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Hot baked oatmeal with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest is one fall breakfast recipe you won’t be able to resist making all year long.
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Baked Oatmeal
Craving a fall breakfast idea that feels like a cake without the guilt? Take your mornings a notch with this Cranberry & Orange Baked Oatmeal that tastes like a treat and is good for you!
Baked oatmeal warms you up without making you feel weighed down. Each ½ cup serving of baked oatmeal is a good source of fiber, and some essential vitamins and minerals, including thiamin, phosphorus, and magnesium. Learn more about the health benefits of oatmeal in this post.
It has a bread pudding-like texture, and the cranberries give it a burst of tart goodness. I like to top my baked oats with a little unsweetened almond milk; making the combination of hot oats and cold milk divine. Plus, this recipe doesn’t need a whole lot of added sugar, just a touch of honey is enough!
This recipe is so good, I even included it in my Thanksgiving menu as a wholesome and delicious breakfast to hold you over until the feast is ready.
It has the holiday flavors of fresh cranberry, orange, and cinnamon so you can fill up on something good while the turkey bakes in the oven and you start on the rest of the menu.
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Ingredients
Scroll down the ingredient list, and I’m positive you have most of these items on hand. Maybe not the cranberries, but those can be swapped for other fruits. Check out the simple baked oatmeal ingredients. You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.
- Old fashioned oats: the large flakes provide the perfect texture for thick baked oatmeal.
- Cinnamon: autumn flavor in every spoonful!
- Baking powder: to help the batter rise.
- Salt: enhances all the delicious flavors.
- Milk: the liquid that oats need. Use your favorite.
- Egg: to bind the ingredients and help the batter to rise.
- Melted butter: adds moisture and a tasty flavor. If you want to make the recipe fully
dairy-free, swap it for a vegan alternative. - Vanilla extract: makes baked oatmeal taste like a cake!
- Honey: adds the right amount of sweetness.
- Fresh orange juice: adds citric vibes.
- Orange zest: more citric flavor and aroma.
- Cranberries: a fall classic! You can swap them for strawberries, diced apples, or prep baked oatmeal with blueberries.
Oats are super versatile for all sorts of recipes such as Protein Oats and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Bites. You can even use them to make breakfast for dinner with these Bacon & Cheddar Savory Oats.
How to Make Cranberry Baked Oatmeal
As simple as the recipe is, it’s just as easy to make. Essentially, everything is combined in one bowl, transferred to a baking dish, and baked until the oats are set and the top turns a gorgeous golden brown.
Here’s how to make this Cranberry Baked Oatmeal recipe for a hearty, delicious breakfast:
- Get the oven hot
Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking dish or a 9 x 13-inch oval. - Make the batter
In a large bowl, whisk the honey with the almond milk, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice. Add the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. - Toss in the cranberries
Use a spatula to fold the cranberries into the batter. - Bake
Pour the oat and cranberry mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with additional cranberries. Bake for 35 minutes until the top is golden and the oat mixture is set. - Serve
Remove the baked oatmeal from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Watch this video to see how to bake oatmeal at home:
Oatmeal Baking Tips
It’s hard to mess up baked oatmeal, but it is possible mostly due to overcooking. Here’s how to make sure that doesn’t happen:
Use enough liquid
Don’t skimp on the milk! The oats need every bit of it to create that delicious texture. While water works too, I’ve found that it lacks the flavor and density this recipe needs.
Use the right oats
For best results, I use old-fashioned oats. The flakes are large enough to soak up the liquid without drying out, which makes them a perfect option for cooking, baking, and even no-bake treats like Baked Oatmeal Bites.
Make it ahead of time
You can make this ahead of time by combining the wet ingredients in a large jar or airtight dish and refrigerating overnight. In the morning, stir everything together and bake! Those few minutes save time, and while you get everyone ready for the day, breakfast is baking.
More Baked Oatmeal Flavors
Another great thing about this baked oatmeal recipe- it’s highly adaptable. You can add and swap the flavors and ingredients to create an entirely new recipe.
Swap the cranberries and orange for cinnamon, dried cherries, and almonds. Don’t worry about getting bored, here are easy add-in ideas for more epic baked oatmeal recipes:
- Pumpkin pie spice + pumpkin puree
- Cinnamon + raisins + slivered almonds
- Raspberries + vanilla extract + lemon zest
- Blueberries + vanilla extract + sliced bananas
- Chocolate chips + trail mix
- Cinnamon + Pears
If you’re an oat fanatic, welcome to the club! I’ve got a TON of incredible oat recipes to keep you covered for breakfast a long time.
Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
Watch how it’s made:
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cup fresh cranberries, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9 x 9-inch square baking dish or a 9 x 13-inch oval.
- In a large bowl, whisk the honey with the almond milk, egg, melted butter, vanilla extract, orange zest, and orange juice until combined.
- Add the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt to the liquid mixture and stir to form a thick batter. Add 1 cup cranberries to the batter and fold with a spatula to combine.
- Pour oat and cranberry mixture into the prepared baking dish. Arrange cranberries to make sure they are evenly distributed throughout. Top with additional cranberries.
- Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven until the top is golden and the oat mixture is set. Remove from oven and allow mixture to cool slightly prior to serving.
Alexa says
Yum!!!
Chrissy says
Could this be made in the slowcooker?
Laura Fuentes says
Yes you can make oatmeal in the slow cooker. For this recipe, you’d need to omit the egg and do a 3 to 1 milk to oat ratio. 4h on high, 8 on low.
Kim says
Can this be stored and reheated?
Laura Fuentes says
Absolutely! I keep leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I often add a little milk when I reheat it to give it a softer texture since oatmeal compacts when cooled.
Ariana says
My new obsession is baked oatmeal. This is incredible.
Jessica says
Hi there! Thank you for this recipe. I love cranberries and was excited to incorporate them into my baked oats. I made this with honey and the tartness of the cranberries overpowered the other flavors for me. It seems like this was maybe originally made with Stevia – can you tell me how much you used? I’d like to try the recipe again just with adjusted sweetness. Thanks again!
Laura Fuentes says
In the video I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of stevia, which is much stronger than honey by itself.
DiDi says
This recipe looks amazing! But I don’t want to use stevia. Do you have a suggestion for how and how much to sweeten with agave, honey, or real sugar?
Laura Fuentes says
Hi Didi! I would omit the stevia completely and use 1/4 cup honey -or sugar or agave. Enjoy!
Alicia says
How do you suggest I adjust the cranberries if I used dried ones instead of fresh? Thank you!
Laura Fuentes says
I suggest you take 2/3 cup of dried cranberries and soak them in hot/boiling water for 10 minutes and allow them to re-constitute some of their moisture. Then, add those to the oatmeal base and bake. Enjoy!
GRACE says
My toddler likes baked oatmeal so I’m looking forward to making this. One question: I know this seems silly but your directions say “13x9in square baking dish” but that’s not right. Is it a 13×9 or square? Just wanting to make sure so I have the cook time right! Your photos are a rectangle dish but looks smaller than 9×13 so thinking square 9in might be more equivalent. Thank you!
Laura Fuentes says
You are correct, I’ll clarify. It can be done in a 9×13, a square, or as you see in the video oval. The larger the baking dish, the less “height” and it will cook faster.
C. Lewellyn says
This looks great, but in step 4 it says to arrange the blueberries to make sure they are evenly distributed. I saw no blueberries in the recipe. Was it supposed to say cranberries?
Laura Fuentes says
You are correct. Cranberries. typo!
Ann says
Hello Laura!
I made this oatmeal with tart cranberries and fresh orange zest over the weekend. I followed your recipe precisely, and this turned out AMAZING. It definitely tastes like the holidays. Plus, it’s super easy to make. I think I’ll serve it for breakfast on a regular basis. Highly recommend everyone to give this recipe a try. Believe me, there’s no need to wait for a special occasion.
Thank you so much for sharing this brilliant idea and all of your useful tips. They helped me a lot. Look forward to your new awesome recipes. You put so much love into what you’re doing. I’m your fan!
Best wishes,
Ann
Laura Fuentes says
Thank you for trying and sharing how much you enjoyed my recipe, Ann!
Janice says
I made this baked oatmeal over the weekend. It was perfect. Guess who’s buying extra cranberries after Thanksgiving? This gal.
Sandra says
I’m going to try this version of baked oatmeal. I’m a fan of your blueberry one and I have a feeling I’m going to love this cranberry orange version.
Jenna Marie says
Cranberry Orange is my favorite fall flavor combination. When I saw this recipe for cranberry baked oatmeal this morning…. I had to make it!! It came out of the oven 10 minutes ago and I suck a couple of bites in…. OMG it TASTES LIKE CAKE!! Thank you for another nutritious breakfast idea, Laura! Yes, I used the cranberries I had in my fridge saved for Thanksgiving but…. I’ll be going back for more!