Baked oatmeal – a staple in our home on the weekends – nourishes our family, providing a much-loved alternative to soaked oatmeal porridge. When my father, a man who rarely enjoys a home-cooked meal, comes to visit there is, inevitably, one imperative dish on the menu: baked oatmeal – all the better when it’s dotted with dried cranberries, apricots and nuts. I could pan-fry a great steak or roast a chicken so savory and herbaceous it could bring tears to your eyes, but it is always baked oatmeal that must greet him on his visits.
And why not? Baked oatmeal is both deeply nutritive and deeply satisfying. Steel cut oats are gently soaked overnight in water acidified by a touch of yogurt or fresh whey which helps to increase not only your body’s ability to better digest the grain, but also your body’s ability to better absorb its minerals. Oats are rich in minerals, including phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron and zinc, but due to the effects of naturally occurring antinutrients found in whole grain, such as phytic acid, those minerals due your body little good unless oats are properly prepared as they are in this recipe. Moreover, oats are a rich source of B vitamins including folate – that critical nutrient which is vital to reproductive health and the proper development of babies growing within their mothers’ wombs (read more about best sources for vitamins and minerals).
In our home, we serve baked oatmeal on Sunday mornings with a hefty dollop of fresh, raw milk yogurt – occasionally including a touch of maple syrup as a treat. This recipe for baked oatmeal yields approximately sixteen servings, which means plenty of leftovers to serve us a quick and easy breakfast for the rest of the week.
Baked Oatmeal with Dried Fruit & Nuts
Wholesome, filling and a perfect alternative to soaked oatmeal porridge, baked oatmeal nourishes and satisfies. This recipe for baked oatmeal is seasoned with cinnamon and dotted by the inclusion of raisins, dried cranberries and apricots, though you can use any dried fruit you have on hand. A combination of chopped almonds and dried cherries yields a beautiful result. Some families might find they prefer baked oatmeal without the addition maple syrup; yet others, who are just beginning their transition into real food may prefer to sweeten the dish with up to one-quarter cup maple syrup. I recommend you choose grade B maple syrup, which is richer in flavor and less expensive than grade A maple syrup.
Ingredients for Baked Oatmeal
- 1 pound steel cut oats
- 1 cup walnuts, or other nuts (see sources)
- 2 tablespoons yogurt, kefir, whey or buttermilk (see sources), for soaking
- dash unrefined sea salt
- 6 pastured eggs
- 2 cups whole, fresh milk (see sources)
- up to ¼ cup maples syrup (optional)
- ½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
- ½ cup dried unsulfured apricots, diced
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut oil (see sources), plus extra for greasing baking dish
Method for Preparing Baked Oatmeal
- Pour the steel cut oats and nuts into a ceramic container or mixing bowl.
- Add enough filtered water to completely submerge your oats and nuts. Add a dash of salt and a two tablespoons of fresh yogurt, whey, kefir or buttermilk.
- Allow the oats and nuts to soak, covered, overnight in a warm place in your kitchen – about eight to twelve hours.
- After the mixture of oats and nuts has soaked overnight, dump them into a colander to drain and place the mixture back into the ceramic container or mixing bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 13 x 9-inch rectangular baking pan with coconut oil or another wholesome fat of your choosing.
- Meanwhile beat together eggs, milk, maple syrup (if you’re using it), until well-combined and frothy.
- Pour the mixture of eggs, milk and maple syrup over the soaked oats and nuts, stirring well to combine into a porridge-like mixture.
- Gently fold dried fruit, cinnamon and coconut oil into the porridge-like mixture.
- Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan and smooth it out with a rubber spatula to ensure even baking and a good appearance.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for forty to forty-five minutes or until the oatmeal achieves a pleasing golden-brown color on top, a knife inserted into its center comes out clean and free from liquid and the fragrance of baked oats, dried fruit and cinnamon perfumes your kitchen.
- If you can bear the wait, allow the baked oatmeal to cool for five to ten minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
YIELD: 12 to 16 servings
TIME: 10 minutes (preparation), 8 to 12 hours (soaking), 40 to 45 minutes (baking)
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This looks like a fantastic recipe. I have three questions before I try it:
Where did the maple syrup go? It’s in the ingredient list, but it’s not mentioned throughout the recipe.
Do you grease the casserole dish?
What is an average baking time to “golden and fragrant?”
Hurry, I’m really hungry!
Dan
It is in the recipe. You are to include it in the egg and milk mixture.
Thanks for the comment – I didn’t notice that I left out an ingredient. I add maple syrup at the same time as add the other liquids. I don’t grease the dish, but it couldn’t hurt. For me, at 10K feet, the baking time is about 45 minutes.
Good luck!
