This healthy Strawberry Baked Oatmeal is the perfect no-fuss, make-ahead breakfast. It's made really quickly in just 1 bowl, with a handful of ingredients and can be enjoyed for breakfast all week long!
This sweet but healthy Strawberry Baked Oatmeal is my breakfast everything right now. It's easy, it's convenient and it's super tasty with bursty, jammy strawberry goodness!
Just like my apple baked oatmeal, you can throw it together in minutes (all in one bowl) then enjoy eating a piece for breakfast all week long. And if you happen to have some strawberries leftover be sure to check out my strawberry overnight oats and vegan strawberry muffins!
Ingredients
My Strawberry Baked Oatmeal combines simple and healthy ingredients. Here's what you need and why:
- Oats - Rolled or old-fashioned oats (often called porridge oats in the UK). Steel cut oats won't work well and it's not so great with quick oats because they are too small and dusty.
- Ground flaxseed - This is our egg replacer and binds everything together.
- Sugar - Just a bit and you can use any type you like.
- Strawberries - Use fresh strawberries. I don't recommend frozen ones as they are too wet. You can however switch the strawberries for any other fresh berry or chopped fruit.
- Nut or seed butter - This is my secret weapon in baked oatmeal recipes. it adds lots of delicious flavour, healthy fats and staying power, while also making the baked oatmeal sturdier. You can pick slices of it up without it falling apart.
- Vanilla & Salt - Flavour! If you are part of my 5 Secrets That Will Transform Your Vegan Cooking Series you will know the importance of salt in just about everything. If you aren't you can sign up here.
You will need an oven-proof dish. Anything from a ceramic casserole dish to a cast iron skillet to a cake pan will do. It should be ideally about 7 or 8 inches in diameter. A blender is also nice to have but you can make it by hand if you don't have one.
How to make Strawberry Baked Oatmeal
This Strawberry Baked Oatmeal recipe is incredibly easy to make in a few simple steps. Here's how:
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Blend the milk, vanilla and nut butter together or mix them together by hand in a bowl.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Add the chopped strawberries and stir through gently.
- Spoon into an ovenproof dish.
- Bake.
Serving suggestions
Serve this baked oatmeal either cold, warm or hot. It's great fresh from the oven but also keeps incredibly well. I either eat mine cold or pop it in the microwave for a minute or two to warm it up.
My favourite way to serve it is with a dollop of vegan yogurt and a drizzle of maple syrup. It's also good with some non-dairy milk poured over and eaten more like traditional breakfast cereal.
Other accompaniments that would work well are a drizzle of nut butter, a scattering of fresh berries like more strawberries, raspberries or blackberries, or some toasted nuts or seeds.
Variations
This strawberry baked oatmeal recipe is really easy to customize. Keep the base recipe the same and swap out the strawberries for any other chopped fruit or fresh or frozen berries. Anything goes, except frozen strawberries which are a bit too wet and are usually pretty tasteless.
My favourite fruits to use are blueberries, peaches (check out my peach baked oatmeal), banana, pear, and frozen raspberries. You can also add raisins, dried cranberries, chopped dates, nuts, seeds, and chocolate chips.
Making ahead
You can prep this baked oatmeal the day before you want to bake it. Follow the recipe, add the mixture to the dish then cover tightly and refrigerate. Bake when ready the next day but add on an extra 2 or 3 minutes to the cooking time.
You can also cook it and then reheat it. Details about reheating are below.
Storing Leftovers
Once cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 7 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing individual portions so that you can take out only what's needed. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight.
Enjoy cold or reheat. Simply pop an individual serving in a bowl in the microwave for a minute or two. Or you can put it on an oven-proof plate/dish and bake for about 10 minutes at 350°F (175°C). If using the microwave it will stay nice and moist, whereas the oven will dry it out a little so be sure to serve it with some vegan yogurt, maple syrup or a drop of plant milk if necessary to moisten it up.
Recipe FAQs
Baked oatmeal is not like regular stovetop oatmeal in texture. It is sliceable and firm, with a chewy and crispy top and sides and a soft, hearty inside, with added texture from the fruit. It's almost like eating dessert for breakfast!
