Why This Recipe Works

Serve this cozy baked oatmeal for family breakfast on a chilly weekend morning—or make it ahead to reheat for quick and filling weekday breakfasts. The best part? Everyone gets to customize their portion with their favorite toppings. Baking these oats in the oven gives them a cake-like, nearly sliceable texture, with crispy edges and a tender interior. Using the right amount of milk is important in this recipe, so encourage kids to practice the correct technique for measuring liquid ingredients. Have kids set the liquid measuring cup level on the counter, add the milk, and bend down to read the measurement at the bottom of the curved arc at the liquid’s surface. This is known as the meniscus line. Kids can also measure liquids by weight, using a kitchen scale, instead of by volume with a liquid measuring cup. Measuring by weight is very quick, easy, and accurate!

Before You Begin

Quick oats, also called 1-minute oats, stick together best in this baked oatmeal. You can use old-fashioned rolled oats instead, but the texture will be looser. Do not use steel-cut oats in this recipe. You can top your portion of baked oatmeal with a drizzle of maple syrup, more fresh berries, sliced apples or bananas, raisins or dried cranberries, and/or a sprinkle of chopped nuts or shredded coconut.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray inside bottom and sides of 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

In large bowl, whisk together oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In medium bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and melted butter until well combined.

Add milk mixture to oat mixture and stir with rubber spatula until well combined. Gently stir in blueberries. Transfer mixture to greased baking dish and spread into even layer.

Place baking dish in oven. Bake until oatmeal is set and edges are golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

Use oven mitts to remove baking dish from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let oatmeal cool on rack for at least 10 minutes.

Scoop baked oatmeal into serving bowls. Pour a little extra milk over baked oatmeal in each bowl. Serve warm. (Baked oatmeal can be cooled to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat individual portions in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.)