Why do you choose to use so many eggs….what purpose do they serve? Besides being nutritional, it does seem like a lot for one recipe….Would it be the same as using half butter, half eggs? Or even more oil rather than eggs? Are they just a binder in the recipe?
Ok, thanks!
Jenna
Thank you so much, Jenny. I’ll let you know how it works out at 94 feet above sea level (Port Clinton, Ohio). Where are you?
By the way, I’ve never used coconut oil, and I don’t have any. Would you suggest butter or olive oil as a replacement?
Thanks again,
Dan
Delicious! The 45 minute bake-time worked just fine, here, much closer to sea level. I think it would be helpful to include a recommended size for the casserole dish in the recipe — definetly bigger than and 8×8 pan! I didnt’ realize how much the oats would expand when they soaked up all that water — ended up using a 9×13, and that worked quite well. Also, I did grease the pan before baking. Do you?
You must have really been in a hurry because all the instructions you noted to be missing were right there.
Well, it is possible that she re-edited the recipe from 2008 to 2011, after reading his comment! hehe
Thank you for this recipe. I tried this today and thought it was really good. My kids think that it needs a bit more cinnamon and a few more raisins.
I did spray the pan with Pam first. This took about 45 minutes to cook for me and I think it could have used a little longer, but we had to get to school so I couldn’t let it finish all the way. Next time I know.
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It looks very testy. I’ll try to do it. But I always forget to prepare it in the evening. I like oatmeal with milk and raisins. So your receipt is idea for me to do something new. I agree, it’s so healthy. My Mom says it’s the best remedy to be always yang.
So how do you serve this? What is the texture? Is it crispy or more soggy? Instead of yogurt, could you serve with milk or cream? I’m very curious and want to try this but not sure how to serve…
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When I made it, it was a pretty firm texture. I served it with splash or two of warmed milk over the top, and fresh fruit (sliced bananas and berries) on the side. I also added more maple syrup because I like mine to be sweeter than what the recipe says. Also, I HALVED the recipe because as it is written, it makes a whole lot. And I also used a muffin tin, (sprayed with Pam) for easier portion control/cute serving. Good luck!
thanks so much for posting this recipe. my kids love oatmeal and we eat it a lot, and I’m looking forward to trying this.
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I love doing baked oatmeal too, but I soak mine in kefir. I’ll have to try it with steel cut oats. I’ve been using rolled oats.
I make a recipe similar to this, called Amish Breakfast Bake. We are mostly Gluten-free in our house, so we have made this recipe with Gluten-free Oats (Bob’s Red Mill), or Brown Rice, or Cream of Rice. Sometimes we add a handful of coconut, or pureed peaches, or frozen blueberries YUM! Anyway we have made it has been great, a very forgiving recipe. My kids love to wake up to the smell of baked oatmeal : )
My husband isn’t a raisin fan, so we added dried cranberries instead, and I added a splash of vanilla as well, and served it with vanilla cream on top. It was incredible. Thank you so much for the recipe.
We were thinking that this could be made savory, as well, by eliminating the maple syrup and the cinnamon…then adding pastured sausage or bacon crumbled in, and cheese either mixed in or added on top…maybe mushrooms, too.
Check out Rebellious Pastor’s Wife’s last post: Manny Bein’ Manny.
What a great idea! I’m thinking I’ll try it savory. My kidlets will like it much more.
Jenny,
Thank you so much for this recipe! After 3 years, I finally came up with an oatmeal recipe my kids ENJOY inspired by this post! Apple/Cinnamon Oatmeal.
http://spaininiowa.blogspot.com/2009/05/baked-apple-cinnamon-oatmeal.html
Thanks again and I’m so glad I found your blog!
Diana
Check out Diana’s last post: The American Frugal Housewife.
I’m so happy that you found one that works for your family! This is definitely a standby in our house.
THANKS for this recipe…and THANKS to Diana as well for the apple/cinnamon link…I was just wondering how this would work w/apples instead of raisins…Thinking about dates, too. :~)
How about nuking the coconut oil in the microwave just until it’s melted and then add to the milk mixture? Then you don’t have to worry about clumps and the coconut oil will distribute throughout.
I melted the coconut oil in a pan before adding to the batter. It took about 3 minutes and didn’t destroy the integrity of the oil the way a microwave does
Hi D: I definitely wouldn’t nuke the coconut oil. We don’t use microwaves in our household and I don’t recommend their use to my readers. I think you’ll find that despite the fact that the coconut oil is chunky when you add it to the oats, it distributes nicely and evenly throughout the baking process. Take Care – J
Jenny, can you explain why you don’t use microwaves or link me to where it is explained? I’m just curious, I love my microwave.
