Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
Chocolate chip baked oatmeal is soft, chewy and so easy to make! Perfect for breakfast on the go or a healthy snack, chocolate chip baked oats are like having dessert for breakfast and great for picky kids! This healthy, filling breakfast can be made in advance and is great for meal prep.
Why you will love this recipe
- Easy to make – simply combine everything in a bowl in less than 5 minutes you can have this baked oatmeal in the oven! Super easy, great for kids to help you with this recipe in the kitchen!
- Simple ingredients – only 6 ingredients, all of which you can find at any grocery store! This vegan recipe is banana free, egg free and made without and gluten or dairy.
- Perfect for weekly meal prep, holiday meals, vacation or potlucks – Chocolate chip baked oats are so easy to dress up for holiday meals but last almost a week in the fridge so are great for meal prep too! Great for vacation breakfast when everyone gets up at different times, this can be left on the counter all day long!
Ingredients
Dairy free milk – use your favorite dairy free milk for this recipe. Almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, coconut milk (in the carton/refrigerated section) or you could use regular milk if you are not vegan/dairy free.
Maple Syrup – maple syrup naturally sweetens the baked oatmeal. This recipe is just slightly sweet. If you want it more like dessert, increase the maple syrup to ½ cup and reduce the dairy free milk by 2 tablespoons. (2 cups + 2 tablespoons)
Ground flax – ground flax replaces the eggs, making this chocolate chip oatmeal bake egg free and vegan. Ground flax can clump easily when added to liquid so be sure to stir this in immediately.
Rolled oats (old fashioned oats) – rolled oats are best for this recipe since they help achieve the soft, chewy texture. You can also use quick cooking oats, but the texture of the product will be slightly different. If you need this recipe to be gluten free, be sure to use a gluten free certified oat (oats are naturally gluten free but can be processed in plants with other grains, contaminating them).
Baking powder – baking powder helps ensure the baked oatmeal gets a bit of rise when baking and helps with the overall texture.
Chocolate Chips – use your favorite brand and size of chocolate chips. For a dairy free, vegan chocolate chip baked oatmeal, be sure to use an dairy free chocolate chip. Enjoy Life brand is easy to find in most grocery stores now. I love the Trader Joe’s 85% dark chocolate chips for a bargain!
Vanilla extract (optional) – this can make the chocolate chip baked oatmeal taste more like cookies. It’s 100% optional.
How to make chocolate chip baked oatmeal
Check out the step by step instructions on how to make chocolate chip baked oats!
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Start by combining the wet ingredients with the ground flax in a large bowl. Stir the flax in immediately.
Add the rolled oats and baking powder. Stir well. The oats and flax will start absorbing some of the liquid almost immediately.
Add the chocolate chips and stir.
Spray a casserole dish with avocado oil or olive oil spray (or your favorite non-stick spray) then add the oat and chocolate chip mixture.
Bake in a 350F oven for 45 minutes. The chocolate chip baked oats should be slightly browned on top and no longer jiggle in the center. It will be firm to the touch even right out of the oven.
Allow the baked oats to cool for at least 20-30 minutes for the best results (especially if you plan on cutting this into squares and saving for later in the week).
Top tips
- Stir in the ground flax immediately when it’s added to the wet ingredients, or it will clump.
- Store ground flax seed in the freezer as it can quickly oxidize and turn rancid. Rancid ground flax will change the flavor of this recipe.
- Don’t skip the baking powder, it helps the baked oatmeal rise slightly when baking and helps with the texture of the overall dish.
- Let the chocolate chip baked oatmeal rest at least 20-30 minutes after baking as it needs to set. Since there are no eggs, the baked oats will be fragile right out of the oven.
- Cut the chocolate chip baked oatmeal into squares and pack as a grab and go breakfast or afterschool snack for your kiddos! Great for meal prep too!
- Double the recipe for a great meal prep breakfast you can enjoy all week long!
How to serve chocolate chip baked oats
Warmed up on a plate with sliced fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup (this is perfect for holiday meals)
Cut into squares for a healthy breakfast or snack on the go
Top with peanut butter and jelly for an open face, super filling peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Mix in ingredients
This recipe versatile and can be changed based on what you have on hand and what you are in the mood for. Some other mix-in ingredients include:
- Nut butter: Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunbutter
- Fruit: Sliced bananas, strawberries, raspberries, cherries
- Veggies: Shredded zucchini (squeeze out all liquid), shredded carrots (check out this carrot cake baked oatmeal recipe)
- Coconut flakes
- Nuts: Pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
- Hemp hearts
- Freeze dried fruit
- Sprinkles
- Spices: Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, ground ginger
- Molasses (to make it more like gingerbread)
- Raisins, dried cranberries, dried ginger
Topping ideas
- Sliced fruit
- Maple syrup, honey, date syrup (this recipe is not overly sweet so a touch of sweetness on top can really take it to the next level)
- Creamy Maple Cashew Frosting
- Nut butter or coconut butter
- Whipped cream or whipped coconut cream for a decadent breakfast or simple dessert
- Maple Yogurt Frosting – combine 1/4 cup greek style yogurt (regular or dairy free) and 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup. Add a dash of vanilla for extra flavor.
Common questions
What is baked oatmeal?
