Vegan baked oatmeal is the new favorite breakfast at our house! And, with good reason- it strikes that balance between being healthy enough to eat for breakfast, but indulgent enough to really enjoy (like a guilt free dessert!).
Plus, they're super easy to make. Breakfast + dessert = need I say more?
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I'm kind of obsessed with breakfasts that can be meal prepped in advance - like these blackberry muffins and my popular protein powder overnight oats. There's nothing better than waking up to a tasty, wholesome breakfast that requires no cooking, mess or dirty dishes.
This vegan baked oatmeal with chocolate chips ticks all those boxes. Cook up a big batch, store it the fridge and enjoy a slice (or two) every morning. It's even freezer friendly, so you can batch cook it ahead and freeze until you're ready to eat it. And what's better than a tasty freezer friendly breakfast?
I'm using blended oats in my recipe, which means all you need to do is throw the ingredients into your food processor or blender and pour them into a pan. Easy peasy and so delicious! And, did I mention that they're gluten free?
Top Tip: If you like baked oatmeal, you might want to check out this yummy peach baked oatmeal recipe.
💚Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
💚Vegan baked oatmeal is vegan and gluten free!
💚Baked oatmeal is an easy make ahead breakfast.
💚It's family friendly.
💚It freezes well, so you can make a double batch and have breakfast ready for the next week.
💚It's dairy-free and eggless - so it's perfect for allergy sufferers.
🛒Ingredients
- Bananas: They need to be ripe, really ripe! The riper they are, the sweeter your baked oats will be.
- Chocolate Chips: I love the combination of banana and chocolate! Be sure to check that your chocolate chips are vegan friendly. If you do a lot of baking with chocolate, you can buy dairy free chocolate chips in bulk here.
- Rolled Oats: Choose rolled oats, as opposed to steel cut or quick cook oats.
- Oat Milk: You can use any plant based milk you have on hand. I like the neutral taste of oat milk.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness. You can omit it if your bananas are super right.
- Lemon juice: We're adding this to the oat milk to make a vegan buttermilk.
- Baking Powder: This is the leavening agent that allows your baked oatmeal to rise.
- Vanilla: As always, I suggest using the highest quality vanilla you can reasonably justify buying. I promise it will make a big difference to all your baked goods.
- Cinnamon: Adds a warming note.
- Salt: A natural flavor enhancer.
👨🍳How To Make Vegan Baked Oatmeal
- Step 1: Pour the oat milk (or other plant based milk) into a small bowl, add the lemon juice and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Step 2: Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease an 8x8 inch pan with a bit of vegetable oil.
- Step 3: Place all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a blender or food processor and blend for one minute.
- Step 4: Stir in the chocolate chips, reserving a handful for the sprinkling over the top.
- Step 5: Bake for 25-30 minutes, or when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If so, I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @thisdailydish. Or, leave me a comment below. It makes my day, and your feedback helps other readers!
💡Variations
You can use this recipe as a template, and customize it to suit your own preferences. Here's a few of my favorite ways to customize vegan baked oatmeal:
- Substitute the chocolate chips with ½ cup fresh or frozen berries (e.g. blueberries, raspberries).
- Why not kick up your protein intake by adding some protein powder. Check out these chocolate protein baked oats for some inspiration.
- Use almond or peanut butter instead of chocolate chips.
- Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger and ¼ cup toasted coconut flakes.
- Swap the bananas for 1 cup pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree. Add ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice.
- Make it protein-packed by stirring in ½ cup toasted nuts (e.g. almonds, pecans, walnuts) and ½ cup dairy-free protein powder before baking.
🍽️How To Serve
Chocolate chip oatmeal is amazing on it's own with a cup of coffee or tea, but you can also serve it as part of a larger breakfast, or even as a healthy dessert. Here's a few suggestions:
- Fresh fruit - Berries like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries would complement the sweet oatmeal and chocolate chips. Air fried bananas would add a lovely caramelized flavor.
- Toasted nuts - Chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans would add crunch and protein.
- Nut butter - Topping the oatmeal with peanut, almond, or cashew butter adds creaminess and protein.
- Coconut yogurt - Dairy-free coconut yogurt drizzled over the top makes a nice contrast with the oats.
❄️Storage Instructions
Refrigerator
Allow the baked oatmeal to cool completely after baking, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezer
Place cooled oatmeal in freezer safe containers or freezer bags, making sure to remove as much air from the bags as possible. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating
Refrigerated oatmeal can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second intervals. To reheat frozen oatmeal, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. You can also reheat straight from frozen in a microwave or oven.
🙋Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Baked oats are easier to digest than regular oatmeal in just a few bites. The baking process softens the oat fibers so they are less dense and break down faster. Ingredients like bananas and cinnamon also help digestion. The final porous, fluffy texture of baked oats is gentler on sensitive stomachs, potentially reducing bloating. Overall, the combo of baking and digest-friendly mix-ins makes baked oatmeal simpler for the body to process than uncooked oats.
The ratio of liquids to oats isn't balanced properly. You'll need to increase the amount of plant-based milk or other mix-ins that contribute moisture. Adding more mashed ripe bananas or pumpkin puree can improve the texture. Try blending the oats into a flour before mixing to make them more porous during baking. Increasing the bake time slightly can help the oats fully hydrate to a fluffier, softer consistency.
You added too much moisture from ingredients like bananas or plant-based milk without accounting for the extra liquid. Try reducing wet ingredients slightly or bake a bit longer to evaporate excess moisture. The oats themselves weren't cooked through completely in the oven to achieve a just-set consistency. Extend bake time and check regularly for doneness.
Like oats?
Coconut Milk Oatmeal With Caramelized Bananas
This rich, creamy oatmeal topped with sweet caramelized bananas is the perfect gluten-free breakfast.
Craving More Easy Vegan Breakfast Recipes?
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Chip Muffins
Easy Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
The Best Homemade Granola - No Nuts
French Toast Made With Just Egg
📖 Recipe
Vegan Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup plant based milk *I used oat milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 bananas very ripe
- 4 tabespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips dairy free
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Pour the oat milk (or other plant based milk) into a small bowl, add the lemon juice and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease an 8x8 inch pan with a bit of vegetable oil.
- Place all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips into a blender or food processor and blend for one minute.
- Stir in the chocolate chips, reserving a handful for the sprinkling over the top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
sonia ward
Made this today, my family loved it, great detailed recipe!