Nuking coconut oil for 8 – 10 seconds isn’t going to hurt a thing. Why are you afraid of a microwave ???
Microwave radiation is non-ionizing radiation. The only way it “changes” the chemical structure of food is by cooking it, which happens no matter how you heat it. Your cell phone, routers, computers, wireless phone… they all operate at around the same frequency. TV operates at a different frequency, but same idea. Either be afraid of all of them or none of them, because they all operate in the same basic way.
If you fear microwave use, you should be terrified of the sun.
Here’s a short primer on non-ionizing radiation: http://www.radiationanswers.org/radiation-introduction/types-of-radiation/non-ionizing-radiation.html
Our work focuses exclusively on traditional foods and the dietary guidelines of the Weston A Price Foundation; we do not recommend microwaving, pressure cooking or any non-traditional method of cooking, period.
There have been countless studies on the effects of microwave ovens on degradation of vitamins and antioxidants. Compared to ordinary convection cooking, microwave cooking is much less desirable. There’s even a measurable decrease in flavor when using microwaves. You can find all this information by using Google Scholar, so I don’t feel the need to dig up links at the moment. My baked oatmeal is almost done and I’m going to go enjoy it with my family.
Hey Jenny!
This looks delish, but I live alone, and I don’t think I could eat the whole thing in any reasonable amount of time. Could I freeze squares of it and heat them up in the oven? Thanks!
I finished this recipe this morning (it’s still in the oven) and would love to make a suggestion for those with chickens, if it hasn’t already been thought of.
I noticed all the “oat’s water” that strained out and since I don’t like to waste things that have nutrients (but I don’t necessarily want to consume it either!) I decided to give this strained water to my chickens instead of their regular water.
They loved it! I’ve never seen them consume so much liquid at one time. Plus, it gives me a great contentment concerning the nutritional value of their eggs and meat, esp. in such a frugal way.
Rachel
Thanks for the tip! i’ll try this recipe and give the water to my chickens. I always put apple cider vinegar in their water, but I’ll try this as additional water and see which they prefer.
Why do you put cider vinegar in the chickens water?
Rachel -
Thanks for sharing th great tip about feeding chickens the discarded oat water. I HATE waste in a kitchen, so an ingenious tip like that is awesome.
Thanks for sharing -
Jenny
That oat water would also make a good face wash. I use yogurt and oatmeal on my face every time I wash it. The bacteria and fats in the yogurt protect and nourish my skin, and the oatmeal helps even out oiliness and give my face a a soft glow. Why not use the left over oat water for a nourishing and cleansing facial? (if you don’t have chickens
Rachel ~
I have a dozen backyard chickens who thank you for your great idea!
~Cynthia~
I have the same question as Robin. I, too, live alone and wonder what is good as leftovers. I don’t want to lose nutrient quality if I freeze or refrigerate for later consumption. I’m going to try cutting down the recipes to make smaller servings, b/c I’m not a leftover fan anyway.
Thanks!
Bravo! The more we eat like this, the better we’ll feel. What a great recipe. Roxanne Sukol MD “Your Health is on Your Plate” at yourhealthisonyourplate.com
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! We are gluten-free as well as dairy, egg and soy free. I wonder if you have any ideas on how I could replace the eggs in this recipe? We eat alot of oatmeal and would love to have some variation.
I’ve had good luck replacing eggs with ground flax + water while baking. I don’t usually measure, but about 1 tablespoon of ground flax (I grind it in my coffee grinder just before using) mixed with enough water to make it an egg-like consistency. It gives baked goods a great nutty flavor!
Sounds yummy…. we are dairy free because of my son’s allergy…
Do you have any ideas of what to substitute for the dairy during the soaking process to make the whole grain easier to digest?
use a yogurt that is made from something other than cow milk, like coconut milk yogurt? They have it at whole foods and other heath food stores. It would have the same effect.
You can use a little apple cider vinegar in the soaking water. That’s what I always use for rice, etc.
Can this be made with other grains like millet or barley? Do the grains have to be ground or cut, or could I just use a whole grain/groat?
I think it would be easy to use barley or millet. In fact, I was thinking about making baked barley for supper.
Super yummy!!!! Just had a variation of this for lunch. I am having a hard time not going back for more!!! What I did: I used one third steel cut oats (all I had in the house) and 2/3 of a 7 grain cereal blend (local, organic and similar in texture to the steel cut oats). No dried apricots so I doubled the cranberries. Had a some over ripe bananas so I diced one up and tossed it in. (backed a couple tablespoons of milk out to balance moist banana). Added one extra tablespoon of cinn.(can never have too much) added a splash of real vanilla (makes all baked things better). Opted for 3 tablespoons or so of honey vs maple syrup . I also used raw almonds for my nut add in. The added bonus was since I gave the almonds a chopping in my Vita-mix and I had the coconut oil handy I whipped up some very yummy almond butter
) Thanks for the recipe!!
