Creamy-baked oatmeal with cherries is so tasty and easy to make. It’s sweetened with honey and flavored with cinnamon applesauce, butter, and vanilla. Not to mention the crunchy almond topping!

It’s truly the best oatmeal breakfast bake to pair with breakfast power smoothie and rosemary garlic potatoes.

Oatmeal bake with cherries in white casserole this recipe

Baked oatmeal just has to be one of the easiest ways to prepare oatmeal. Just like our no-bake chocolate oat bars, it’s perfect for busy school mornings as it requires a few mixing bowls, a spoon, a whisk, and simple pantry staple ingredients.

Not to mention leftovers last in the fridge for up to 1 week and reheat so well. It tastes amazing on its own or paired with some of the classic morning dishes, such as eggs and sausage or an asparagus frittata.

How Do You Make Oatmeal Taste Good?

But before we get to step by step for making baked oatmeal, let’s talk about flavor. Because there is nothing worse than bland oatmeal! The good thing is you don’t need many ingredients to make oatmeal taste good. You just need the right ingredients.

  • Milk and butter. I’m a huge fan of using a milk and butter combo when it comes to making baked oatmeal. Both add amazing creaminess and flavor. Of course, you can use a non-dairy alternative, such as almond milk but it’s just not the same.
  • Add-ins! This oatmeal bake is flavored with cinnamon-flavored applesauce and vanilla. Plus honey! Honey adds sweetness but also that delicious honey taste. Maple syrup is another good alternative. 
  • Fresh cherries. Fresh cherries, especially now that they’re in season. You can swap out fresh cherries for frozen when the cherry season is over and make this oatmeal year round!
Baked oatmeal with applesauce ingredients

Ingredients

For this oatmeal bake you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • Oats – old-fashioned oats yield the best texture and flavor
  • Baking powder and salt
  • Milk – I used whole cow’s milk. You can substitute unsweetened almond milk
  • Applesauce – you’ll need cinnamon-flavored applesauce or you can swap it out for plain applesauce + 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for the same results
  • Honey – or maple syrup is a great alternative
  • Egg
  • Butter – butter adds flavor! Do not leave it out
  • Vanilla extract
  • Cherries – fresh or frozen cherries can be used. See tips in the recipe card on using frozen cherries.

How to Make Oatmeal with Milk – Step by Step 

Once you master making oatmeal with milk and butter, you can swap out cherries for berries, peaches, or even chopped up apple for a fall inspired bake. 

  • Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
White baking pan for oatmeal bake
  • Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, stir together oatmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, honey, egg, butter, and vanilla. 
Dry oats in mixing bowl
  • Step 3: Stir in the oatmeal mixture until fully combined. 
Oatmeal mixture with milk in mixing bowl.
  • Step 4: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and stir in the cherries into the oatmeal.

Love cherries? Try our vareniki with cherries recipe –it’s a must when cherries are in season!

Oatmeal bake in casserole pan
  • Step 5: Bake 25-28 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center almost set. Cool for 5 minutes and serve with cold milk and toasted almonds. 
Baked oatmeal with cherries and milk

Can You Reheat Oatmeal?

Yes, totally! I think that’s one of the best parts about baked oatmeal. Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 1 week and reheat so easily.

My favorite way to reheat baked oatmeal is on the stovetop. Simply add the desired amount of oatmeal into a small saucepan, pour a little milk, and warm to your liking, over medium-low heat.

Oatmeal in white bowl with milk and cherries.

More Oatmeal Recipes

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Oatmeal in white bowl with milk and cherries.

Baked Oatmeal with Cherries

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

Creamy baked oatmeal with cherries is so tasty and easy to make. It’s sweetened with honey and flavored with cinnamon applesauce, butter, and vanilla.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 cups milk*
  • 1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce* (I used sweetened)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp. melted butter
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 cup fresh pitted cherries, halved or whole*
  • To serve: cold milk, sliced toasted almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 2-quart baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside. 9X9 or 11X7-inch pan is ideal.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oatmeal, baking powder, and salt.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, applesauce, honey, egg, butter, and vanilla. Stir in the oatmeal mixture.
  4. Pour into prepared baking pan and stir in the cherries into the oatmeal. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden and center almost set. Start checking for doneness around 23-24 minutes.
  5. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. To serve: spoon a serving of oatmeal into a bowl, pour cold milk over the oatmeal, and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Notes

  • Unsweetened almond milk can be substituted for cow’s milk.
  • If using unsweetened applesauce, increase the honey to 1/3 cup if you prefer sweeter oatmeal or leave as is for less sweet. Also, plain applesauce + 1 teaspoon of cinnamon can be substituted for cinnamon applesauce.
  • You can use frozen cherries in place of fresh just make sure to remove them from the package and drain over a colander or few sheets of paper towel. No need to thaw them out.
  • The key to this oatmeal bake is not to over bake it, otherwise, it will taste dry. Start checking for doneness around 23-24 minutes. The edges should be lightly brown and center almost set.
  • I would not recommend mixing the oatmeal batter ahead of time as the oats will soak up all the liquid.
  • Baked oatmeal will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 1 week. To reheat, spoon desired amount of oatmeal into a small sauce pan, pour some milk, and reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 231
  • Sugar: 14.3 g
  • Sodium: 68.7 mg
  • Fat: 4.1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 38.9 g
  • Protein: 6.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 29.4 mg

Keywords: easy, family friendly, make ahead

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