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This single serving baked oatmeal bakes up golden on top with soft fruit underneath. Perfect for one, these baked oats are lightly sweetened with honey and easy to change up with any fruit you like.
Featured Comment
I have made this many times! Delicious! I also added peaches with the blueberries.
– Cathie
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Cool Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Equipment: 5×5-inch baking dish
- Cook Method: Oven
- Servings: 1
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Lightly sweet from honey and cinnamon, with tender oats and soft fruit.
The key to making baked oats for one is a simple formula: ¼ cup of oats, ¼ cup of liquid, one egg, and about a tablespoon of honey. Stir it together, pour it over fruit in a small dish, and bake until the top is set and golden.
Why You’ll Love This Single Serve Baked Oatmeal
If you’re cooking for one, this baked oatmeal gives you a warm, fresh breakfast without a full pan to work through for the next four days. You make it in one small dish, and it’s ready to eat warm from the oven.
What sets this apart from stovetop oats is the texture. The egg binds everything as it bakes, so it bakes into a tender oatmeal you can cut into, soft in the middle with a set top. Layer the fruit in first and it softens into the oats while it bakes.
The fruit is where you make it yours. I use blueberries, but this recipe takes just about anything, sliced strawberries, chopped apple, sliced bananas, peaches, whatever you love or need to use up. I keep it lightly sweetened so it works as an everyday breakfast, and if you want it sweeter, drizzle on honey or maple syrup once it’s out of the oven.
For more single serving oatmeal recipes to start the day, try my peanut butter oatmeal or apple pie oatmeal. And if you’d rather skip the oven, my overnight oats for one comes together in a jar the night before.
Ingredients
Here’s what goes into this individual baked oatmeal and what each ingredient does. If you have anything left over, our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder will point you to other single serving recipes that use it.
Oats: Use old-fashioned rolled oats. They hold their shape in the oven and bake up tender, and a single serving needs just ¼ cup. Save any extra for small batch oatmeal raisin cookies, blackberry crisp for one, or small batch gingerbread granola.
Cinnamon and salt: Cinnamon adds warmth, and a pinch of salt brings out the flavor of the oats and fruit. Swap in nutmeg or allspice if you want a different spice.
Milk: Any milk works, dairy or plant-based. I use whole milk for a richer bake, but almond, soy, oat, or coconut milk all do the job.
Butter: Salted butter adds flavor and a little richness to the oats. Unsalted works too, with a small pinch more salt.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla adds a soft sweetness and warmth to the oatmeal.
Honey: Honey lightly sweetens the oatmeal. Maple syrup works just as well if that’s what you keep on hand.
Egg: One egg binds the oats and sets the bake. It also adds protein, which makes this a more filling breakfast.
Fruit: Blueberries are my go-to and bake down soft and sweet, but most fruit works here. Try it with apples, peaches, another stone fruit, or a banana. Fresh fruit goes in as is; thaw and drain frozen fruit first so it doesn’t water down the oats. See Recipe Variations for fruit combinations that work well.
Recipe Variations
These swaps change the flavor of your small batch baked oatmeal, and one scales it up to serve two.
Banana Baked Oatmeal
Layer in half a sliced banana along with or in place of the blueberries. It bakes soft and adds natural sweetness. For a banana nut version, scatter a tablespoon of chopped pecans or walnuts over the top.
Apple Cinnamon
Line the dish with a small diced apple in place of the blueberries. Stir a tablespoon of raisins and an extra pinch of cinnamon into the oats.
Pumpkin Spice
Replace the fruit with about ¼ cup of canned pumpkin and reduce the milk to 3 tablespoons. Add ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, or a pinch each of cinnamon and nutmeg.
Savory Baked Oatmeal
Leave out the honey and fruit. Wilt a handful of spinach, squeeze it dry, and stir it in with 2 tablespoons of crumbled feta, then finish with black pepper.
Make Baked Oatmeal For Two
Double all the ingredients and bake in a 6×8-inch dish. The bake time stays about the same, so start checking it at 40 minutes.