Thanks, loved this recipe. Our 20 month old calls it oatmeal cake (not sure if its due to appearance of the serving or her mishearing the word ‘bake’
and has requested it for breakfast for the past three days straight 
.
We were low on oats, so I halved the main ingredient quantities (oats, eggs, milk, cinnamon, butter (we didnt have coconut oil)) keeping nuts and raisins the same (we like our nuts and raisins in crazy quantities) and it worked out well for a very hungry but small 2.5 person family! We served it with honey as we are also out of maple syrup and it was great, but I can see how honey can overpower it too. Cant wait to try it with apricots and craberries once we stock up on all that stuff
I loved the idea of this as a “cake”. I have been trying to come up with a first birthday cake for my twins that is healthy and not loaded with sugar….this might be it – topped with some whipped cream and berries. So excited to get home to try it out. I hope it works.
You might try this recipe too: http://nourishedkitchen.com/coconut-flour-cake/ It’s my go-to recipe for birthday cakes.
jenny, have you read that adding a small amount of flour to oats when soaking increases the break down of the phytic acid? i used to only soak mine with water and whey, but now i add a couple of tablespoons of flour… and if someone is dairy intolerant, i think lemon juice would be a nice alternative to
soooo looking forward to trying the recipe. i love steel cut oats! thanks!
whey/yogurt.
I have yet to make any kind of baked oatmeal. It looks absolutely fabulous!
We make baked oatmeal, but this one sounds great! Can’t wait to try it next time.
Re: melting coconut oil, what I do is put the coconut oil in the baking dish and bake it for a few minutes while the oven preheats. This gets the coconut oil melted, tghe dish greased, and the oven preheated, all at once!
This looks really yummy but we have milk and egg allergies in our household. I can usually substitute pureed silken tofu for the eggs in recipes like this, but what would be a good acidic alternative to the yogurt or other dairy products in the soaking water? We use soy yogurt for most things, but I don’t know if it provides the acidity needed to maximize the nutrition from the oats.
Any suggestions would be appreciated. I’m really enjoying your blog!
Laurin, I’m not sure that you’ll see this, but we struggled with allergies all the time. We found AAT a wonderful treatment that got rid of most of my daughter’s allergies including wheat, egg, dairy, soy and much more. No help with the substitutions, but maybe trying AAT will help you out! (www.allergytx.com)
Andi — thanks for tracking me down! I’ve never heard of AAT but will gratefully check it out. My 18 year old is heading off to college in the fall and saying I’m worried about what he eats is a serious understatement. Happy New Year!
I’m so excited to try this. I always say that if I could only eat one dish for the rest of my life, it would be oatmeal and raisins. I love oatmeal in all it’s incarnations and this is one I have never heard of. I feel like I’ve made a wonderful discovery this morning… and perhaps my picky kids might eat it too.
Made this when you first published it. So yummy even my grandson loved it. I didn’t have cranberries or apricots so just doubled up on the raisins (can’t have too many raisins!).
I’m guessing almond milk combined with coconut milk would make a good milk replacer?
Can’t wait to try it!
This is a great recipe, Jenny. I have been trying for years to like oatmeal porridge and I just can’t. I have tried Irish, Scottish and steel cut oats, and I just can’t get myself to really like it. So I have been doing other things with oats, like making cakes and serving with cheese or smoked salmon (I am posting that recipe this week on my blog). But this is a way I think I could really get into it. Thank you so much for sharing!
Just wondering how much, in cups, is one pound of steel cut oats? I know dried beans are about 2 1/3 – 2 1/2 cups per pound, but I’m not sure about the oats. I’m hoping to put this together tonight for breakfast in the morning. It’s spring break for my boys, so a special breakfast will be an added bonus!
Thanks!
Kimber -
One pound steel cut oats is just about 3 cups, give or take. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
- Jenny
Oh perfect! I was just searching desperately for the “cups” equivalent to a pound of steel cut oats! Breakfast for tomorrow… here we come!!
Hi Jenny,
Is there anything you would recommend I use in the recipe if I do not want to use milk? Can’t wait to try out the recipe!
MacKenzie
Laurin -
If you suffer from food allergies in your home, I’d be very careful about relying on so much soy. Soy is highly allergenic and linked to autoimmune disease and other disorders. Soy milks, soy yogurt and tofus aren’t properly prepared to mitigate their very high level of phytic acid – an antinutrient that binds up minerals, preventing your body from fully absorbing them. Moreover, soy can be very goitrogenic – that is, bad for the thyroid. We eat soy only occasionally and as a condiment and only if it’s been fully fermented: natto, tempeh, naturally fermented soy sauce.