If you would prefer to make small individual portions you can make this recipe in a muffin pan. Use liners and fill them to the top then bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until they are turning golden and feel firm. Allow them to cool then refrigerate. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months, which is great if you're making strawberry baked oatmeal for one as you can take one or two out to defrost as you need them.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Strawberry Baked Oatmeal
Author:Ingredients
- 2 cups (180 grams) rolled or old fashioned oats , Use certified gluten-free if necessary
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) sugar , any type
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 mls) non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) nut or seed butter , of choice
- 1 very heaping cup (180 grams) chopped fresh strawberries
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 375° F (190 °C) and have an oven-proof dish, skillet or pan ready. One about 7 or 8inches in diameter. Anything ovenproof will do, such as a ceramic dish, skillet, 7 or 8-inch cake pan or an 8 x 8 cake pan. (can also be made in a muffin pan - see recipe notes)If you want to be able to turn the baked oatmeal out like I did in the photos use a 7 or 8-inch loose bottom cake pan with a circle of parchment paper in the bottom.
- Put the oats, ground flax, sugar and salt in a large bowl and stir together.
- Blend the milk, vanilla and nut butter, or mix by hand if you don't have a blender. If doing this by hand add the nut/seed butter to a bowl then gradually add the milk to work out the big lumps until it's mostly combined. Some small lumps are fine. Mashing with a fork makes it easier. Then add the vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until you can't see any dry oats, then add the chopped strawberries and stir again to combine.
- Spoon the mixture into your pan/dish and bake for around 35 to 40 minutes. Cooking times vary slightly depending on what type of dish you are using but when done it should be starting to turn golden around the edges and feel pretty firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and leave it to cool in the pan/dish.
NOTES
NUTRITION
This recipe was originally published on May 17th, 2016. I've updated the post with new photographs and information and now I am republishing it for you. The recipe itself remains the same. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Cyndee says
My favorite baked oatmeal base recipe! I use cashew milk and cashew butter. A variation I enjoy is substituting kiwi and a bit of coconut.
Gerry says
Could I use frozen strawberries?
Melanie McDonald says
Fresh are best because frozen strawberries are pretty wet and tasteless. You could use frozen if you wanted though if you're ok with the baked oatmeal not being quite as firm and a bit damp around the strawberries.
Betty says
My new favorite breakfast. So good!
Rebecca says
Hi. You mention that this could be made in the evening. Would you bake it right away, or could it be left in the fridge overnight and then baked? Either way, it's going to be breakfast tomorrow, and I can't wait!!
Melanie McDonald says
You can do either. It's fine uncooked in the fridge all night and it's great cold after baking. Individual slices microwave well too. They only take 30-40 seconds to warm through. So whatever works for you! Hope you enjoy it!
Elyah says
Didn't have strawberries on hand so I swapped them for blueberries and huckleberries and it was delicious! Such a satisfying breakfast! Thank you for the recipe ❤️We
Christine says
What a treat! Just threw it together, since the oven was on for the bread anyhow AND I had some fresh strawberries left. What can I say ... all eaten up! Even my usually skeptical three year old tucked in :)
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Christine! I'm so glad you liked it and that it won your 3yr old over. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. I appreciate it!
Christina says
I'm allergic to nuts so the cashew and almond butter are out. Could Sunbutter be used instead?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes definitely! I will add that to the ingredient options. Enjoy!
Christina says
Can't wait to try it!
Wanda Tracey says
Oh my gosh that would be a delicious and healthy breakfast to wake up to.I am definitely going to try this and I have been trying hard to find recipes to incorporate more flax seeds into.
Darren says
A healthy recipe that is easy to make is what I like. Loved it!
Amy says
MAde this when I had friends over for brunch and everyone loved it!
Izzy says
This looks lovely! Just wondering if the nut butter could be substituted with anything else? Cashew/almond butter is so expensive for me :(
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Izzy, You could swap it out for coconut oil if you have some but I think it would probably work if you omit it completely as well. I haven't tried it in this recipe but I have another baked oatmeal recipe which uses no oil or nut butter so I'm pretty sure it would be fine. The texture will be slightly different but still good.