Looking for a hearty breakfast option that you can prep ahead of time? These berry baked oats made without banana are both delicious and nutritious. Prep them on Sunday night and reheat them all week for a quick, healthy breakfast!
If you're looking for a healthy (and tasty) make-ahead breakfast option that you can pull out on busy weekday mornings, you'll definitely want to save this one. These kid-approved berry baked oats are one of my favorite things to make when I don't want to worry about what we'll be eating for breakfast for the next few days.
A lot of baked oatmeal recipes call for banana, but I don't always have those on hand, so this recipe is made without bananas, and uses eggs instead. It is full of wholesome ingredients, easily to customize, and fridge- and freezer-friendly, which makes it perfect for busy parents and professionals.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Meal prep friendly: If you like to prep meals on the weekend so you can save time during the week, this recipe is perfect for you! It lasts up to 5 days in the fridge, which means you can prep it on Sunday night and eat it all week long (if it doesn't get eaten up right away).
- Wholesome ingredients: This delicious baked oatmeal is made from healthy ingredients like rolled oats, almonds and berries, and is naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup.
- Easy to customize: Not only can you customize this recipe by switching up the type of fruit you use, but you can also easily make it nut-free, dairy-free, vegan or gluten-free with just a few simple tweaks.
Love oats? Try these Pomegranate-Blueberry Overnight Oats or these Healthy Nut-Free Granola Bars!
Required Ingredients
- Almonds: I use whole raw almonds, chop them up and toast them in the oven. Slivered almonds can work too, but you may need to reduce the toasting time to avoid burning them.
- Oats: Old-fashioned or rolled oats work best for this recipe. I don't recommend using instant oats or steel-cut oats.
- Milk: I typically use almond milk, but other types of milk, like cow's milk or oat milk, are fine too. Just don't use canned coconut milk, as its texture is too thick.
- Honey: I tend to use honey for this, but maple syrup works too.
- Coconut oil: I use melted unrefined coconut oil, which has a slight coconut flavor. If you're not a fan of the smell or taste of coconut, you can use refined coconut oil or melted unsalted butter.
- Berries: Frozen mixed berries are what I usually use because they are cheaper, available year-round and provide a good blend of flavors. If you have a surplus of fresh berries, you can use those instead. The blend I use includes blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries, but you can use as few or as many types of fruit as you wish.
The full ingredient list, quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card.
Variations & Substitutions
- Make it nut-free: Omit the almonds and use cow's milk or a nut-free non-dairy milk like oat milk. If desired, you can replace the almonds with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for a bit of extra crunch.
- Make it dairy-free: Use coconut oil and non-dairy milk like almond milk or oat milk.
- Make it vegan: Use non-dairy milk, flax eggs, maple syrup and coconut oil.
- Make it gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
- Change the flavor: Try using only one type of berry instead of a mix, swapping the berries for a stone fruit like apricot or peach, or replacing the almonds with another type of nut or seed (like pecans, walnuts or pumpkin seeds). You can also add chocolate chips or dried fruit, like raisins or dried cranberries.
How to Make Berry Baked Oats (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Toast almonds. Preheat your oven to 375˚F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in the preheated oven for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool for a few minutes.
Step 2: Combine dry ingredients. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt using a wooden spoon. Add the cooled almonds, reserving 2 tablespoons for topping the dish, or set them all aside to sprinkle onto each portion when serving.
Step 3: Combine liquid ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition.
Step 4: Add berries to baking dish. Reserve ½ cup of berries, then spread the remaining berries evenly on the bottom of a greased 9x9-inch baking dish. (If using frozen berries, do not defrost them first. Fruit can also be mixed right into the batter during step 5, according to personal preference.)
Step 5: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Step 6: Pour mixture into dish. Carefully pour the oat mixture on top of the berries.
Step 7: Top with nuts and berries. Top the oats with the remaining 2 tablespoons of nuts (if you mixed them into the batter) and ½ cup of berries.