In terms of replacing eggs – you could probably omit them entirely from this dish and not have it suffer much. I include them because they’re rich in nutrients: biotin, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A etc. I’d also use a coconut-based yogurt over a soy-based yogurt, for serving. For soaking, you can use any acidic medium, but it’s all the better if it’s also probiotic – with plenty of beneficial bacteria.
Blessings -
Jenny
I have just found this site and am thrilled! I am also in aggreeance on avoiding the unfermented soy. Very hard for the kidneys to break down,and the body to digest.
Jenn -
You might like this version. I’m not a huge oatmeal fan, but I like this. I’m intrigued by your cmbination of oat cakes with cheese and salmon, though. I’ve been thinking about doing a savory version of baked oatmeal, but haven’t gotten around to it quite yet.
- Jenny
Erin -
Yes, oats are notoriously low in the enzyme phytase which helps to mitigate the antinutrient phytic acid, both wheat and rye are rich in phytase so adding a bit of either (provided the flour is freshly ground) would be a good addition.
Take Care -
Jenny
Buckwheat is also high in phytase enzyme and is gluten-free.
Has anyone tried this with a non-grain? maybe quinoa or buckwheat or amaranth?
thanks!
claire (post 15 mos GAPS and still having inflammation in our family)
How long will this keep in the fridge? I cook a lot and always have leftovers but am never sure how long things hold….
This looks delicious and perfect for spring! I think I’m going to try it this Sunday for our Easter breakfast! Thanks for sharing!
Thankyou so much for sharing this! I made this recipe this morning for my family, and everyone gave it a thumbs up!
It was really delish! A keeper in our house!
I am SO making this for Easter morning breakfast!
I don’t usually get very excited about oatmeal unless it’s folded in with cookies or something – but this looks wonderful! Definitely going to try this one out.
Question on the baked oatmeal: won’t the oats spoil if I keep them with buttermilk on the counter overnight?
Can I use reconstituted powdered buttermilk?
Adore your blog–its changing the way I think about food.
This looks really fantastic, will give this a try!
Mmmm… I had something very like this at a friend’s home months ago, and loved it. This looks like a lovely rendition.
Yum! I made this last night and could hardly go to bed, I just kept eating it!
I was trying to find the response to the question of whether or not this will work with regular oats – sorry if I missed it! Has anyone tried it? Looks yummy, can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’m looking for the same thing! I have regular oats on hand and would like to use them up before buying steel cut oats, but will it work the same?
Regular oats will work in the recipe but you’ll find it maybe softer and more custardy rather than more solid.
Well I tried this last night/this AM. I liked it, and I am not a steel cut oatmeal fan at all. I halved the recipe with no problem, I have a small household. Next time I would probably soak the oats the full 12 hours to see if that made it a little less chewy, and I would try to add a little more milk to see if that would make it more custard-like. I think that’s the beauty of this recipe, it has alot of potential to adjust it to your taste; like adding apples would be good. I also like the idea of having leftovers for the rest of the week.
I made this yesterday for my family and they LOVED it. I was suprised how sweet it really was without the added maple sugar (we did pour a little on with the cream). I added some dried cherries and cocnut and it was fabulous. Thanks for sharing.
Aimee -
I’m glad you like it! Baked oatmeal has, hands-down, become the most popular recipe at Nourished Kitchen. So easy, so versatile and super yummy. You’re right, too – the sweetener really isn’t all that necessary.
Blessings -
Jenny
Finally made this today, with dried blueberries and almonds. Hubby and my littlest daughter loved it, but my older daughter didn’t. She’s the finicky one — doesn’t drink milk, eat much in the way of starches/grains, etc. I was hoping to find something other than scrambled eggs, hot dogs, and cheese for her to eat. Overall, though, I’d say it was a success, and will make it again!
I loved baked oatmeal! I eat it cold out of the fridge when I am racing out the door or I warm it up and add milk for a more traditional bowl of creamy oatmeal.
Just made mine for the week with raisins and, of all things… dried persimmons! Found them at my FM last weekend. They are so good.
Loved this recipe and put a link on my blog. Thanks!
I’ve been looking for a new recipe. Looks so delicious. Looks more like a dessert than fuel for the morning. Wonderful way to nourish your body.
I came across this recipe in mid-May and have been making it every week since. I credit it with helping me to lose over 30 pounds during this time. I started with the South Beach Diet and have branched out to just eating more healthily, sprouted grains, and low glycemic recipes.