How To Make Baked Oatmeal For One
Here’s how to make baked oats, step by step. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and full instructions.
- Stir the oats, cinnamon, and salt together in a bowl.
- In a second bowl, whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, honey, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spread the fruit in an even layer across the bottom of a buttered 5×5-inch baking dish.
- Spoon the dry oat mixture evenly over the fruit.
- Level the oats so they bake evenly.
- Pour the wet mixture evenly over the oats and fruit.
- Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and set. Let it cool for about 5 minutes, then serve.
Expert Tips
Use a 5×5-inch baking dish. A dish this size lets the oatmeal bake up thick and set evenly. A 4×6-inch dish works too. Anything much larger spreads the oats thin and they can dry out.
Bake just until the center is set. The top should be golden and the middle set but still soft.
Whisk the egg in fully. Beat the wet ingredients until the egg is completely blended with no streaks. That’s what lets the oatmeal set evenly instead of leaving pockets of cooked egg.
Adjust the flavor to your taste. This oatmeal is lightly sweetened on purpose. If you like it bolder, add a little more cinnamon, more honey, or a pinch more salt.
Troubleshooting
This recipe comes together reliably, and a few small adjustments give you exactly the baked oatmeal you want.
Why is my baked oatmeal dry?
Dry baked oatmeal is usually overbaked or made in too large a dish. Remove it from the oven as soon as the center is set, and use a 5×5-inch dish so the oats bake up thick. If it’s already dry, add a splash of milk when you serve it.
Why is my baked oatmeal soggy in the center?
A soggy center usually means it came out of the oven too soon. Bake it a few minutes longer, until the top is golden and the middle is set. Frozen fruit is the other common cause, since it releases water as it bakes, so next time thaw and drain the frozen fruit first.
Why does my baked oatmeal stick to the dish?
Baked oatmeal sticks when the dish isn’t greased well enough. Butter the bottom and sides before adding the fruit, and let the oatmeal cool for about 5 minutes before serving so it firms up and releases easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
A single serving of baked oatmeal uses ¼ cup of oats. Add ¼ cup of milk, one egg, and a tablespoon of honey, and it bakes into a filling breakfast for one. The egg adds protein, so it holds you longer than a plain bowl of oats.
Yes, double all the ingredients and bake in a 6×8-inch dish. The bake time stays about the same, so start checking it around 40 minutes.
Baked oatmeal is a wholesome breakfast of oats, milk, egg, and fruit. It provides fiber and protein, and because it’s lightly sweetened with honey, you control how much sugar goes in. For a lighter version, use low-fat milk and less honey.
No, use old-fashioned rolled oats for the best texture. Quick oats absorb more liquid and can turn soft and mushy in the oven. Old-fashioned oats hold their shape and bake up tender.
Yes, this baked oatmeal is made with blueberries and no banana to begin with. If you’d like banana, sliced banana bakes well layered in with or in place of the fruit.
Yes, prep the dry and wet ingredients separately the night before. Stir the oats, cinnamon, and salt in one container and the milk, egg, butter, honey, and vanilla in another, then combine and bake in the morning. Keeping them separate stops the oats from soaking up the liquid overnight.
Baked oatmeal is made for the oven, so I don’t recommend the microwave. The oven is what gives it a golden top and a set texture. For a quick stovetop breakfast, try my peanut butter oatmeal instead.
Baked oatmeal is a full breakfast on its own. If you want to add to it, top it with a spoon of yogurt, fresh fruit, or a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Cover and refrigerate leftover baked oatmeal for up to 2 days. Reheat it in the microwave or a warm oven, and add a splash of milk if it seems dry.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this Baked Oatmeal For One or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
RELATED: 20 Breakfast Recipes “For One” That Are Worth Waking Up For
Baked Oatmeal For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup old fashioned oats
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon salted butter – divided
- ¼ cup blueberries (Line the bottom of your baking dish with fruit. Use up to ½ cup if needed to cover the bottom evenly.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Butter the inside of a 5×5-inch baking dish with ½ tablespoon of the butter.
- In a small bowl, stir together the oats, cinnamon, and salt.
