Brownie Baked Oatmeal
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Chocolate Baked Oatmeal (aka Brownie Baked Oatmeal) tastes and looks like dessert…but it’s actually a fairly healthy breakfast (or lunch or dinner or snack). This recipe is a fan favorite!
Why Make Brownie Baked Oatmeal
As a mom, I’m always looking for breakfast options for my family that aren’t filled with junk ingredients and that will keep us satiated all morning. This baked oatmeal does the trick! It’s filled with nutritious, real food ingredients (keep reading) AND it tastes like dessert! Win-win!
Plus, you can double the recipe and freeze one for later, using our freezing instructions. We say this all the time, but making freezer meals is one of the best uses of your time in the kitchen.
Ingredients Needed
What is healthy about this Chocolate Oatmeal, you ask? Well, let’s take a look at the ingredients and some of the benefits.
- Oatmeal – fiber
- Flaxseed – fiber, healthy fat
- Eggs – protein
- Milk – protein, calcium
- Avocado oil – healthy fat
- Pumpkin – vitamin A, fiber
- Honey – all-natural sweetener
- Cocoa powder – antioxidants
- Dark chocolate chips – antioxidants
- Other ingredients – baking powder, salt, cinnamon, vanilla
How to Make Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
This recipe takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Here’s how it goes…
Step 1: Combine the Dry Ingredients
In large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. (Note: Our pic is missing the cocoa powder. Oops!)
Step 2: Combine the Wet Ingredients
In another mixing bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
Step 3: Combine Wet & Dry Ingredients
Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir them together and then stir in the chocolate chips. (A spoon might work better than a whisk for this job. We got lazy. Hee, hee.)
Step 4: Pour into a Baking Dish
Spread the batter in a greased 9×13 inch dish.
At this point, you can freeze this dish. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and pop on the lid or wrap the dish in a few layers of foil or plastic wrap.
Step 5: Bake the Oatmeal
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the middle is just set.
Step 6: Serve Warm
We love it served warm in a bowl with fruit (like banana, strawberries, or raspberries) and milk on top. Or you can eat it almost like a soft granola bar.
What to Serve with Chocolate Oatmeal
This sweeter baked oatmeal pairs well with a high-protein savory breakfast dish like these egg recipes.
More Baked Oatmeal Dishes You’ll Love
If you enjoy baked oatmeal as much as our families do, give a few of these others a try. They all work well to freeze before baking, as well.
FAQs
Yes, you can prep baked oatmeal (unbaked) ahead of time and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3-6 months. Thaw and bake per instructions.
You can also fully cook and cool the baked oatmeal ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just rewarm individual portions in the microwave. Our readers have told us that they freeze fully cooked, individual portions of baked oatmeal in the freezer, as well, and rewarm in the microwave.
While you can use quick oats in baked oatmeal, it’s best to use rolled oats because they give the dish a heartier texture. Quick oats or instant oats can result in a denser, mushier result.
Baked oatmeal can be made gluten-free or dairy-free with these substitutions:
Dairy-Free Option: Use dairy-free milk in the recipe.
Gluten-Free Option: Make sure your oats say “gluten-free” on the package.
Yes, this recipe will also work in a smaller dish. Just cook it 10-15 minutes longer or until it’s set in the middle.
Yes, but you will need to bake it longer, until the middle is set. Check for doneness with a toothpick. It will likely take about 30 minutes.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Brownie Baked Oatmeal
An easy and super healthy make-ahead breakfast that your family will love!
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (quick oats will work, too)
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed (sub: more oats)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup honey (sub: pure maple syrup) (Note: I also replace some of the honey with liquid stevia to cut back on sugar sometimes.)
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil (sub: melted coconut oil or butter)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup milk (your choice)
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Optional: 1/4 – 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, ground flaxseed, baking powder, salt, cocoa powder, and cinnamon.
- In medium bowl, whisk together the honey, butter/coconut oil, pumpkin, milk, eggs, and vanilla.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones. Stir until combined. Then, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into the baking dish. Bake for about 20 minutes (or until the edges are firm and the middle is still a little soft).
- Serve warm in a bowl with your favorite cut-up fruit (i.e. bananas, strawberries, raspberries) and milk on top.
Freeze For Later:
If you want to freeze this and bake later, prepare according to directions but freeze it before baking. Wrap tightly in a few layers of plastic wrap and one of foil and freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge for 24 hours and baked according to directions.
Notes/Tips
- Gluten-Free Version: Use gluten-free oats.
- Dairy-Free Version: Use non-dairy plain milk like almond milk or oat milk. Use dairy-free chocolate chips, like Enjoy Life brand.
- Can I use steel cuts instead? Yes, you will need to bake it longer, until the middle is set. Check for doneness with a toothpick. It will likely take about 30 minutes.