The baked oatmeal is SOOOO easy to make and cut up and eat for breakfast every morning for a whole week long. I no longer have an excuse to go out the door without eating breakfast. It is wonderful for a snack on the go as well.
To respond to some of the above questions and suggestions:
1. I am at sea level – I bake them for 45 minutes and they turn out perfectly. If you underbake them they are more dense and crumbly – make sure you bake them until golden brown.
2. The suggestions about the coconut oil in previous posts are great. Personally I use a 9-13 glass pan. While the oven is preheating I put the oil in the pan to melt it, swish it around in the pan to coat it, and then pour it into the recipe. Over time though I’ve decided that I like melting the oil and then adding the other ingredients to the pan better. The recipe still doesn’t stick to the pan if you do it this way and you get less off a brown sort of crispy coating on the bottom of the bars.
3. The maple syrup is not necessary.
4. For added flavor I’ve added mashed up banana and it is wonderful!
5. My favorite is coarse chopped almonds, big flakes of coconut, with dried wild blueberries and dried apricots.
6. You can “ad-lib” for this recipe – amounts don’t have to be exact is the beauty of it all. I just throw a handful in of this or that and it turns out wonderfully.
7. For a slightly different taste I’ve used nutmeg – the amount of cinnamon (or nutmeg) called for in the recipe is not enough – I easily put a 1/4 cup in each time.
8. If you’re like me and you don’t tend to keep kefir, whey, yogurt or buttermilk on hand….purchase powdered buttermilk and it is easy to sprout the grains everytime!
You have no excuses to not have breakfast anymore. The bars easily keep for a full week in the refrigerator.
I’m going to try making the savory ones as suggested by other people as an idea and then I’ll post a review with my findings.
You use a quarter a cup of cinnamon or nutmeg??? That sounds like waaaay too strong. Probably very nutritious, though! Cinnamon is good for blood sugar control.
hi there
i love this recipe but find each time I make it I get a big egg layer at the bottom. WE love it because it is like a custard but not sure that is how it is supposed to be. I have made some other gluten free recipes from this site too that use alot of eggs and the same thing happens. What am I doing wrong?
thanks so much for such amazing recipes
Lara
I hope you don’t use that much nutmeg. You can actually get nutmeg poisoning and die.
NO JOKE! Google it!
As a new arrival to the high elevation Rocky Mountains in Wyoming, I am ever-so-grateful for your recipes and throughtfulness to time and place of food. I was trying to figure just how early I would have to get up tomorrow to add time to your recipe for baking, when I see you are even higher than us in elevation. Lucky us! Thanks for the daily inspiration!
I love to cook and eat good food and I got very excited when I found this recipe! I followed the recipe to the letter but it didn’t turn out as yours did in the snap…mine was a more spongey texture while the picture you have on this site looks more dense but flaky (like an oatcake)…any advice out there?
Thanks!
Paula
Great recipe! I made some yesterday using raisins, dates and cashews and I have to say this is the first time I’ve ever had oatmeal and enjoyed it! One quick question though, do you use nuts that have already been soaked/prepared or is the overnight soaking enough to use raw nuts?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love it! I’ve made it a few times now, and changed things each time depending on what I have on hand. I’ve added apples to the batch in the oven today and can’t wait to see how it turns out. This is my first time soaking grains and I am happy to say that it is easy and so worth it. Thanks again. I love your blog and use it all the time. Lisa
I tried to scan most of the posts and I see that it seems to turn out for most people. I’ve had a few flops and I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong. The problem seems to be all the liquid ingredients. When I add them it becomes REALLY soupy. I had to drain off half the eggs and milk just to get it to a bakable consistancy this morning. I can never bake out all the liquids (the toothpick always comes out wet) and it doesn’t look a thing like the picture. I’ve been craving this since I saw that picture and I’m so disappointed that it’s not turning out for me. I think 2 Tbsp. of milk would be more accurate for me when I make it. Any advice???
I had the same problem. Mine came out looking like a layer cake with all the cinnamon floating on top with the pecans along the edges. I wonder if I didn’t use enough water when soaking the oats overnight, or if I should have soaked longer, or if I should have found a warmer place to soak the oats. If you find what works for you, do let me know!
Can grocery store yogurt or buttermilk be used for soaking?
I made this today and the whole family loved it! Thank you, we love oatmeal and this is a great recipe. I have four little kiddos so instead of baking it in a large pan, I baked them in muffin tins and baked it at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. I only had half a pound of oatmeal left so I halved the recipe and it turned out to be the perfect size to fill 12 muffin cups
The portable size/shape is great for a grab and go breakfast/snack. I used one fresh granny smith apple, raisins and dates for the fruit. The nuts I used were walnuts and sunflower seeds. Seasoned with apple pie spices and vanilla. The house was filled with wonderful aromas and our tummies thank you for a wonderful recipe! I will be making this every week now that it is cold outside.