- In another small bowl, whisk the milk, egg, honey, vanilla, and the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter, melted, until smooth.
- Spread the blueberries evenly over the bottom of the buttered dish.
- Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the blueberries.
- Pour the wet mixture evenly over the oats and fruit.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and set. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I just made this in two ramekins as a savory version: I layered artichoke hearts, diced ham, sun-dried, tomatoes, garlic, and herb, feta cheese, topped with the oats and liquid mixture baked it, and it was delicious. Thank you, Joanie!
What a wonderful savory take! Artichoke hearts, ham, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta sound incredible together. So glad you ran with the savory variation and made it your own!
Try this recipe if you’ve never tried or thought you wouldn’t like baked oatmeal! You will love it! Today I used a combination of strawberries and apples.
So glad you love this one! Strawberries and apples sound like such a wonderful combination.
I don’t normally like baked oatmeal, but your recipe changed my mind. I used chopped strawberries and wish I had doubled the recipe. I will definitely make this again!
While I don’t mind using the oven, I don’t usually want to wait 45 minutes for my breakfast. Can this recipe be made in the microwave? If so, how do I adjust the recipe?
Thank you!
Baked oatmeal is meant for the oven, so I wouldn’t recommend trying to make it any other way. The texture and golden top come from the bake. If you’d like a quicker oatmeal breakfast, my peanut butter oatmeal comes together on the stovetop in about 15 minutes and is creamy and satisfying (https://onedishkitchen.com/peanut-butter-oatmeal/) . You can also prep the baked oatmeal the night before by mixing everything together, covering it, and storing it in the fridge so it’s ready to pop in the oven in the morning while you get ready.
Wonderful! Made with thawed mixed berries and maple syrup. DH and I split one serving. Thank you, Joanie, for all your work at bringing us such delicious small serving recipes.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! Thawed mixed berries and maple syrup sound wonderful in this baked oatmeal. Thank you for your kind words, they mean so much.
how to make with lower sat fat?
You can reduce the saturated fat by using a plant-based milk or low-fat dairy milk and replacing the butter with a neutral oil or a plant-based butter. The butter does add flavor, so the taste may be slightly different, but the recipe should still work well. You can also lightly grease the baking dish with cooking spray instead of using the butter called for to butter the dish.
Today I used Greek yogurt instead of milk. And frozen berries. Amazing taste and texture!
I love this recipe, just finished it on a snowy Sunday morning. It’s the perfect portion. I had all the ingredients on hand, and for the health benefits, doubled the blueberries using a half cup of frozen, small, wild blueberries, and extra cinnamon. It may not be sweet enough for everyone, but I enjoyed it and there are plenty of other dessert style recipes out there. Next, I will try the pumpkin purée/pumpkin spice version. Thank you Joanie!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! The extra blueberries and cinnamon sound wonderful. I love that you made it your own, and I think you’ll really enjoy the pumpkin version next.
The Baked Oatmeal was perfect with my coffee on a very cold morning. I did not have fresh or frozen blueberries so I dotted the bottom of the pan with small teaspoon size lumps of fig jam and followed the rest of the directions as written. Using the jam made it a little sweeter than using fruit so it would be an option for those who thought the fruit version was bland. It was delicious! I prefer the baked oatmeal texture to regular oatmeal. Thank you, Joanie for all your great recipes and ideas!
1
That sounds delicious. The fig jam is a lovely addition, and I’m so glad you enjoyed the texture of the baked oatmeal. I really appreciate you sharing your experience.
Not the best recipe, not very sweet & very bland. I even added more honey & cinnamon… sorry won’t be making again!
This baked oatmeal is intentionally lightly sweetened, and the sweetness can be adjusted based on personal preference. I mention that in the recipe and ingredient notes since many readers prefer a less sweet breakfast. It may not be the right fit if you’re looking for a more dessert-style oatmeal.
