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Warm and inviting, this Gingerbread Oatmeal Bake is super festive and the perfect brunch to feed a crowd this holiday season. It comes together in 30 minutes, is made using just 1-bowl, and this breakfast bake is dairy-free, gluten-free and made without any refined sugars.
Keep it all about the gingerbread flavor as-is, or add in walnuts, chocolate chips, or dried cranberries for a twist.
Gingerbread Oatmeal Bake
With its warm spices and hearty molasses flavor, this Gingerbread Oatmeal Bake completely feels and tastes like the holiday season. It’s not only delicious, but it’s also a nutritious breakfast that will be perfect to serve for a crowd.
Previously we’ve brought you overnight oats, other oatmeal bakes and of course our guide on how to make oatmeal! And we get why you love it: oatmeal is a crowd pleaser, so easy to put together and can be so delicious with the right flavor combination! Maple and blueberry together is SO GOOD and we knew it would be delicious as an oatmeal bake, but you can also make these as baked oatmeal cups if you’d like!
Make it ahead, or make it fresh!
There are a few ways you can serve baked gingerbread oatmeal, besides digging right in with a spoon. You can scoop out a serving into a bowl and add a little extra milk, like a warm cereal. Or, you can slice it and eat as is, warm or cold. This makes it a great meal-prep option as well; bake it and eat some immediately and then pack the rest away for later.
Gingerbread Oatmeal Ingredients
- Old Fashioned Oats
- Eggs
- Maple Syrup
- Milk-of-choice (we recommend almond or oat milk)
- Oil-of-choice (we recommend avocado, light olive oil, or melted coconut)
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Molasses
- Baking Powder
- Chia Seeds
- Dark Chocolate Chips (optional)
- Walnuts (optional)
- Dried Cranberries (optional)
What is Baked Oatmeal?
If you haven’t had an oatmeal bake before it is essentially an oatmeal casserole! It combines oats, your milk of choice, flavoring and eggs with hands-off baking in the oven!
There are a few ways you can serve baked oatmeal, besides digging right in with a spoon!
- You can scoop out a serving into a bowl and add a little extra milk of choice, like a warm cereal.
- You can slice it and eat is as, warm or cold. This makes it a great meal prep option as you well; bake it and eat some immediately and pack the rest away for later.
Let’s Make Baked Oatmeal
It is so easy to put together, using only one bowl and once it’s mixed together you place it in the oven!
- Combine your dry ingredients.
- Add in your wet ingredients.
- Pour into your greased, or lined with parchment paper, baking dish.
- Bake!
What Oats Should You Use
For this recipe, use rolled oats, not quick cooking oats. If you are gluten-free, make sure the package you buy says gluten-free rolled oats on it! You can’t use instant oatmeal. It’s different than rolled oats or old fashioned oats because it is thinly cut, processed and flavored. They don’t lend the same structure to baked goods as regular oats or quick oats, so make sure to check labels.
Can you freeze baked oatmeal?
Yes! Once it is fully cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Either defrost overnight in the refrigerator or give it a quick pass in the toaster oven or microwave to heat up!
Can you make it ahead of time!
Yes! It’s the perfect make ahead breakfast. Make a batch at the beginning of the week and it will last you around 3-4 days!
How do you reheat baked oatmeal?
These are the perfect make ahead breakfast, especially for kids. To reheat it, use the oven, toaster oven or microwave to reheat until warm.
Watch The Video:
More Oat Recipes:
- Peanut Butter, Banana, Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
- Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats
- Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffin
- Gluten Free Apple Muffins
Holiday Breakfast Ideas
- Sheet Pan Classic Breakfast Bake (Eggs, Bacon, & Home Fries!)
- Easy Pizza Scramble
- Overnight Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole
- Breakfast Prep Baked Egg Cups
GINGERBREAD OATMEAL BAKE
Ingredients
Gingerbread Oatmeal
- 2 large eggs
- 1-¼ cup almond milk or milk-of-choice
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 3 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional add-ins
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips dark or white chocolate would be nice here!
- 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8″ x 8″ (or similar size) oven-safe dish. If desired, prepare a parchment sling by cutting out a piece of parchment paper slightly longer than the pan and placing it inside.
- In a large bowl add eggs, milk, maple syrup, apple sauce, oil and molasses and whisk to fully combine.
- To the wet ingredients add oats, chia seeds, baking powder, and all of the spices and salt mix until fully combined. If adding in any option ingredients like walnuts, fold them in here.
- Pour into prepared dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center is just barely firm.
- Scoop and serve warm as is or with milk, or cool and slice into 9 square portions.
This is delicious! Perfectly sweet with the perfect hint of gingerbread flavor. I added chocolate chips to the top of half of mine and I think I prefer it with them, but it’s really great plain, too. I can’t wait to eat it all week for breakfast or a snack!
Lexi,
Quick question about the maple syrup. Does it have to be real maple syrup or can you use the sugar-free option?
we always use real!
SO good and easy! I made with dark chocolate chips. Next time I will add more spice. It was delicious as-is but I love cinnamon!
Love this! I’ve made your blueberry baked oatmeal before, which is great also, but this has been our favorite. Just a quick question, how do you store this? I usually refrigerate your baked oatmeal recipes. Is that correct or can they be stored at room temperature since they are baked?
P.s. – I baked this with the full amount of milk listed (I used skim) for the full time listed and they came out absolutely perfect.
Love this! I’ve made your blueberry baked oatmeal before, which is great also, but this has been our favorite. Just a quick question, how do you store this? I usually refrigerate your baked oatmeal recipes. Is that correct or can they be stored at room temperature since they are baked?
Fine sea salt is listed twice in the ingredient list, 1/4 and 1/8 tsp. Is this correct.
It’s been updated–thanks for the catch.
I love all of your oatmeal bakes but this one called for more milk then the others and it didn’t bake right because it was all soggy… Any reason for the extra milk in this recipe?
Hi Kelly. I hear you! We tested this with the typical amount of milk that we usually call for, but felt it needed a bit more of a creamy feel to balance the molasses flavor, so we added in 1/4 of a cup more. If you prefer it more dry, feel free to omit the extra 1/4 of a cup.