Get ready to start your day in the most delicious way with our Chocolate Baked Oatmeal! It’s a quick and easy make-ahead breakfast that’s as indulgent as it is nutritious.

In this make-ahead morning meal, hearty oats, rich cocoa, and sweet maple syrup come together to create a decadent treat that’s also full of nutrients! Incorporate it into your weekly meal prep for a satisfying breakfast that’ll have you jumping out of bed in the morning!

a white plate with a slice of chocolate baked oatmeal topped with orange flower petals

Why You’ll Love Baked Oatmeal

If you’ve never had baked oatmeal before, prepare for your life to be changed. It has all the flavor of traditional oatmeal with an even more satisfying texture. Plus, it’s super versatile and great to prepare in advance, making mornings a breeze.

Even better, this version is loaded with rich chocolate, sweet maple syrup, warm spices, and mashed banana for truly decadent banana bread-inspired oats! Seriously, breakfast just doesn’t get better than this. 

What Is Baked Oatmeal?

If you’ve never had it, think of baked oatmeal almost like a breakfast casserole. You see, it has the standard ingredients you would expect to see in stovetop or microwave oatmeal. However, it also contains binders such as eggs. In addition, as the name suggests, it is baked in the oven. The end result is a thick, fluffy dish that’s soft and spongey to the touch and unbelievably satisfying. 

Are Baked Oats Healthy? 

Yes! One of the best things about baked oats is how versatile they can be. Starting with a base of oatmeal, milk, and eggs, they’re already loaded with complex carbs, protein, healthy fats, fiber, and even calcium! Then, you can easily add in fruits, veggies like pumpkin or cauliflower, chopped nuts, and more to make them even more nutrient-dense. For this recipe, we kept things simple, including antioxidant-rich cocoa powder and bananas for a sweet flavor and boost of potassium. 

overhead image of baked chocolate oatmeal in an oval baking dish

Ingredients You’ll Need

For this recipe, we stuck to a simple ingredient list. Here’s the lowdown on what you’ll need: 

  • Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats work best. Steel cut and quick oats won’t yield the thick, fluffy texture we’re looking to achieve. 
  • Maple Syrup – To sweeten the oats without the need for refined sugar. You can easily swap it out for honey if you prefer.
  • Cocoa Powder – Not only does this create a dessert-like flavor, but it also packs in tons of antioxidants!
  • Baking Powder – This is crucial to get your oatmeal to rise.
  • Cinnamon – Adds extra depth to the flavor for a sweet, warm taste.
  • Salt – Used to enhance the rest of the ingredients.
  • Milk – This soaks into the oats, helping them cook and expand. Any milk you have on hand can be used.
  • Bananas – These make your oatmeal extra tasty and help keep it moist. For the best results, use super-ripe bananas like you would for banana bread.
  • Egg – Used to bind the rest of the ingredients, helping the finished oatmeal keep its shape.
  • Vanilla Extract – For extra flavor.
  • Chocolate Chips We use dark chocolate chips, but any you like best taste great! You could even use gluten-free varieties if needed. 
  • Butter – This adds extra richness to the oats, making them oh, so delicious. 

How to Make the Best Baked Oatmeal

We love to make a big batch of oatmeal for our whole family to eat throughout the week. It’s so much easier than cooking a new batch each day! 

  1. Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350° Fahrenheit, and spray an 11×7 non-stick baking dish with cooking spray. 
  2. Mix: Add all of the ingredients except for the chocolate chips to the baking dish, and stir until they are well combined. Then, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. 
  3. Bake: Place the dish in the oven until the oatmeal has set and is golden brown on top. 
  4. Serve: Slice the oatmeal into bars, and serve with toppings of choice. 

Optional Toppings

To really treat yourself in the morning, try pairing your baked oatmeal with all your favorite toppings such as toasted nuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, fresh or dried fruit, peanut or almond butter, or even whipped cream! 

overhead image of a slice of chocolate baked oats on a white plate topped with orange flower petals with a fork on the side

Flavor Variations

This chocolate oatmeal is our go-to for breakfasts the whole family will agree on. However, the flavor options for baked oatmeal are endless! Feel free to experiment and find your own favorite variations. For instance, you could omit the cocoa and include: 

  • Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice
  • Chocolate chips in the oatmeal
  • Frozen berries
  • Chopped nuts
  • Peanut butter

Storage 

Once baked, let your oatmeal cool completely. Then, cover it with foil, or transfer it to an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or, wrap each piece in parchment paper, transfer them to a sealable bag, and freeze them for up to 3 months

When you’re ready to eat, warm thawed oatmeal in the microwave in 30-second intervals. Or, place it in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes or until it is heated through. 

More Easy Oatmeal Recipes

Looking for more tasty ways to eat oatmeal? Feast your eyes on these recipes for more oatmeal inspiration! 

a serving of baked chocolate banana bread oatmeal on a plate

Chocolate Baked Oatmeal

4.91 from 10 votes
Author: Food Dolls
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Chocolate baked oatmeal is a delicious quick and easy make-ahead breakfast recipe! Hearty oats, rich cocoa, and sweet maple syrup combine to create a decadent chocolate oatmeal recipe that's good for you, too.

Ingredients  

  • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk of choice
  • 3 whole bananas, mashed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Spray an 11×7 non-stick baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Add all ingredients except the chocolate chips to the prepared baking dish – bananas, oats, maple syrup, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir together until well combined. Top with dark chocolate chips.
    2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 cups milk of choice, 3 whole bananas, mashed, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the oatmeal is set and golden brown on top.
  • Slice and serve with toppings of choice.

Notes

Additional Notes:
  • We recommend using grass-fed organic unsalted butter, but if you don’t have it readily available any butter you have on hand will work. Or, substitute the butter for 1 teaspoon of butter extract. 
  • Try toasting the walnuts to give them a bit of an extra crunch! 
  • Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Feel free to serve your chocolate baked oatmeal with additional toppings like various nuts, unsweetened coconut flakes, dried fruit, peanut butter, and even whipped cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe?Please leave a comment!

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Meet Alia & Radwa

Welcome to Food Dolls! We’re so glad you found us. We are Alia and Radwa, sisters who want to share simple and easy recipes with you. We hope you find recipes here that you enjoy making as much as we do! Learn more about us!

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Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Completely forgot the butter & it still was absolutely delicious! I added about 3/4 cup of chopped walnuts on top for some crunch. 10/10 will make again!

  2. I think two cups of milk is too much. I made this and it never set like it is supposed to for baked oatmeal. it was a mix between pudding and baked oatmeal. It had a very good flavor.

  3. I’ve never had baked oatmeal before. This recipe looked too yummy to pass up! It was super easy to make and it was delicious! I will definitely make this again!

  4. The list of ingredients says maple syrup
    The instructions for making says brown sugar and nothing about maple syrup
    Do you use maple syrup or brown sugar??
    If you use brown sugar, how much?
    Please advise