Baked Oatmeal For One (2 versions)

I’ve made a few different versions of baked oatmeal over the years and most baked oatmeal recipes are made to feed a crowd. This Baked Oatmeal for One is kind of a different twist. 

The idea here is that you can easily stir together a small amount of ingredients, with some delicious add-in options, and either bake it right away while you get ready in the morning, or make it the night before and reheat it for a delicious breakfast.

Let’s dive into baked oatmeal basics and talk through what makes this work and all the variations! 

What kind of oats to use for baked oatmeal?

In theory any oats will work but I would stick with classic rolled oats for this recipe. Steel-cut oats, while they are my favorite, are too thick and hefty to bake well. They will still be crunchy! 

On the other hand, fast cooking or quick oats are already cooked and will not give you any texture in your baked oatmeal dish. 

So, just the plain rolled oats work best for this recipe and most baked oatmeal recipes. 

Baked Oatmeal Basic Ingredients

There is sort of a backbone recipe for baked oatmeal that you can rely on to get you 80% there. From that base recipe, you can customize it in a million different ways. I made two variations on the basic version for this post, but I think you’ll see how flexible it can be.

• Rolled oats. Obviously, you need oatmeal to make baked oatmeal! 
• Milk. I use whole milk or 2% milk for my baked oatmeal but you could use a dairy alternative like almond milk or oat milk also. 
• Bakingpowder. A little pinch of bakingpowder will help the baked oatmeal puff up a bit in the oven and keep it from turning into a dense brick.
• Salt and sugar. I like to add a pinch of salt and about a teaspoon of sweetener to my baked oatmeal. For the sweetener, I like honey but you could use other sweeteners. 
• Cinnamon. I like a little ground cinnamon in my baked oatmeal always.

If you stir these together, you will have a great base for baked oatmeal that you can customize easily. 

What dish to use for baked oatmeal

While a larger version of baked oatmeal can be made in a standard 8×8 or 9×13 baking dish, these smaller versions need a smaller dish! I like to use tiny ramekins for my versions. An 8 ounce ramekin is the perfect size in my opinion, but I’ve also used a 6 ounce baking dish as well. 

You can chose a round ramekin or a more oblong shaped one. If you have a deeper ramekin, then you’ll have a creamier baked oatmeal. If you have a thinner ramekin you’ll have more surface area and a crispier baked oatmeal. 

Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal for One

For this PB Banana version, I started with the base baked oatmeal mix and then mashed up half of a ripe banana and added a spoonful of peanut butter. 

I like to kind of whip this mixture together with the oatmeal and then transfer it to a greased or buttered ramekin. I added a few banana slices to the top of the baked oatmeal just for a visual queue. 

Bake this oatmeal for about 30 minutes and it’s so rich and delicious. It almost tastes like banana bread but is super filling thanks to the protein from the peanut butter.

Pear and Cinnamon Baked Oats for One

This time of year when pears are at their best, this version really works well. I chop up about 1/4 cup of fresh pear and added that to my oatmeal base and then transferred it to a baking dish.

Then I top the baked oatmeal with a full slice of pear which gets really tender while it bakes.

This version is lighter than the banana version above. If you can’t find really ripe pears, you could use apples as a substitute.

Making this baked oatmeal in advance

The base baked oatmeal recipe can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can then portion out as much as you want and mix in any extras and bake it for breakfast.

Alternatively, you could bake the full oatmeal ramekin and then just reheat it when you are ready for breakfast. It reheats great in the oven for a few minutes until warmed through or you can even microwave it!

Some great baked oatmeal version ideas

If neither of these versions are your style, you might check out my blueberry and pomegranate baked oatmeal or my peaches and cream baked oatmeal if it’s summertime. 

Here are some other ideas for substitutions you can add to the oatmeal mixture!

• Add some vanilla extract to the base recipe for a flavor boost.
• Stir in a tablespoon of cocoa powder to the base for a chocolate version of the baked oatmeal. 
• For sweetener, use pure maple syrup or serve the finished baked oatmeal with a drizzle of syrup.
• Add chocolate chips to any version for a sweet twist.
• Add walnuts or pecans to the baked oatmeal for a nutty version.

Here are a few other great recipes to try!

• Breakfast Baked Peaches
• Cheesy Bacon Savory Oatmeal
• Crispy Oatmeal Cookies
• Bacon and Spinach Baked Eggs
• Blended Baked Oats from Eating Bird Food