*it did look a little soupy before baking, but the oats absorbed it all…you just have to make sure each little cup is filled equally with oats and liquids so that the final cooked product is the texture of a bran muffin.
i just made this and my family loves it – i used apples and coconut chips with some powdered ginger in addition to almonds and the spices. i’m wondering what method seems to work best for reheating? i tried to toaster oven and it dried it out too much and i’m fearing that the regular oven would do the same – do you cover it? unfortunately, at this point it seems like the microwave gives the best result but i’d rather not use it if there is a good alternative. thanks!
Jessica -
I’m glad your family liked it! I typically mash the oatmeal a bit, then sprinkle it with butter and milk or coconut milk and reheat it in the skillet over a low-flame. That way it doesn’t get dried out.
This looks delicious! Can you tell me how many cups of oats are in a pound? I don’t have a scale in my kitchen.
Thanks very much,
Sarah
I made this on New Year’s Day and it turned out perfect. It was absolutely delicious and very filling. Everyone loved it!
excellent recipe! I used blueberries and dried cherries. Thanks for sharing.
Came in from the barn and checking on the new kids and Mom’s to the fragent smell of this oatmeal dish. Even in N FL it gets cold, 20.7 and this was amazing to warm up with. Made halfing the recipe, used raisins and crasins as what had on hand. Hubby put a little maple syrup on, still weaning his sweet tooth. I gave a splash of warm goat milk over. A keeper I will share with my daughter’s and friends. i love your site, thanks for sharing your knowledge and recipes. Blessings to you in 2011.
Have you tried whole oats groats rather than steel cut? I buy the huge 50 lb bins of oats and make mill only rolls them. I can’t turn them into steel cut. Given that I have a giant container of oats in my kitchen I can’t fancy going out to buy steel cut. If I am going to try it the oats will be whole. Do you think they’ll cook up the same? Thanks!
Ugh! I think I’ve gained twenty pounds in the last few weeks from being horribly addicted to this recipe. I use dried cherries and apricots. Hubby and I catch each other sneaking bites of this out of the pan all the time.
Hi Jenny, I saw you posted that 1lb is about 3 cups of steel cut oats. When I made this it seems like there is too many eggs for the amount of oatmeal. I end up with oatmeal on the bottom with a custard-like top. Doesn’t look like what you have pictured. Tastes awesome regardless…thanks for the recipe.
Try making this savory, instead of sweet. Add cooked sausage and fresh herbs. It hold you better because of the increased protein and fat. The kiddies really like this one!
Jenny ~
Thanks for this recipe & the vital work you do. I too am passionate about sustainable agriculture & wholesome foods. I probably have a million questions for you, but here is one specific to this recipe. You say to add a “dash of salt” to your soaking water. Sally Fallon says that adding salt inhibits the soaking process, so you should add it after soaking, before cooking. I wondered your thoughts on this.
My best,
Crystalline Ruby muse
Quick Question – my daughter is gluten and dairy free. I would love to try this recipe as she gets sick of regular oatmeal. Do you think I could use coconut milk or a nut milk in place of the raw milk? Thanks in advance.
Ashley
Have you ever tried using oat milk or rice milk? They work great!
does anyone know if this can be made without the eggs? or a substitute for them? it sounds so yummy but we have an egg allergy.
thanks!
Check out an earlier comment mentioning ground flax seed. It may be helpful.
How long would you store this in the refrigerator after making a pan?
It should keep for about a week or so (we store it at room temperature though).
In case anyone else is wondering, there are 2 2/3 cups of steel cut oats in a pound.
Trying this recipe today!
Well, I made this for the first time today. It was soaked, followed ingredients to a tee, but mine were very runny. So runny that all the liquid stayed on top and the oats went to the bottom. I used fresh real buttermilk, and raw goat’s milk in the recipe. My baked oatmeal looks more like cinnamon topped oatmeal because all the coconut oil and cinnamon floated to the top. Does anyone know why mine was so runny? Any help would be appreciated. thanks. It smells delicious, hopefully it will taste good even though….
You drained the liquid from the oats, right?
Ok, I did everything the recipe said, followed it except oatmeal soaked for almost 20 hrs. My oatmeal mixture was so runny that my cinnamon and coconut oil rose to the top, It was runny not a porridge consistency. I used raw buttermilk. I am new to soaked oatmeal. Would someone tell me what I did wrong? Thanks. I would like this to work for us as it is so nutritious. But we tasted it and it was well, gross. Very bland and sourish. Is that how it tastes? We are newer to this whole foods, healthy eating and yes admittedly we are used to processed foods. So is it that we are too used to the sweetened foods or is this a recipe that is an aquired taste? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks so much.
