This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This baked oatmeal recipe is a warm, satisfying breakfast made with oats, honey, and your favorite fruit. Baked in a small baking dish, it’s perfect for one and easy to customize with different fruits, spices, or toppings.
Featured Comment
I have made this many times! Delicious! I also added peaches with the blueberries.
– Cathie
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Ready in minutes with simple ingredients.
- Customizable: Add your favorite fruits, spices, or toppings.
- Nutritious: A good source of fiber, protein, and essential vitamins.
- Great Texture: Soft and chewy, like an oatmeal cookie.
- Easily Doubles: Make one or two servings as needed.
I love this baked oatmeal because it’s simple, comforting, and a great way to start the day.
I layer fruit in a small baking dish, top it with oats and a warm blend of milk, butter, vanilla, egg, and honey, then bake it until golden. It feels like something special, even though it’s so easy to make. Whether you top it with yogurt or enjoy it just as it is, it’s one of those recipes I turn to again and again.
Try more easy single serving breakfast ideas like banana bread for one, cheesy baked eggs, avocado toast for one, or a sweet fruit quesadilla.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch baked oatmeal recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Oats: Use old-fashioned oats for the best texture. Leftover oats can be used in recipes like small batch oatmeal raisin cookies, a single strawberry crisp, blackberry crisp for one, or small batch gingerbread granola.
- Cinnamon and Salt: Cinnamon adds warmth; salt enhances the flavor. Try nutmeg or allspice for a variation.
- Milk: Use any milk you like, dairy or plant-based (such as almond, soy, or coconut).
- Butter: I use salted butter for added flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds subtle sweetness and enhances the flavor.
- Egg: Helps bind the ingredients.
- Honey: Lightly sweetens the oatmeal. Adjust to taste or use maple syrup if preferred.
- Fruit: Blueberries are a great choice, but any fresh or thawed frozen fruit works well.
Recipe Variations
Try one of these easy variations to change up the flavor of your baked oatmeal:
- Tropical: Use coconut milk and add pineapple chunks and shredded coconut.
- Apple Cinnamon Raisin: Stir in grated apple, raisins, and an extra pinch of cinnamon.
- Mocha: Add 1 teaspoon instant coffee and chocolate chips for a mocha flavor.
- Savory: Leave out the fruit and sweeteners. Add chopped spinach, crumbled feta, and black pepper.
- Pumpkin Spice: Replace some of the milk with pumpkin purée and add pumpkin spice.
How To Make Baked Oatmeal
These photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a single serving of baked oats. See the recipe below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, stir together the oats, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, melted butter, honey, and vanilla extract.
- Prepare the Dish: Add your chosen fruit to the bottom of a 5×5-inch baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
- Add the Oats: Spoon the oat mixture over the fruit, creating an even layer.
- Smooth the Top: Gently level the oats to ensure they bake evenly.
- Combine and Bake: Pour the whisked liquid mixture over the oats and fruit.
- Bake and Serve: Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the oatmeal is set and golden on top. Let it cool slightly, then enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Essential Formula: The key to single serving baked oatmeal is a simple formula: 1/4 cup of oats, 1/4 cup of liquid, one egg, and about a tablespoon of honey for sweetness.
- Experiment with Spices: Swap out cinnamon for nutmeg, cardamom, or even allspice to change up the flavor.
- Milk Options: Use any milk you prefer, from cow’s milk to almond, soy, or coconut milk.
- Adjust Sweetness: Keep the recipe lightly sweetened, and add toppings like fresh fruit or a dollop of vanilla yogurt to customize the flavor.
- Fruit Choices: While blueberries are popular, feel free to try sliced bananas, diced strawberries, or chopped apples.
- Serving Suggestions: Enjoy your baked oatmeal warm, topped with milk, yogurt, or a drizzle of honey for added flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can bake it in advance and reheat it in the microwave or oven when ready to eat.
No, for best texture use old-fashioned oats.
To make baked oatmeal for one, use a 5×5-inch baking dish. This dish holds about 1.5 cups and has an area of 25 square inches. A 4×6-inch dish has an area of 24 square inches and will work as well. For best results, use a dish of similar size.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven before serving.
Yes, double the ingredients and use a 6×8-inch baking dish to make multiple servings.