Will certainly make baked oatmeal and the banana cupcakes I will add a dash of nutmeg to the muffins…
The proportions are right so its a good base recipe. However, it needs a lot more flavor. I used Penzey’s baking spice in place of cinnamon. It needs to be at least doubled, if not more. Couldn’t even taste it when I used 1/2 tsp (plus an extra sprinkle!) in the doubled recipe.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and for your thoughtful feedback. Taste preferences definitely vary, and I’m glad you found the proportions to be a good base. It’s helpful to hear how you adjusted the spice to suit your liking – Penzey’s baking spice is a great choice. I know others have really enjoyed the recipe as written, but I always encourage adjusting spices to make it your own!
I’ve made this many times for myself for a wonderful breakfast,I’ve used all different combinations of fruits and it never fails to come out amazing and delicious 😋 thanks for a fantastic recipe!
I make this recipe often because I like oatmeal for breakfast, but it doesn’t last long and I’m hungry before lunch. Adding an egg and milk helps though. Today it occurred to me to use the last couple of teaspoons of my homemade peach jam left in the jar instead of honey to sweeten it. Delicious! Adding blueberries and topping it with vanilla yogurt made an amazing breakfast! Think I’ll try some other flavors of jam. Maybe grape with a little peanut butter?
I baked this in the Ninja Countertop Air Fry Oven. I used the bake option and saved 8 minutes bake time. Now I only have to wait 30 minutes for a most excellent breakfast but either way this recipe is well worth the wait! ❤
That’s wonderful to know! Thank you.
Thank you! I needed this one serving recipe. I made as instructed for a few times then I experimented. I used steel cut oats instead of old fashion. To do so, use the milk in this recipe to soak the steel cut oats for 20 minutes then continue with instructions. I added an extra tablespoon of milk because I like my oatmeal a bit juicy.
Thank you so much for sharing your feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe and love hearing about your experiment with steel cut oats. That’s a great tip to soak them first! Adding a little extra milk for a creamier texture sounds wonderful too. Thanks again for sharing your experience!
Can you make this the night before and then Bake it in the oven?
You can definitely prep some of it the night before! Mix the oats, cinnamon, and salt together and store them separately from the liquid ingredients (milk, egg, honey, and vanilla). In the morning, just mix in the melted butter to the liquids, combine everything, and bake. This way, the oats won’t soak up too much liquid overnight.
It’s more eggy than my regular recipe but I really liked that. I added a touch more cinnamon. I like that it’s not overly sweet because you get more if the fresh fruit taste. I will be making this again and experimenting with fruit depending on what I have. Thank you for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and it truly is a great recipe for swapping in whatever fruit you have on hand.
I ENJOY Your Recipes very much as there is just enough food for 1 or 2 servings !
Second time making this Baked Oatmeal recipe.
Using what I had on hand, I didn’t have enough Blueberries but had fresh Peach. DELICIOUS !
Any Suggestions on how to make this recipe with canned Pumpkin ?
Thanks 😊 Joanie !
Hi! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes, and it’s great to hear that the baked oatmeal turned out delicious with peaches! I haven’t tried it with canned pumpkin yet, but I’m excited about the possibility. You could try replacing the fruit with about 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin and adding some warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try! Thanks for sharing your feedback.
As a single gal who hates to waste food, I LOVE your recipes. I hope maybe in the future you could provide air fryer instructions too. Heating up the oven in my tiny apartment for these recipes is not always preferable and the recommended conversions don’t always work so well. Thanks again!@ ❤️
I’m so glad you love the recipes! Right now, we don’t use an air fryer, so we don’t have air fryer instructions. However, it’s something we might consider in the future. Thanks for the suggestion!
Joanie, print this recipe. You will see that other comments indicating that it prints over 7 pages, including photos, are correct. It would really help if you would kindly fix it.
Hi Martine, if you uncheck the Recipe Image box, the Instruction Images, the Notes, and the Nutrition Label on the print page, only one page will print.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! The possibilities are endless also. Just learning how to cook for only one now and this is perfect amount.
I agree with Dianne, having the pictures sprinkled among the directions is difficult. It was difficult for me because I had to keep scrolling back up to get the amount of each ingredient. However, the recipe was delicious. I would be interested to know how long it needs to cook in an air fryer.