I think you may have not drained your oats. If it is runny, then let it cook some more. Yes, it may be a bit sour. This is an acquired taste. Kids raised with this flavor don’t even notice it and like it. Try getting your kids used to it by putting some plain (full fat) yogurt into some unsweetened applesauce and increasing the amount until it is half and half. This may help a little.
A perfect breakfast dish! I love eating oats in the morning and thanks to this recipe I now have other way of eating my oats.
Mine was a flop! Too heavy for my liking. It is possibly that 8 hours is not long enough to soak the oats. I added dried mango, blueberries and pecans instead of suggested fruit. The flavor is excellent and the potential is there, but it just didn’t work for me…even with the six eggs! All other ingredients followed….Not sure where I went wrong, but would certainly like to get it right next time. hmmmmm
I’m wondering if anyone has every used leftover cooked (boiled) steel cut oats for this recipe?
You know, I have the same problem as many–egg mixture floating to the top and baking oddly. I stirred it at 20 minutes this time (it’s still in the oven), and it looked much better. Last time, I stirred it at 40 minutes, because I didn’t think to look earlier, then baked it about 10 minutes more. That worked, too. Hope this helps!
Tried this recipe today…It was yummy! Made a few subs. I used butter from raw cream instead of coconut oil. I put in some chopped apples and dried cherries because that’s what I had. I also used raw cream instead of milk (trying to keep my carbs down). I also used my nice fresh free range eggs. It was wonderful. I also cut the recipe in half because there’s just two of us. I used 31/2 cups of rolled organic oatmeal (after checking out a conversion table). I will make it again.
Your site is the best on the net for this type of cooking. I cannot tell you how much we enjoy oilive oil in our kitchen. Even our family collie loves it so. We hope to win the olive oil offering and wish you all the best in life!
My apologies if this has been discussed, there are SO many posts up there & I’m going a bit cross-eyed reading them all. What other grains could I use for this recipe? Has anyone tried some?
The reason I ask is that we have just had confirmed that we have a gluten issue in our household (after doing GAPS then WAPF for a cumulative 2 years now). The lab results had oatmeal listed with wheat and other grains- are oats GF? I am dying to make this recipe again this winter– we use apple instead of dried fruit & lots more cinnamon.
Oh, also, since I have you all here- what are groats? I was buying them last winter thinking they were whole oats- am I wrong, are they something totally different? If so, I guess I have my possible gluten-free answer.
Thanks!
Do you have the nutrient listing for the baked oatmeal? I may have missed it in the comment string – Thanks!
I just put my baked oatmeal in the oven. I can’t wait to see how it turns out. I had about 3/4 lb of rolled oats, but I kept the rest of the ingredients the same, so I hope it will be close enough.
This makes a very large dish so I was wondering if you can break it up and store it in Ball jars for granola. Will it last ling? Maybe not a good idea because of the eggs and milk. How about freezing the leftovers in single servings?
I could never give up coffee or wine! LOL It’s refreshing to find some fellow health food addicts who haven’t completely abandoned the things that make life worth getting out of bed in the morning. If you want a great wine at a great price, try Le Lepan Multiplicity from Paso Robles, CA. It is a sustainable winery, spray free, but not certified organic. I’m ok with that because they make a great product and organic is just a big racket anyway. . It’s $7.99 at Whole Foods, $7.20 if you buy a case. It rivals $15 bottle easily.
Thanks for this recipe! My house smells amazing!
This is DELICIOUS!! So easy too!! I prepped everything the night before and was able to throw it all together and bake it before heading out to work.
I modified this recipe to make four individual servings in ramekins using leftover (rolled) oatmeal and it was fantastic. To the two cups of previously cooked oatmeal (soaked overnight and then simmered for five minutes) I added 2 eggs whisked with 1/3 c milk and splash of maple syrup, then folded in blueberries, dried cranberries, coconut oil and cinnamon. Bake for an hour or so! Awesome!
One thing about grains, they NEED protein with them! I always have mushed up a hardboiled egg (at the very least, you can also just serve eggs with it) into the bowl that the oatmeal will go in. Then serve with cheese or a glass of milk. Of course meat would be awesome to serve with the oatmeal also/instead.
This recipe has lots of carbs going on, please be sure to eat protein with it, the 6 eggs works out to 1/2 an egg per the 12 servings.
It’s a recipe. Not a prescription.
We serve this cut into squares. It’s not really crispy, but it’s definitely not soggy like regular porridge. In baking it turns into a firm casserole that, when cooled to a palatable temperature, will cut away in nice squares. I’ve served it with cream and coconut milk–both went over well.