Can you leave out the pumpkin? I can’t get that this time of year. Thanks
Yes, or I sometimes replace it with a cooked sweet potato that I mashed up or more banana.
Do you use cacao powder or cocoa powder? I have cacao on hand but I’m not sure if it would taste the same. TIA!
You can use either! I’ve tried it both ways.
Made this today with my 3.5 y.o. and we LOVE IT! My son is super picky but the fact that he ate a couple of bites without complaint and was smiling while chewing is a win in my book! Delicious and we don’t feel weighed down or like it’s sticking to our gut after eating some. Thank you so much!
I love that, Maya. I understand picky eaters! We still make this recipe every other week around here. Never seems to get old.
I have made these about 5 times now and love them. This time I used this recipe as a base and used 5 cups of steel oats and only added an extra half of cup of milk. I used both applesauce and honey, replaced butter with coconut oil, omitted the coca powder and replaced with mini chocolate chips and added dried cranberries and half a cup of peanut butter. I was going for more of an oatmeal base not brownie. Love this site!
I made this on Monday, with 1/3 cup honey, 1/3 cup Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips, and almond milk. When warm, it does indeed taste like brownie! I was pleasantly surprised. I love that it’s so deliciously chocolatey while being so healthy! It’s not too sweet, letting the chocolate chips really punctuate each bite. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Can this be made with steel cut oats?
I haven’t tried, so I’m not sure. Let me know if you try it, though.
I make baked oatmeal a lot and have tried a lot of different recipes and this one was AWESOME!! I love that it is healthy but tastes so yummy and chocolatey. I used 3c oats as I did not have any flaxseed on hand, 1/3c honey, and almond milk. I noticed a lot of freezing questions in the comments so just thought I would mention that I freeze baked oats all the time. I just cut mine up into portion sizes and freeze them in a ziploc bag. Then take a frozen square out, put it in the microwave for 30 sec on high, add chia seeds and almond milk and zap it for another 30 seconds and it is ready to eat. Love this recipe and that it is very low in sugar and fat. My daughter loves it too and she is 8.
Thanks for the tips, Robin. Great ideas!
I made this for a casual weekend breakfast and it was SO delicious! Perfectly sweet, chocolatey, and satisfying. My 18 month old son loved it, and I love that I’m sneaking in healthy, nutritionally-dense ingredients like pumpkin and flax.
Glad you liked it! It is always a hit with the kiddos!
Made this over the weekend for breakfast, with only 1/4 choc chips as i’m trying to cut sugar for my boys. Served it in bowl with milk as suggested and they weren’t a fan…with more choc chips, i’m sure they would have loved it. So the rest of the pan sat the rest of the day, and i decided to grab a hunk of it for myself as a late snack. As always, their radar went off that i was eating something (how do they always know that??) and they came running to try it again as well. they loved it dry! So, now i have a new granola “bar” recipe that i will be making often to have on hand for their breakfast. I have been wanting to find a substitute for the boxed granola bars with flourescent filling. Thanks!
Ha, ha! I love how that worked out! I’ve never thought about it as a granola bar before. Cool.
I thought I’d share my latest findings with this recipe that continues to be a staple in our home almost give years after I wrote this post. I often put all the wet ingredients in the blender (I have a Vitamix) and add a handful of spinach, as well as apple slices and a banana. I blend it until pureed and the chocolate flavor and color completely hide it. No joke!
Thank you so much for sharing…. i just ate a delicious piece of oatmeal brownie…they are delicious!!!
Glad you like it!
My daughter has a severe egg allergy. Do you have any suggestions for egg replacements in this recipe?
Gosh, so sorry, I’m not sure.
If you don’t know by now..the egg can be replaced with a flax egg. Place 1 Tb. Flaxseed meal in a bowl..add 3 TB. water; let stand a few minutes and it will gel. ?
After it’s frozen, how long do we bake it? Or do I need to let it thaw?
It will take twice as long, but maybe longer.
Silly question probably but how strong is the pumpkin flavor in these?
You won’t taste it at all. That’s the function of the chocolate–to cover all vegetable flavor. 🙂
Can you freeze this in individual portions AFTER it’s been baked? Sorry! New to freezer cooking!
Yes, you certainly can. Bake them until done in a muffin tin; they will bake faster than in a pan, so keep an eye on them. Let them cool and them put the individual baked oatmeal muffins in a freezer bag. To warm up, wrap in a moist paper towel and microwave in 30 second ingredients until warmed through.
I just baked this for breakfasts throughout the week. It’s another effort to a)incorporate sweet potatoes into things and b) get my kids to love oatmeal as much as I do. I just had a bite and it’s delicious! Since I was using 2T coconut oil, I put an ‘almond joy’ spin on it and added a little bit of shredded coconut as well. So good! I also love that it uses less sweetener than a lot of other baked oatmeal recipes. I used 6T of honey and it’s perfect.