This baked cinnamon roll oatmeal is filling, sweet, but not too sweet. It’s easy to make, perfect for meal prep, and tastes just like a cinnamon roll! Plus, it’s naturally vegan and gluten free.
This cinnamon roll baked oatmeal is a healthier spin on my favorite childhood treat and turn it into baked cinnamon roll oatmeal. Baked oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts and I seriously can’t wait for you to try this recipe!
I know this oatmeal is cinnamon roll flavored, so “healthy” is probably not the first word that comes to mind. However, I promise this recipe is 100% good for you!
It’s vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free and stores really well in the fridge so it’s perfect for meal prep.
Key Ingredients
Oats: I recommend using rolled/old fashioned oats for this recipe. Quick oats are ok if you’re in a pinch, but rolled oats work best!
Apple sauce: The apple sauce helps bind all of the ingredients together and gives the oatmeal a really nice texture once baked.
Non dairy milk: Vanilla almond milk is my go to for (almost) everything, but any type of milk will work!
Coconut oil: To keep the oats nice and moist.
Vanilla extract: The vanilla adds a bit of extra flavor.
Cinnamon: A decent amount of cinnamon is very necessary for this recipe! I prefer ceylon cinnamon, but any type of cinnamon works well.
Brown sugar, coconut sugar or maple syrup: You can use any type of sweetener, that’s dark in color. Brown sugar and coconut sugar are my favorite, but maple syrup works well!
Baking powder and soda: These will help the oats rise a bit and give it a nice cake -like texture.
How to make baked oatmeal
Unlike regular stovetop oatmeal, baked oatmeal is almost a “set it and forget it” kind of thing.
Add the oats, cinnamon, salt and baking powder to a bowl and mix well.
Add in all remaining ingredients and stir together. The mixture should have a good amount of moisture, but you don’t want it to be overly liquidy or it won’t bake all the way to the center. See the above image for reference.
Add to a 9 inch round, oval, or square baking dish and add to the oven. You can use a smaller pan, but the deeper the pan, the longer the oats will take to cook.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges and top of the oats are golden brown.
While the oats are baking, prepare the cinnamon sugar glaze by adding the cinnamon, coconut oil, and coconut sugar to a pan and heating over low heat. If it appears too dry, add in the 1 tbsp of water. However, if it gets too liquidy, it won’t swirl very well, so just add in extra sugar to balance this out.
Let simmer until the sugar and oil melt and form a sticky syrup. It will get thick if it sits out too long, but just turn the heat back on and it will melt again.
Let cool, then top with cinnamon sugar and melted coconut butter, yogurt or my simple powdered sugar glaze.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it keep? This cinnamon roll oatmeal will last in the fridge (already baked) for about 3-5 days. You can store it in the same container you baked it in, and just cover it with aluminum foil.
What size dish is best? I usually use one large baking dish, but you can split it up into smaller dishes if desired. Smaller dishes will require a shorter cooking time, so keep an eye on them! I used a 9 inch pie dish, which worked really well, just make sure it is at least 2 inch deeps.
Can I reheat it? Yes! I actually love the texture of baked oatmeal when it has been reheated oddly enough. It thickens up as it sits in the fridge, but I personally love it this way. To reheat this recipe, I suggest just popping it back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes at 200 degrees Fahrenheit or until it is warm.
Is oatmeal gluten free? This recipe is gluten free, but just be sure to used certified gluten free oats to make sure there was no contamination while processing!
Try these!
- Caramelized Banana Oatmeal
- PB & J Overnight Oats
- Fluffy Blueberry Pancakes
- Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, tag me on instagram if you make this recipe so I can see your creation! Be sure to leave a rating/review if you like this recipe!
Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Oats:
- 2 ½ cups rolled oats
- ⅓ cup apple sauce
- 2 cups almond milk or any non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Cinnamon Sugar Swirl:
- 2 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Glaze:
- 4 ounces plain vegan cream cheese
- 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the oats, cinnamon, and baking powder, baking soda and salt to a bowl and mix well.
- Add in all remaining ingredients and stir together.
- Add to a 9 inch baking dish (I used a pie plate which worked well, just make sure it is at least 2 inches deep, the oats will rise a bit as they bake) and add to the oven.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean and the edges are golden brown. if you want the center to be a bit more gooey like a regular cinnamon roll, just bake for closer to 28-30 minutes.
