Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal
Soft, chewy and easy to meal prep, this Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal is the perfect breakfast recipe. All the flavors of a gooey cinnamon roll mixed into a flavorful baked oatmeal.
I feel like baked oats are the solution for those that just don’t like regular stove top oatmeal. Baking your oats gives them more of a delicate muffin/cake like texture that is just way more enjoyable. And combine that with all the things I love about a good cinnamon bun, it’s heaven.
Each bite of this Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal is perfectly chewy with gooey cinnamon sugar. It’s my remedy to the winter blues at the moment.
Why You’ll Love These Baked Oats
- Great for those that don’t like gooey oatmeal. This oatmeal has more bite and chew to it, so it really feels like you are having some cinnamon rolls for breakfast.
- Easy to make and can be mixed all in one bowl. Minimal clean up required and hands on time required to make, which makes this perfect for those that need an easy make ahead breakfast.
- This recipe is vegan and gluten-free and loaded with nutrients to keep you energized in the evening
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Oats: I used a combination of rolled oats for the chew and quick oats to get the more cakey texture. You can make your own quick oats by running your rolled oats in a food processor until it’s more chunky.
- Plant-Based Milk: Most plant-based milks will work for this recipe. Do note, that for a richer flavor, using options like soy and full-fat oat milk is ideal.
- Cinnamon: But feel free to add more warming spices you may love. A little cardamom, or a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg can take this over the top.
- Brown Sugar: Light brown or dark brown sugar works.
- Cashew Butter: Helps bind everything together, while providing a rich and more gooey texture. Alternatively, feel free to use almond butter, or if you are allergic to nuts, a creamy sunflower seed butter.
- Flax Egg: A flax egg is a combination of water and ground flax seed that acts as our replacement for the binding action that eggs provide. They also provide more fiber and omega-3s which provide benefits to your heart and gut.
How to Make Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal
In a bowl combine your dry ingredients including the pecans and mix them well. Now add in your wet ingredients and give another good mix.
Place the wet oat batter into an 8-in x 8-in baking dish. With a spatula, spread and pack the batter evenly into the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with some reserved brown sugar and then place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
Allow the oats to cool and prepare your glaze. When serving, drizzle with some of the mixture and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Avoid over baking to keep the oats soft and chewy. 25 minutes is all you need and the softness will maintain itself even after it cools.
- Add a sprinkle of light brown sugar over top the oats before baking. As the oats bake, the brown sugar will create a lovely gooey texture for the baked oats and keep them nice and soft.
- Allow to cool before adding the icing. If you add it right after taking out of the oven, your icing will melt into the oats.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. If you like steel cut oats, consider trying this recipe instead.
You can either add more nut butter to help act as the binder. Alternatively, mashed banana or some apple sauce can also act as a binder, but will alter the taste of the final product.
Oats are filled with fiber, b-vitamins, iron and zinc. Combining with some healthy fats like the cashew butter and flax egg help to add some other vital nutrients like omega-3s and some protein as well.
Yes! Just make sure to prepare the oatmeal as instructed without the glaze. You can slice and store your baked oats in individual airtight containers for easy grab and go meals throughout the week. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also place in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, thaw the oats out and place in the microwave to warm through.
Make it Balanced
These baked oats provide fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates that can help fuel your mornings. If you’d like to add more protein to these oats, consider the following.
- Use a high-protein plant based milk like soy milk or pea milk
- Opt out of the glaze and serve with a dollop of your favorite high-protein plant-based yogurt on top (I like the plain Icelandic Provisions Oat Skyr, Forager Project’s Greek Style Yogurt, Silk’s Soy Yogurt, Siggi’s Plant-Based Yogurt)
- Use the high-protein oats from Bob’s Red Mill
More Breakfast Ideas to Get You Through the Holidays
- Pumpkin Coffee Cake Chia Pudding
- Smashed Cucumber Toast with Artichoke Edamame Spread
- High-Protein Breakfast Crumble
- Smoky Maple Tempeh Hash Breakfast Sandwiches
- Avocado Breakfast Flatbreads with Pickled White Beans
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
Print
Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Soft, chewy and easy to meal prep, this Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal is the perfect breakfast recipe. All the flavors of a gooey cinnamon roll mixed into a flavorful baked oatmeal.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup quick oats
- 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp light brown sugar, reserve the 1 tbsp to sprinkle on top
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cashew butter
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
Optional Glaze
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp unsweetened soy or almond milk
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F. In a small bowl combine ground flaxseed and water then allow to sit and gel for about 5 minutes.
- In a bowl, stir together your oats, pecans, baking powder, cinnamon, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt.
- Add in the cashew butter, almond milk, vanilla and flax egg and stir well with a spatula until well mixed.
- Spoon your mixture into a greased 8-in x 8-in baking pan and press the oats down evenly over the bottom of the baking dish using the spatula.
- Sprinkle the top of your oats with the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar then place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.
- While you wait, prepare the optional glaze. Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and almond milk. Once smooth, pour your glaze over top of the oats before serving.
Notes
Avoid over baking to keep the oats soft and chewy. 25 minutes is all you need and the softness will maintain itself even after it cools.
Add a sprinkle of light brown sugar over top the oats before baking. As the oats bake, the brown sugar will create a lovely gooey texture for the baked oats and keep them nice and soft.
Allow to cool before adding the icing. If you add it right after taking out of the oven, your icing will melt into the oats.
This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!
I haven’t tried it yet, but I am this weekend. Do you think you can swap cashew butter for peanut butter and pecans for walnuts?
As long as you don’t mind the peanut butter taste, this will absolutely be delicious with peanut butter (as I have tried it and still tastes great). And walnuts are a perfect substitute. 🙂
Amazing! I made this to meal prep for the week. Super easy to make—I didn’t have cashew butter so I used peanut butter. I also made double the icing.. Super delicious and it definitely is great for a holiday brunch!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed. Thank you so much K for making this! 🙂
This recipe is fantastic. I love it so much that I’ve already made it 4 times and every time it’s gone, I want to make another batch. It’s just so warm, gooey, hearty, and comforting. It’s like a warm cinnamon hug for breakfast and I wish I could eat it every day!