Step 8: Bake in the oven. Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
This dish is a hit in our house! I love having an easy, healthy breakfast option to offer the kids on busy weekday mornings.
Helpful Tips
- Leave frozen fruit unthawed: If you are using frozen fruit, don't thaw it before using it in this recipe—simply leave it frozen, and bake the oatmeal for a few minutes longer if necessary. This will ensure that the fruit only releases its juices once it's in the oven, and not while you are assembling the dish.
- Cut up larger berries: If you are using frozen mixed berries like I do, cut any fruit that is significantly larger than the rest (usually strawberries) to ensure even baking.
- Melt your coconut oil: Coconut oil that has solidified will need to be heated in the microwave in 15-second increments in order to return to its liquid form. If it solidifies again when it comes into contact with the milk and eggs, you can warm up the liquid batter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, just long enough to melt the oil again, but not long enough to cook the eggs.
- Toast the nuts in advance: Planning on making this dish all month? Instead of toasting the almonds in the oven every time, save time by toasting them in bigger batches and only using what you need.
- Bake immediately: Once you have combined the wet and dry ingredients, make sure you bake the oatmeal right away instead of letting the oats absorb the liquid.
Serving Suggestions
Baked oatmeal is best served warm, but can also be eaten cold or at room temperature.
Serve it as-is, with Greek yogurt, with seed or nut butter, with a drizzle of maple syrup (for added sweetness), with toasted nuts or seeds, or with another topping of your choice.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Leftover baked oatmeal, once cooled, can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best results, cover the dish with plastic wrap to prevent the oats from drying out.
To reheat baked oatmeal that has been stored in the fridge, place an individual portion in a microwave-safe bowl, add a splash of milk (to help restore moisture) and heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until heated through. You can also reheat it in the oven at 350°F.
Frequently Asked Questions
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If you have tried these Berry Baked Oats or any other recipe on our website, please let us know how it went in the comments below. We can't wait to hear from you!
Berry Baked Oats (without Banana)
Equipment
- 1 small baking sheet
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 whisk
- 1 square baking dish (9 x 9 inches)
Ingredients
- ½ cup roughly chopped or slivered almonds optional
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups milk dairy or non-dairy
- ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter or coconut oil melted
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups fresh or frozen berries unthawed if frozen
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375˚F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in the preheated oven for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Let cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt using a wooden spoon. Add the cooled almonds, reserving 2 tablespoons for topping the dish, or set them all aside to sprinkle onto each portion when serving.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition.
- Reserve ½ cup of berries, then spread the remaining berries evenly on the bottom of a greased 9x9-inch baking dish. (If using frozen berries, do not defrost them first. Fruit can also be mixed right into the batter during the next step, according to personal preference.)
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Carefully pour the oat mixture on top of the berries. Top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of nuts (if you mixed them into the batter) and ½ cup of berries.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Make it nut-free: Omit the almonds (or replace them with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds) and use cow's milk or a nut-free non-dairy milk like oat milk.
- Make it dairy-free: Use coconut oil and non-dairy milk like almond milk or oat milk.
- Make it vegan: Use non-dairy milk, flax eggs, maple syrup and coconut oil.
- Make it gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
- Change the flavor: Use one type of berry instead of a mix, swap the berries for a stone fruit like apricot or peach, replace the almonds with another type of nut or seed, or add chocolate chips or dried fruit.
- Leave fruit frozen: Leave frozen berries frozen to ensure that they only release their juices once they are in the oven.
- Cut up large berries: Cut up any fruit that is significantly larger than the rest to ensure even baking.
- Melt your coconut oil: Return coconut oil that has solidified to its liquid state by heating it in the microwave in 15-second increments. If it solidifies again when it comes into contact with the milk or eggs, warm up the liquid batter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second increments, just long enough to melt the oil again.
- Toast the nuts in advance: If you are planning on making this dish multiple times, save time by toasting the almonds in bigger batches and only using what you need.
- Bake immediately: Once the dry and wet ingredients have been combined, bake the oatmeal right away before it has a chance to absorb the liquid.