I love waking up to a warm, comforting breakfast on chilly mornings. But I don’t always have time to prepare something fancy, especially on weekdays. That’s why this overnight baked oatmeal is a perfect choice when you need to feed your family something filling and nutritious that doesn’t take much time to prepare. Just take it out of the refrigerator and pop it in the oven when you get up, and enjoy a delicious breakfast in less than half an hour!
Jump to RecipeIf you have some time to spare in the morning, you can still mix it up while the oven is heating. The batter is very simple, and it only takes a few minutes to stir everything together.
Best of all, you can change up the flavors very easily. I adapted an Amish recipe for a simple baked oatmeal, and added fruit and spices. You can use peaches instead of apples, dried fruit instead of fresh, maple extract instead of vanilla… whatever strikes your fancy!
I hope your family enjoys this warm, cozy breakfast as much as mine does. Be sure to serve it with plenty of milk and cream for extra protein and creamy goodness!
If you have a picky eater who doesn’t like the texture of oatmeal cooked on the stove, try this baked oatmeal recipe! It’s crumbly rather than sticky and mushy, so your picky eater might just love it!
Method
Melt the butter in a microwave or on the stovetop. Cool slightly and pour into a large mixing bowl before adding the brown sugar and eggs. Mix thoroughly and set aside.
In another bowl, combine the quick oats, salt, baking powder, and spices. You can use cinnamon alone, or with nutmeg, or go all out and add cloves and ginger as well! If you do choose to use more spices, stick to 1/4 teaspoon of each additional spice. Stir well to evenly distribute the spices.
You can certainly substitute regular rolled oats for the quick oats if you are preparing the oatmeal the night before. Regular rolled oats don’t work so well if you prepare the oatmeal right before baking, because they don’t have as much time to soak up liquid, and the resulting texture is a bit chewy.
Pour the oat mixture into the butter mixture and stir well to combine. Add the milk and vanilla extract, if desired.
If you are mixing this up at night, use 1-1/3 cups of milk. If you are mixing it in the morning just before baking, use only 1 cup of milk. The reason is that the oats will soak up more liquid as they sit, so the oatmeal will dry out too much if you leave it overnight with only 1 cup of milk.
Last, mix in the chopped apple pieces. Feel free to add some chopped nuts if you like; 1/2 cup should be enough.
Butter a 13×9″ baking dish. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the center is set and the edges are just beginning to brown.
Serve warm with milk and cream. You can serve this apple cinnamon baked oatmeal straight from the oven; the milk or cream poured over the oatmeal will cool it enough for even the littlest mouths!
For more cozy and comforting recipes, try this Best Banana Bread or Cranberry Sweetheart Scones!
Enjoy!
~Kimberly
Overnight Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 2/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups quick oats
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg optional
- 1-1/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
- 1 small tart apple peeled and chopped
Instructions
- Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, stirring well to combine.
- In another bowl, combine oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg if desired. Mix thoroughly.
- Pour oat mixture into butter mixture, stirring well. Add milk and vanilla extract, if desired.
- Stir in the chopped apple pieces.
- Butter a 13×9" baking pan. Pour oatmeal mixture into the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the oatmeal uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until the center is set and edges are just beginning to brown.
- Serve warm with milk and cream.
Notes
[…] For more breakfast recipes, try Apple Streusel Cream Cheese Bread Pudding or Overnight Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal! […]