Baked oatmeal is like a breakfast casserole. The oats are cooked in the oven with a sweetened milk custard. Instead of eggs, this chocolate chip oatmeal bake uses flax eggs to keep it vegan and egg free.
Unlike oatmeal you would make on the stove or microwave, the baked oats are not mushy or creamy. Instead, they retain their shape and create super soft, thick granola bars perfect for breakfast or snacking!
What’s the difference between baked oatmeal and baked oats
Baked oats and baked oatmeal often refer to the same dish, however after the viral Tik Tok baked oats recipe, baked oatmeal typically refers to recipes that use the whole rolled oat and baked oats to recipes that use finely ground oats or the entire recipe is blended in the blender (more like a cake or cookie).
Can you make baked oats ahead of time?
Baked oatmeal can be made up to 5 days in advance, but if you are serving it for a holiday breakfast, I would make it the day/night before. Bake the oats and allow them to cool then transfer the entire casserole dish to the fridge and cover with foil or plastic wrap. In the morning, remove the foil/plastic wrap and return to the oven 350F for 20 minutes to reheat.
Can you warm up baked oats?
Yes, chocolate chip baked oatmeal is great warmed up or served cold right out of the fridge! Warm the oats up in the microwave or in the toaster oven for a quick breakfast all week.
Can you freeze baked oatmeal?
Yes, baked oats freeze well! Make a few batches at once, cut the oats into single serving portions (I like to make rectangles or squares) and place in a freezer safe bag. Be sure to place parchment paper squares between the baked oatmeal squares to ensure they don’t stick together when frozen. Defrost in the fridge overnight, in the microwave or in the toaster oven.
How to tell it’s done baking
Baked oatmeal will be firm to the touch and no longer jiggle when taken out of the oven. You should be able to smell the oats cooking and it will be lightly brown on the top.
Also, it will continue to firm up when you allow the baked oats to cool after baking (20-30 minutes).
Are baked oats healthy?
Baked oatmeal can be a great healthy way to start your day or as an afternoon snack. This chocolate chip baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened and filled with fiber from the oats. Oats also have a bit of protein in them, making this a little more filling.
How to add more protein
- Vegan protein powder – this will absorb some of the liquid so you may need to add ¼-1/2 cup water for 1-2 servings of protein powder. Whey protein may also be used here but it has a tendency to dry out baked goods, you likely will not need to add any additional liquid.
- Collagen peptides – collagen peptides will blend right into the baked oats, no need to adjust the recipe in any way.
- Hemp hearts – the hemp hearts will blend right into the recipe, no need to change the ingredients.
- Maple yogurt topping – this greek yogurt topping can be added after baking. I would add the frosting topping to the top of each individual serving since it can make leftovers tough to reheat and cause them to get mushy.
Can you double this recipe?
Yes! You will want to use a large 9X13 pan and bake for 10+ more minutes to ensure it’s fully cooked.
Can you make these into muffins?
Yes. Divide the batter between muffin cups that have been lined with parchment paper liners or silicone liners. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
Storing leftovers
Fridge – store leftover chocolate chip baked oats in the fridge for up to 5 days. The baked oats can sit out for 1 day but I would recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge long term for the best texture and taste.
Freezer – freeze up to 3 months. I recommend freezing individual servings (place parchment paper or wax paper between servings) to make it easy to grab one serving at a time once frozen.
Substitutions
Dairy free milk – use whatever dairy free milk you have on hand (oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk (or you could even use regular milk if you can tolerate it)). You could also use water if you are in a pinch. One of my go-to things to do when I don’t have milk on hand is to blend up 1/2 tablespoon of almond butter with 1 cup of water to make my own almond milk. You could also do this!
Maple syrup – This recipe uses the maple syrup to sweeten the oats but also to add some liquid to the dish. You will want to use a liquid sweetener to replace the maple syrup. Date syrup or honey would be good replacements. You could also try sugar free sweeteners like monk fruit maple syrup if you need this to be very low in sugars.
Ground flax – ground flax replaces the eggs in this recipe. You could also use chia seeds or 2 eggs in place of the ground flax (reduce the milk by ½ cup if you are using eggs).
Rolled oats – old fashion or rolled oats are best in this recipe. You could also use quick cooking oats but the end texture of the oatmeal bake will be slightly different.
Chocolate chips – you can also use chopped nuts/seeds, sprinkles, or raisins/dried cranberries in place of the chocolate chips.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
Guided Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2.25 cups dairy free milk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- 2.5 cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add the dairy free milk, maple syrup and ground flax to a large bowl. Stir the flax immediately or it will clump.
- Add the rolled oats and baking powder to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Stir well.
- Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract (optional) to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to incorporate.
- Spray a 8X8 casserole dish with non-stick spray (olive oil or avocado oil spray) and add the oatmeal mixture.
- Bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, take out of the oven and allow to cool at least 20 minutes before cutting into even pieces or serving with a spoon.
Notes
- Fridge – store leftover chocolate chip baked oats in the fridge for up to 5 days. The baked oats can sit out for 1 day but I would recommend storing them in the fridge long term for the best texture and taste.
- Freezer – freeze up to 3 months.
I’ve never tried baked oats before but I have heard nothing but good things about them! Sucker for anything chocolate chip too, so this will definitely be my first recipe I am trying for baked oats!