Nama-stay for another helping of this make-ahead wonder.
Few breakfasts are quite as satisfying as a really good bowl of oatmeal. And this healthy baked oatmeal recipe inspired by a famous yoga center goes one step further. It cooks itself, and can be sliced and eaten all week long.
Few breakfasts are quite as satisfying as a really good bowl of oatmeal. Egg sandwiches, omelets, pancakes, waffles, and fancy avocado toasts are all delicious. But for pure stick-to-your-ribs wholesomeness, oatmeal wins. My favorite bowls of oatmeal taste creamy but hearty, with lots of extra mix-ins like nuts and seeds to make it even more nutritious and satisfying. But this oatmeal goes one step further: It cooks itself, and can be sliced and eaten all week long. This healthy baked oatmeal recipe, inspired by a yoga retreat, is everything you want for breakfast.
Why You Can — and Should — Bake This Oatmeal
I have heard of overnight oatmeal, multigrain oatmeal, steel-cut oatmeal, quick oatmeal, oatmeal packets, extra-thick rolled oats, and porridge. But I never knew that baked oatmeal was a thing until relatively recently.
Up in the beautiful small Berkshires town of Lenox, Massachusetts, the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is the famous, highly-regarded — and yes, vaguely woo-woo — retreat where people come to detox body and mind, take wellness and health seminars, practice yoga, journal, hike, rest, and read in comfy sweats, athleisure, and slippers. This all happens along with a diet of all-natural, eco-conscious, nutritionally-balanced cuisine prepared by a team of expert chefs with backgrounds in health and nutrition.
You may now tempted to say, “Sounds awful. They probably just serve bowls of mush.” And yes! It’s true! There are lots of bowls of mush, especially at the Ayurvedic buffet, where everything seems to be heavily laced with turmeric.
But actually, those bowls of mush are really, really good! (There’s “normal,” solid food, too.) At my Kripalu stay a couple of years ago, favorite “bowl of mush” was far and away the baked oatmeal, so good it almost tasted unhealthy. I’ve adapted this recipe from theirs.
Not only is this baked oatmeal recipe healthy, it also tastes satisfying and lets the oven do the work. No time-consuming pot stirring first thing in the morning. In fact, I like to make this at the beginning of the week and then reheat slices throughout the week.
Recipe Notes: Healthy Yoga Retreat Baked Oatmeal
- A healthy baked oatmeal recipe needs healthy ingredients. This has no artificial sweeteners, processed ingredients, or anything that is not whole grain. And in addition to the whole-grain oats, seeds, and nuts, this oatmeal has the benefit of added protein from eggs.
- Feel free to play around with the mix-ins, swapping out walnuts for almonds, pumpkin seeds for pecans, or leaving in or out anything else. All you really have to do is keep the ratio of oats to liquid the same.
- If you want an extra-creamy baked oatmeal, use all milk or milk substitute. I prefer half water, half milk.
- This is not a soupy bowl of oatmeal; it’s a creamy slice of oatmeal. The finished baked oatmeal, especially right out of the oven, will have a soft, creamy texture, but should still just hold together on a plate. Leftovers will continue to firm up and be more solid.
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"Yoga Retreat" Healthy Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more to grease the cake pan
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 1/2 cups milk or milk alternative
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
- 1/8 cup to 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (I find 1/4 cup to be a good amount, lightly sweet but not sugary.)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
- 1/2 cup combination of toasted slivered almonds, walnut pieces, chia seeds, or pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9" cake pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, water, maple syrup, and vanilla. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, seeds, dates, fruit, and nuts.
- Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and stir to fully combine. Pour into the cake pan and bake about 25 to 30 minutes, until the center has set.
- Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot.
9 comments
Melinda
Hello! I made this yesterday and the flavor is great. I used a deep dish 9 inch pie pan and it “almost” worked-overflowed ever so slightly on pouring but not on baking. When it seemed set at 25 min I took it out, but I’m taking out on slicing some water seeped out-more right after baking than this morning, so I am interpreting this as not waiting quite long enough for it to set, rather than underbaking. Has this ever happened to you?
I think my preference would be for less oats and more mix ins, so I think next time I might try to cut back the oats and the accompanying liquid about a half cup or so and add in more fruit, seeds, and nuts and see how it goes. Thanks for a great recipe, I’m excited to play with it!
Unpeeled
Hi there! I am so glad that you liked it. Hmm…sounds like it may have needed a little more time to set and absorb a little more moisture from the carry-over heating. This hasn’t happened to me, but that sounds like what happened. And yes, use this as a canvas to adapt it however you like. Would love to hear if you come up with a great combination. I’ve been adding some coconut flakes lately–yum.
Emmy
Came out perfectly.
Molly Clayton
My kids have always choked oatmeal down in the past and I would eat it because I knew I should, but no one really enjoyed it – until now. This was so delicious and comforting. It’s our new and only way of preparing oatmeal going forward. It comes together so quickly and the baked texture is spot on: tender not mushy, and quite flavorful.
Rachel in NY
YUM!!! I have actually been to Kripalu but didn’t have this there. So glad to have found your blog recently. It’s beautiful.
R.N.
Delicious. I have to say I think this is our new favorite breakfast. Glad I tried it.
Joy F.
I whipped this right up when I saw it because I love oatmeal for breakfast and this is so, SO GOOD! I love it. Probably best if you don’t like a runny oatmeal because this is pretty firm and sliceable, but you can probably just reheat it in a bowl with some milk to make it creamy if you want.
TE Williams
Not thrilled with this recipe and now I have half a pan of baked oatmeal — how to use it up please?
Unpeeled
Hmm…Hi there and I am sorry you didn’t like it! Darn. It’s definitely a different type of oatmeal. A drier texture, and not as creamy as I think regular cooked oatmeal tastes. I think there’s also the “how sweet?” factor, which varies wildly between people’s preferences. I would suggest heating it in a pot over medium heat with a little milk or water, stirring until creamy, then adjust the sweetness as you like. Hope that helps, and sorry it wasn’t to your liking. I appreciate the feedback.