This Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal turns simple oats into a cozy, hearty breakfast the whole family loves. It’s warm, satisfying, and tastes a little like a peanut butter cookie and oatmeal had a baby – in the best possible way. Some people call it Amish Breakfast Casserole, which somehow makes me love it even more.
If you enjoy baked oatmeal, you’ll also want to try my Breakfast Casserole or Homemade Cake Donuts!
Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal
It’s truly a one-bowl wonder. Just mix everything together, pour it into a baking dish, and let the oven do the rest. The peanut butter makes it extra rich and comforting, but it’s also very flexible – you can easily leave it out or swap it for almond butter if needed.
The edges get beautifully golden while the center stays soft and gooey. And yes… that crack on top is completely normal and actually a good sign!
FAQs
Can I make this without peanut butter? Yes! Simply omit the peanut butter. The baked oatmeal will still be delicious. Feel free to add raisins, dried cranberries, or fresh berries for extra flavor.
Can I use old-fashioned rolled oats instead of quick oats? You can, but the texture will be a bit heartier and chewier. Quick oats give a softer, more cohesive result. If using rolled oats, add an extra 2-3 tablespoons of milk.
What’s the best pan to use? An 8×8-inch glass dish gives the softest, gooey texture. A metal pan works too but may brown the edges a little faster.
Can I make this gluten-free? Yes! Just use certified gluten-free oats and double-check that your baking powder is gluten-free.
Is this recipe very sweet? It has a pleasant sweetness similar to a peanut butter cookie. You can reduce the brown or granulated sugar by 1-2 tablespoons if you prefer it less sweet.
How to Make Ahead
This baked oatmeal is perfect for meal prep!
Full make-ahead: Bake the oatmeal, cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Night before: Assemble the mixture, pour it into the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake as directed (it may need 3-5 extra minutes).
How to Serve Baked Oatmeal
As you can see by the first picture in the blog post, we like a little organic maple syrup drizzled on top. Other fun variations are:
- fresh fruit such as banana or strawberry
- adding homemade whipped topping with raisins (my boys favorite)
- fresh vanilla yogurt
And, of course, we love it warm. Quite honestly, this dish has never made it to the “leftover” stage in our house, so I don’t even know if it reheats well! My gut says that yes, it would. Just pop it in the microwave and enjoy. 🙂
How to Store
Refrigerator: Store leftover baked oatmeal covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Cut into portions, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave with a splash of milk for 30-60 seconds. For larger amounts, reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky works)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt (if using table salt use ½ teaspoon)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined. It will appear very wet.
- Pour mixture into baking dish. I used an 8×8 glass baking dish because I wanted a soft and gooey texture. (If you use a 9×13 pan they will be a little thinner and less gooey, but also more familiar and delicious.)
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. If it cracks on top don't worry, it's not overdone. An inserted toothpick should be removed with crumbs clinging to it.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Night before: Assemble the mixture, pour it into the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it sit on the counter while the oven preheats, then bake as directed (it may need 3-5 extra minutes).
Full make-ahead: Bake the oatmeal, cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
Images updated. Originally published in 2011.
Hmmm, we love baked oatmeal but have never tried it with peanut butter! (and I like to make it with honey in place of the dry sugars, though in a lesser amount because honey is sweeter)
Also saw this on Tidymom and now I am going to make it for sure! Mmmmm with blueberries!
Beautiful Blog!!!!!! Simply love it….
I have been keeping an eye on this blog from last few days…even though I am not a mom…but am planning to implement this great idea of baking oatmeal with some raisins ..asap for my hubby dear…
WE love baked oatmeal…been making it for a couple of years now…here is the recipe we used with a couple of variations…
THis one involves leaving part of it on the counter overnight…this helps the enzymes to something that helps with better digestion…if that bothers you, just do it all in on step and bake when mixed…
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4-1 cup sucanat or brown sugar…I have used both with good results, but use just 3/4 cup
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups milk, kefir or buttermilk- I have used both milk and buttermilk with good results…buttermilk has a slight more tang in the finished product.
1 tsp. cinnamon
Let set overnight in a bowl covered with a tea towel
IN THE MORNING ADD:
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
THEN THE VARIATIONS:
this is what I do…
add a couple of glops of vanilla (I NEVER measure vanilla)
about 1/4 c. chocolate chips-we like milk chocolate
about 1/2 c. coconut
my friend does:
1/2 cup raisins
OR 1 tart apple diced
Bake in a greased 11x 7 pan at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
I DOUBLE THIS RECIPE AND PUT INTO A 9X13 pan…both because I don’t have a smaller pan and I have a larger family….
A Christmas variation is to use eggnog for the milk and add vanilla, 2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 tsp. nutmeg…if that is too rich, just add a smaller amount of eggnog…say 1 cup…
Enjoy!
C~
Oh how I wish that I had a yummy bowl of this right now!!
I made it and it was SO GOOD!!
That looks so goof! We love oatmeal for breakfast so I’m sure we’d love this too. Thanks for sharing!
Whoops I meant good not goof, haha!
My husband was just asking about baked oatmeal the other day. I will ABSOLUTELY be trying this recipe. Thank you!!!
Oh why oh why did I not see this before this morning, I could have made it for Jacob’s special birthday breakfast, oh well. He had Vanilla spice oatmeal (his request). I’m so going to make this, this week!!!!