Make-Ahead Baked Oatmeal

Before you start

Baked oatmeal is rolled oats soaked in a lightly sweetened custard of milk and eggs, then baked until set. It slices into squares that hold their shape, which makes it far easier to pack or reheat than a pot of porridge. The texture lands between a soft bar and a bread pudding: browned on top, moist and spoonable underneath.

The balance that matters is oats to liquid. Old-fashioned rolled oats at roughly 270 g to 480 ml of milk give a set, tender square. Quick oats turn pasty and steel-cut oats stay hard, so stick with rolled. Bake until the center no longer jiggles; it firms further as it cools, and cutting it hot makes ragged pieces.

Ingredients

• 270 g (3 cups) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 480 ml (2 cups) milk — whole or 2%
• 2 large eggs
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) maple syrup
• 45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter — melted, plus more for the pan
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 g (1 cup) blueberries — fresh or frozen, not thawed
• 60 g (½ cup) pecans — chopped

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and butter the baking dish.
2. Stir the oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together in a large bowl.
3. In a second bowl or a large measuring jug, whisk the milk, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter and vanilla until no streaks of egg remain.
4. Spread half the blueberries and half the pecans in the dish. Cover with the dry oat mixture, then slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the top. Tap the dish so the liquid settles through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and nuts on top.
5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden, the edges pull slightly from the dish and the center no longer wobbles when you nudge the pan. A thermometer in the middle should read at least 71°C (160°F).
6. Let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 9 squares. Serve warm with extra milk or yogurt.

Tips for success

• Layering the dry oats over the fruit and then pouring the liquid on top keeps the berries from all sinking to one corner.
• For a softer, more custardy texture, assemble the night before, cover and refrigerate, then bake straight from the fridge, adding about 5 minutes.
• Frozen berries can bleed purple streaks. Toss them in a spoonful of the dry mixture first to keep them more contained.

Substitutions

Milk

Oat, soy or almond milk all work. Thin almond milk gives a slightly looser set, so bake a few minutes longer.

Eggs

Replace with 120 g (½ cup) unsweetened applesauce plus an extra ½ tsp baking powder. The squares are softer and more crumbly but still sliceable once chilled.

Maple syrup

Honey or packed brown sugar work at the same amount. Brown sugar gives a drier, slightly caramel top.

Variations

Apple cinnamon

Replace the berries with 1 large apple, diced small, and add ¼ tsp nutmeg. Swap pecans for walnuts.

Peanut butter banana

Whisk 60 g (¼ cup) peanut butter into the wet ingredients, layer sliced banana instead of berries and skip the pecans.

Troubleshooting

Soggy, wet center

It came out too early or the dish is deeper than 23 cm square. Bake until the center is still and reaches 71°C (160°F), and use the pan size given.

Dry and crumbly

It baked too long or quick oats were used. Check at 35 minutes and use old-fashioned rolled oats, which hold more liquid.

Top browns before the middle sets

Lay a sheet of foil loosely over the dish for the last 10 minutes.

Storage

Refrigerate cooled squares in a covered container and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat a square in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds. Individually wrapped squares freeze for up to 2 months.

Safety notes

This is an egg dish, so bake it until the center is set; 71°C (160°F) confirms it. Do not leave it out more than 2 hours. Contains egg, milk and tree nuts.