I usually say I’m not a breakfast person — except for one thing: baked oatmeal. That bowl up top is proof. Baked oatmeal changed everything for me.
I always had a Goldilocks problem with oatmeal. I don’t eat early, so I’d make porridge for my family in the morning, go about my day, and only eat much later. By the time I was ready, the oatmeal had turned into a grey, heavy clump that frankly repelled me.
Then I found Erica Berge’s baked oatmeal and decided to try it. It fixed every complaint I had about oatmeal. The baked version is golden and firm yet moist, not slimy or gluey. Its texture sits somewhere between cookie, cake, granola and old-fashioned oats — comforting and substantial.
Leftovers are another huge advantage. Unlike stovetop oatmeal that becomes an amorphous mass, baked oatmeal holds together and reheats beautifully. That reliability is what sold me: the kids get a breakfast they adore first thing in the morning, and I can eat when I’m ready without wasting food or flavor.
There’s also a convenience factor for groggy mornings. You can whisk the dry ingredients together and mix the wet ingredients the night before. In the morning, combine them, pop the pan in a preheating oven while the butter melts, and bake. It’s easy and quick — a real morning win.
A double batch fits neatly into my routine: it bakes in roughly the same amount of time I take to do a Pilates session, and it keeps everyone satisfied until the next meal. The smell of maple and baking oats is also the best way I know to get reluctant kids out of bed on a cold day.
Warm, maple-kissed baked oatmeal is pure comfort. With chilly weather on the horizon, I’ll be serving a pan of this for a cozy Saturday breakfast. A generous splash of cold heavy cream on top makes it even more dreamy — I highly recommend it.
Baked Oatmeal
The oatmeal is delightful on its own, but a drizzle of heavy cream elevates it to something almost indulgent. If you’re out of maple syrup, an equal amount of a simple brown sugar pancake syrup works as a substitute.
Baked Maple Oatmeal
Rebecca Lindamood
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup 1/2 a stick of butter
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats Do not substitute quick, instant, or steel-cut oats.
- 1/2-3/4 cup raw or maple sugar (preferred) Granulated or brown sugar may be substituted if needed.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup You can substitute golden syrup if preferred.
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Or 3/4 teaspoon ground vanilla.
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the butter and place it in an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch baking pan. Put the pan on the center rack as the oven preheats so the butter melts. Once melted, remove the pan so the butter doesn’t scorch.
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Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the milk, eggs and vanilla together. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir with a sturdy spoon until evenly combined and thoroughly moistened. Scrape the mixture into the pan with the melted butter and stir so most of the butter is incorporated, leaving a few small pockets of melted butter around the edges.
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Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown around the edges. Serve warm with a splash of cold heavy cream or a generous drizzle on top.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred tool.
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