Easy Baked Oatmeal Recipe (Dairy-Free) (2024)

This Easy Baked Oatmeal Recipe is sponsored by Mariani™ Family Orchards, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.

Officially the very best Baked Oatmeal RecipeEVER. Made with chia, flax, and hemp seeds, rolled oats, pears, pomegranate arils, and golden raisins, this baked oatmeal is easily customizable depending on the season and completely dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegetarian.

Baked Oatmeal

I’m going to admit something. When I first heard about baking oatmeal I was skeptical. I imagined it would be a gummier, drier version of stove-top oatmeal that would be impossible to reheat in the case of leftovers. As a result, I avoided baked oatmeal and stuck to the oatmeal dishes I knew and loved. Until one day I decided I would give it a try…just to see.

Well, I am here today to tell you that I was so totally wrong about baked oatmeal. In fact, this warm and cozy (not to mention super healthy!) breakfast, lunch, or dinner has officially made its way to my top 5 favorite breakfast recipes and even one of my favorite things to re-heat for leftovers the next day.

Whether you’re planning for the holidays or looking for a new Sunday brunch recipe, this one is a keeper! Besides, it’sgluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Need I say more?

Ingredients in this Baked Oatmeal Recipe

• Coconut oil
• Gluten-free rolled oats (not steel-cut oats)
• Seeds (Chia seeds, Hemp seeds, Flax seeds)
• Ground cinnamon
• Pears +Pomegranate Arils
• Walnuts
• Golden raisins
• Milk
• Maple Syrup + Brown Sugar
• Your very favorite nut butter

Tools + Equipment:

• An oven-safe skillet or baking dish.
• Measuring cups and spoons.
• Small mixing bowls.

Suggested Baked Oatmeal Additions

• Fruit. I like to think of a pie or a crumble. What fruit would I most like to eat with either of those desserts? The obvious answer, for me, is berries, apples, pears, peaches, pumpkin, pomegranates. I highly recommend mixing several different fruits together if you can’t decide.
• Dried fruit. Originally I hadn’t planned to add any raisins. However, after adding the first layer of oats I knew it would tie the whole dish together. Other dried fruit options include cranberries or figs.
• Seeds. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and flax seeds are all so super healthy a good for your body I don’t see why anyonewouldn’t add these to their baked oatmeal recipe. Unless, of course, you really dislike them. If, however, you do, then I highly recommend adding a little of each. At the very least, try to pick one.
• Nuts. Yes! Nuts. Literally, go nuts (pun, intended). Almonds, walnuts, cashews, the sky is the limit.
• Spices. This is entirely up to you. I added a small amount of cinnamon because this baked oatmeal practically screams autumn (and so does cinnamon). A small pinch of nutmeg would also taste great.
• Sweetener. Sweetener is optional and really depends on the person making it. I like a little sweetness, but not so much sweetness that I feel sick after eating a small bowl. Any sweetener will work – brown sugar, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, etc.

How to Make Baked Oatmeal

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and oil skillet or baking dish.
2. In a small bowl mix together the salt, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and cinnamon.
3. Sprinkle one-third of the oats into the skillet. Directly on top of the oats sprinkle half of the seed mixture.
4. Arrange pear slices over the top of the oats and seeds and top with half of the walnuts and half of the raisins.
5. Repeat.
6. Top with the remaining oats and sprinkle with the pomegranate arils.
7. In a large measuring cup or mixing bowl whisk together the Walnutmilk with the maple syrup.
8. Add half of the Walnutmilk and maple syrup mixture to the oats. Allow the oats to absorb the milk for 1-2 minutes before adding the remaining milk. Sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired.
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes.

To review- The oats, seeds, pears, and dried fruit is added in layers. The order follows:

oats – seeds – pears – nuts+dried fruit – oats – seeds – pears – nuts+dried fruit – oats

You don’t have to follow this order, however, I find that in order to ensure that each bite gets a little bit of everything, this is the best way to add everything to the skillet or dish.

Plus, it looks really pretty.

Tips and Tricks

• Add a fruit or fruits you actually really love to eat.
• Or don’t add any at all. If you’re not a fan of mushy fruit, that’s ok. You don’t HAVE to add fruit to baked oatmeal. Fruit, however, is a great way to add natural sweetness which is why I tend to load it up.
• Be sure to add enough milk. This one can be tricky since oatmeal and chia seeds are so darn absorbent. My guess is that (assuming you’ve added the chia, hemp, and flax seeds, in addition to rolled oats) you’ll have a hard time adding too much milk (just make sure you’re using the right size pan).
• Mix your favorite nut butter with milk and a little hot water to make a sweet drizzly sauce to go over the top. Optional, but delicious.
• Serve yours hot, just out of the oven with ice-cold milk and fresh sliced fruit. OMG, you guys.

Why I Love This Oatmeal Recipe

When I first made this recipe I had little faith in baked oatmeal at all, so obviously, it had to be pretty darn good for me to like it so much.

Here’s a list of reasons why I love it and why I think you’ll love it too.

1. Dump (or layer) and bake. That’s it. No stirring or watching. It’s a very low maintenance oatmeal dish.
2. It can feed a crowd. The holidays are coming and this easy oatmeal will feed a large group. You can even prepare several smaller baked oatmeal skillets with different fruits.
3. It’s fancy (without even trying). And that, my friends, is always my goal in cooking.
4. It stores well in the refrigerator and reheats in the microwave beautifully. I ate this two nights in a row for dinner. The second night I reheated a bowl in the microwave and served it with ice-cold milk. It was so delicious I got seconds.
5. It’s healthy. I don’t care what anyone says- milk,chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and rolled oats are all incredibly good for you. The only thing that could have made this baked oatmeal healthier was fewer raisins (since they have quite a bit of sugar) or no added sugar at all.
6. Easily customizable. Add what you love, leave out what you don’t.
7. Easily enjoyed year-round with all your favorite seasonal fruit!

What is Walnutmilk?

Walnutmilk is a plant-based non-dairy milk alternative and it is delicious. You may recall theseMiddle Eastern Curried Lamb Meatballs that were also made with Mariani Walnutmilk.

Why I love Mariani Walnutmilk?

• Rich source of calcium.
• Significantly less sugar than dairy milk or other plant-based milk (1 cup has 4 grams of sugar, unsweetened has 0 grams, and vanilla has 8 grams).
• Only45 caloriesper eight-ounce serving.
• Walnuts are a significant source of ALA, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid that has been found tobenefit heart health.
• Mariani Walnutmilk isgluten, dairy, lactose,and soy-free.
• Non-GMO.
• No artificial colors, flavors, or carrageenan.
• And it’s made with 100% California-grown walnuts.

More Oatmeal Recipes,

• DIY Healthy Instant Oatmeal Recipe (Breakfast Meal Prep)
• Buckwheat Oatmeal Breakfast Bowl
• Blueberry Yogurt Oatmeal Muffins
• Vanilla Overnight Oats Breakfast Bowl
• Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Overnight Oats
• Chocolate Chunk Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Soft and Chewy Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

If you try making this Baked Oatmeal Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know!I always love to hear your thoughts.