RELATED: 20 Breakfast Recipes “For One” That Are Worth Waking Up For
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.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
RELATED: 40 Easy Recipes For College Students
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 tablespoon salted butter -divided
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup blueberries (Line the bottom of your baking dish with fruit. Use up to 1/2 cup if needed to cover the bottom evenly.)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter the inside of a 5×5-inch baking dish with ½ tablespoon of butter.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together the oats, cinnamon, and salt until evenly mixed.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In another small bowl, whisk together the milk, ½ tablespoon of melted butter, vanilla, honey, and egg until fully combined.
- Prepare the Baking Dish: Spread the blueberries evenly across the bottom of the buttered baking dish.
- Layer the Oats: Sprinkle the dry oat mixture evenly over the blueberries.
- Add the Wet Ingredients: Pour the whisked liquid mixture over the oats and fruit, ensuring everything is evenly coated.
- Bake: Place the dish in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and set.
Notes
- Essential Formula: The key to single serving baked oatmeal is a simple formula: 1/4 cup of oats, 1/4 cup of liquid, one egg, and about a tablespoon of honey for sweetness.
- Experiment with Spices: Swap out cinnamon for nutmeg, cardamom, or even allspice to change up the flavor.
- Milk Options: Use any milk you prefer, from cow’s milk to almond, soy, or coconut milk.
- Adjust Sweetness: Keep the recipe lightly sweetened, and add toppings like fresh fruit or a dollop of vanilla yogurt to customize the flavor.
- Fruit Choices: While blueberries are popular, feel free to try sliced bananas, diced strawberries, or chopped apples.
- Serving Suggestions: Enjoy your baked oatmeal warm, topped with milk, yogurt, or a drizzle of honey for added flavor.
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.
Joanie,
You are incredible and so is this breakfast! Thank you so much!
You are too kind, Sherrie. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Anther great recipe. I’m was wondering is the another similar pan you can use.
Thank you, Mary. You can use any oven-safe baking dish that will hold the ingredients and still leave a little room at the top.
Could you use steel cut oats?
Also how do you reheat in the oven?
Thanks
If you want to reheat the oatmeal in the oven, I would recommend covering the dish with a sheet of aluminum foil to keep the oatmeal from drying and heating it at 350 degrees. Since you just want to heat it, the oatmeal should not take very long, maybe 8-10 minutes. Or you could reheat it in the microwave.
I’m actually not sure. This recipe hasn’t been tested with steel cut oats.
If a toaster oven is used, would the baking instructions be the same?
Yes, it should stay the same.
Does the milk particularly need to be one percent? Just wondering. Looking forward to trying this recipe soon.
Hi Ben,
No, I listed 1% because that’s what I often use. Feel free to use whole milk, 2%, almond, soy, oat or coconut milk instead.
This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten. I’ve made it twice now and I love it. Didn’t have honey on hand so I used brown sugar. I do one thing differently, when I heading the oven, I put my buttered 5″ round pan in the oven with fruit covered with a bit of brown sugar and once everything else is prepared, I finish per instructions. I do have a question, do you have a baked oatmeal recipe without fruit?
Hi Andrea,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. You can leave the fruit out of this recipe if you’d like – it’ll still be delicious.
Joanie
Can this be prepared the night before and cooked in the morning?
Yes it can be prepared overnight and baked in the morning.
Enjoy!
This sounds wonderful! But I don’t have that much time in the mornings. Would it work okay to bake the night before and reheat in the morning? Or would that ruin the texture? Thank you!
Yes, you can bake the oatmeal the night before and reheat in the morning.
This is the perfect serving size for one person!! I really enjoyed this. The second time I made it I broiled it on low for a minute or two just to get the top extra brown and crispy, and it was even more delicious 🙂
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for your feedback.
Having a lot of fresh cranberries from the holidays I substituted them for the blueberries. It was fantastic and gave the dish a whole new tadte.
FOR JENNIFER: TO PRINT THE RECIPE(S) NEEDED, DO A ‘CUT AND PASTE’ OF THE PARTS WANTED ONTO A ‘NOTEPAD’ PAGE MAKING ANY CHANGES WANTED OR NEEDED — THEN DO A ‘PRINT’…SAVES PAPER AND ONLY TAKES A MINUTE OR TWO…
Hi, is there any way to print your recipe without the pictures? 7 pieces of paper instead of 1. Looks delish and hope to try it soon. thanks, Jen
Hi Jen,
I have the pictures in the recipe so the instructions are clear. I do not know of a way to print without the pictures.
Copy and paste each direction without the pic into a separate WORD/Notepad doc
ps….I meant 1 document with all directions copied and pasted into…Coffee hasn’t kicked in! OOPS!