- It will continue to set as it cools, so if you're making it ahead of time and plan to reheat, best to undercook just a bit.
- While the oats are baking, prepare the cinnamon sugar glaze by adding the coconut oil and almond butter to a small bowl.
- Microwave for about 15 seconds, then stir to combine. Add the maple syrup and cinnamon and mix well.
- Whisk together the glaze.
- Let the oats cool slightly,, then top with cinnamon sugar and glaze. Enjoy!
Denise Carrera says
This is WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS! 😋 I followed everything exact including the cinnamon glaze, but I added raisins. However, for the icing I used 4oz. softened cream cheese, 1 Tbls soft butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 2 Tbls powdered sugar. I topped it with toasted walnuts. This will be made often. Thank you!
Claire Cary says
Yum, love the sound of that icing!
Sheryl says
Totally yummy! Not too sweet…just right! I did not use the coconut butter icing as the cooked drizzle offered enough sweetness for us. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Claire Cary says
Thank you Sheryl, so glad you enjoyed!
Coby says
I love baked oatmeal, and I love that eating this oatmeal felt like eating dessert! So delicious! I used extra applesauce in place of the coconut oil for the oats, and vegan butter instead of the coconut oil for the cinnamon sugar swirl. Great recipe!
Kathleen says
Delicious! Oats & cinnamon buns are my favorite breakfast foods.
I didnt have applesauce, used pumpkin & worked well
Thank you
Kelley says
I really enjoyed this, my only complaint is that it is super sweet for my tastebuds next time I’m going to cut the sugar in half and see how it tastes
Arica says
Made this today and it’s absolutely delicious! What a great treat!
Morgan says
This was so incredibly delicious! The cinnamon sugar syrup really made this recipe. Loved!
Claire Cary says
Tastes like dessert! So happy you enjoyed.
Mia says
Forgot to mention that I’ll definitely do the glaze next time but this time I drizzled honey on it when it was soms and popped it back in the oven for two or three minutes.
Mia says
Yummy! I added almond extract, regular and golden raisins, cloves and WAY more cinnamon.. I love it so I never measure it lol. Delish! Thank you.
Claire Cary says
YUM! Love all of those additions!
Beebee says
Is the coconut oil necessary for the baked oats or can I substitute with applesauce of I want to make it oil free?
Claire Cary says
applesauce should be fine!
Marty says
Could I use another type of oil?
Claire Cary says
Yes, any oil or even meted butter will work!
Amy says
Hi. I’m not a vegan. Can I use regular milk and melted butter instead of almond milk and coconut oil? I just don’t have those in my house typically.
Thanks,
Amy
Claire Cary says
Yes, that’ll work!
Aimee says
Hi, I’ve made this recipe which taste delicious! However it’s come out as more of a cakey texture, any ideas what I could have done wrong? Would definitely love to make it again!
Claire Cary says
Hi, that’s just kind of the nature of baked oatmeal! It has a bit of a cakey texture, so I’m not really sure what changes could be made unless I was able to see how yours turned out.
Canela says
Helthy and delicious, that’s what i’m talking about
Claire Cary says
Yesss! Healthy but delicious recipes is my speciality 🙂
Sara says
I usually do overnight oats; just a pinch of brown sugar and sometimes a dash of vanilla. But, this looks awesome, like a total treat!
Sara says
I usually do overnight oats; just a pinch of brown sugar and sometimes a dash of vanilla. But, this looks awesome, like a total treat.
Courtney | Love & Good Stuff says
I love oats for breakfast! Can’t wait to try these – I’m sure they’ll be my new favourite breakfast!
Claire Cary says
Me too! Hope you love them!!
SHANIKA says
What better way to eat Oatmeal than with the flavor of Cinnamon Rolls? YUM!
Claire Cary says
Right?! Best of both worlds!
Geetha Priyanka says
Love oatmeal and cinnamon combo, I’m sure my family will instantly fall in love this delicious breakfast.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Geetha! I hope they love it 🙂
Angie says
Do you think I could substitute smashed banana for the applesauce?
Claire Cary says
Hi Angie, yes, that should work!
Sara Welch says
What an awesome breakfast treat! Will be perfect with my morning cup of coffee tomorrow!
Claire Cary says
YUM! Sounds like the perfect morning, Sara!