Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal (Easy, One-Bowl Recipe)

This delicious baked chocolate chip oatmeal recipe is the perfect way to start your day! It’s like the more nutritious version of your favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in breakfast form that the whole family is sure to love! 

Midwesterners love a good hearty breakfast. While that often includes some kind of egg dish like a cheesy egg bake with sausage or decadent quiche recipe like this smoked salmon quiche, sometimes you just really want something sweet that’s also filling. 

And while making high protein pancakes is fun, sometimes you don’t have time to stand over a griddle. That’s where this oatmeal bake recipe comes in! Like our lemon blueberry baked oatmeal, this chocolate chip version is perfect for meal prep. We like to bake this up at the beginning of the week and enjoy slices on busy weekday mornings to fuel our day and keep our morning routine moving along.

Our family loves this easy breakfast recipe and I know yours will too.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Perfect make-ahead breakfast. This recipe is fantastic for those who love meal prep because it stays fresh in the fridge all week! Reheat it in the microwave for a quick, easy, and seriously filling breakfast.    

Packed with nutrition. Baked oatmeal is high in fiber and my recipe contains no refined sugar! I stick with natural sources of sugar, from maple syrup and applesauce. 

Perfect for the chocolate lover. Our chocolate chip baked oatmeal has the perfect ratio of chocolate chips to oatmeal, making it the perfect sweet treat for breakfast!

Made with simple ingredients. You don’t need anything fancy to make this delicious sweet breakfast recipe. Most of the wholesome ingredients needed for this recipe are likely already in your pantry!

Allergen friendly. This recipe works for vegetarian and gluten free diets. A few easy substitutions make it vegan and dairy free as well.  

What is Baked Oatmeal?

Baked oatmeal combines rolled oats with milk, eggs, and sweeteners such as fruit, brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey. Instead of having a porridge-like consistency like regular stovetop oatmeal, baked oatmeal has a firm texture, similar to a cake. It’s sliced into squares and served on a plate.   

Ingredients Needed

Milk. I use skim or 2% dairy milk. But you can also use your non-dairy milk of choice. Using milk makes our baked oatmeal seriously creamy and delicious.  

Eggs. The eggs act as a binder in our recipe, holding the baked oatmeal together like a cake or a loaf. Plus, they add a little boost of protein to our breakfast bake too!    

Pure maple syrup. We’re adding natural sweetness to our baked oatmeal with 100% pure maple syrup. This adds a rich and warm sweetness without any refined sugars. 

Salted butter. Melt the butter and make sure it’s slightly cooled. Butter adds moisture and savory flavor.

Unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce provides a natural source of sugar and adds more moisture to the oatmeal. Like the eggs, it also acts like a binder for our baked oatmeal.

Old fashioned oats (aka rolled oats). Stick with old fashioned rolled oats, and don’t try to substitute them with steel cut oats or quick oats. This recipe’s texture and cooking time would change drastically if you tried to make any oat substitutions. If you’re confused, reference my post on the different types of oats to eat and how to use them.  

Baking powder. Baking powder is a crucial leavening agent, making the baked oatmeal light and fluffy.

Vanilla extract. Like maple syrup, 100% pure is best! Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor of our oatmeal bake.

Ground Cinnamon. Adding cinnamon to your chocolate chip baked oats adds a wonderful depth of flavor to your sweet breakfast casserole, and perfectly complements the oats and chocolate. 

Salt. A pinch of salt is all you need to balance out the sweetness in this recipe. 

Chocolate Chips. You can use whatever chocolate chips you like! I personally love using semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips, but milk chocolate chips would be great too.

Optional toppings. I personally love enjoying my chocolate chip baked oatmeal with a simple drizzle of maple syrup! Other topping ideas include a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt, chopped nuts (like pecans, walnuts, or sliced almonds), a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter, fresh berries, or slices of banana.        

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions 

• Use banana instead of applesauce. If you love the flavor combination of banana chocolate chip, swap out the applesauce one-for-one with mashed banana.
• Use brown sugar instead of maple syrup. If you don’t have maple syrup in your pantry, or would just prefer to use brown sugar, no problem! Replace the maple syrup one-for-one with brown sugar to sweeten your baked oatmeal.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 8×8 or 9×9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 

Step 10: Let the chocolate chip baked oatmeal cool for 5 minutes before serving. Then, spoon or slice the oatmeal and serve it with your favorite toppings. 

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

This recipe is vegetarian, as written. Oats are naturally gluten free but have a high likelihood of gluten contamination during processing. If serving to someone with celiac disease, it’s always best to ensure the oats you’re using are certified gluten free. Also make sure you have certified gluten free chocolate chips.

A few substitutions are required to make this into a dairy free and vegan option. To do so, replace the dairy-based milk with unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk. You’ll also need to replace the eggs with flax eggs and the melted butter with coconut oil or plant-based butter. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal with 2 ½ tablespoons of water until smooth to make a flax egg. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes to thicken.     

Expert Tips

Ensure you’re choosing the correct oats. There are a lot of choices when it comes to oats, and the type of oats you use in this baked oatmeal recipe matters. You must use old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats. 

Choose the correct-sized baking pan. I recommend using a square, 8×8 or 9×9-inch glass baking pan. You’ll need to adjust the baking time accordingly if you’re using a different-sized pan. 

Add a splash of milk while reheating. If your baked oatmeal starts to dry out while it’s reheating, pour 1-2 tablespoons of milk over it. The milk will rehydrate the oats back to a creamy, moist texture.  

Storage and Reheating

To Store: Let the chocolate chip baked oats cool to room temperature, then wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap or transfer them to an airtight container. They’ll stay fresh in the fridge all week long, up to 5 days.  

To Reheat: The microwave is the quickest and easiest way to reheat baked oats. Heat in short intervals until your desired warmth is reached. 

To Freeze: Chocolate chip baked oatmeal is freezer-friendly! Cut leftover oats into individual servings and then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Place into a freezer-safe plastic bag. Freeze for up to 3 months and let thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. 

Recipe FAQs

Why are my baked oats soggy?

Your baked oats should have a hearty, creamy, slightly chewy texture. If they’re soggy or mushy, you likely didn’t bake them for long enough. Continue baking the oats until the center is set, and a toothpick comes out clean.  

What’s the difference between baked oats and oatmeal?

Traditional oatmeal is made on the stovetop or in the microwave using oats, water, or milk. The oats are cooked until soft, into a hot cereal or porridge-like consistency. Baked oatmeal is cooked in the oven using baking ingredients like eggs, butter, milk, baking powder, and sugar. This results in a cake-like oatmeal that can be cut into slices.  

What to serve with baked oatmeal?

Serve baked oatmeal with bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, yogurt, and a piping-hot mug of maple cinnamon coffee! You can also get more ideas from this post lists ideas for what to serve with French toast casserole, all of which complement these yummy baked oatmeal too!   

Is baked oatmeal eaten hot or cold?

Baked oatmeal is delicious when it’s hot and fresh from the oven and also straight from the fridge! Whether you eat it hot or cold is based on your personal preference.