked oats are perfect on their own (in my humble opinion), they are also super versatile. Try these additions to the base recipe to customize your breakfast:

• Chocolate chip baked oats: Add vegan mini chips before baking.
• Add Nuts: Either chopped walnuts or chopped pecans are delish.
• Coffee Flavored: Add these dairy free cappuccino chips for a coffee oatmeal mix up.
• Add Fruit: Add frozen blueberries to the oatmeal mixture before baking. Increase baking time by 5 minutes.
• Add Protein: You can add in some vegan protein powder in with the other ingredients before baking. I would start with two scoops.
• Add Puree: Swirl blueberry puree, strawberry puree or mango puree before baking or use as a drizzle on top.

Storage Tips

This easy breakfast typically gets eaten in my house the same day I make it, but it also stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

• To freeze: Slice the vegan baked oatmeal into squares and wrap individually in plastic wrap. Pop all the slices in a zip top bag in your freezer.
• To reheat: Reheat with a splash of almond milk in the microwave (to prevent the oats from drying out) or let defrost on the counter (or in your backpack, purse, car, etc) and eat when it comes to room temp.

📖 Recipe