These cinnamon roll baked oats are vegan, gluten free and so easy to make. Perfect for meal prep, and tastes just like a cinnamon roll! Made with simple and wholesome ingredients you probably have on hand!
These cinnamon roll baked oats are 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. Plus, there’s no need to soak oats before baking (that’s just an overnight oats thing) so the prep time is really quick! Try my blueberry baked oatmeal next!
Key Ingredients
Oats: I recommend using rolled/old fashioned oats for this recipe. Quick oats are ok if you’re in a pinch or prefer a more gooey texture, but rolled oats work best for baked oats.
Apple sauce: The apple sauce helps bind all of the ingredients together and gives the oatmeal a really nice texture once baked.
You can sub the apple sauce for 2 eggs for a more protein rich version.
Non dairy milk: Vanilla almond milk is my go to for (almost) everything, but any type of milk will work!
Vanilla extract: The vanilla adds a bit of extra flavor and pairs really well with the cinnamon.
Cinnamon: A decent amount of cinnamon is very necessary for this recipe! I prefer ceylon cinnamon, but any type of cinnamon works well.
Maple syrup: This recipe is sweetened with just pure maple syrup to keep it completely refined sugar free.
The oats themselves call for 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) but you can definitely scale back since we are also adding a cinnamon swirl and glaze on top.
Baking powder and soda: These will help the oats rise a bit and give it a nice cake -like texture.
How to make vegan baked oats
Unlike regular stovetop oatmeal, baked oatmeal is almost a “set it and forget it” kind of thing.
First, 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 melting together the almond butter and coconut oil, then stir in the maple syrup and cinnamon.
Let cool, then top with cinnamon sugar and the cream cheese glaze. Enjoy!
How to store, freeze and reheat
To store: 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.
To freeze: Baked oats freeze quite well! I like to prepare the dish as usual, let it cool completely, then slice into squares and freeze individually in freezer safe bags.
That way, you can defrost only what you need and it makes it really simple.
To reheat: I actually love the texture of vegan baked oats 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.
Other flavor ideas
While this recipe is for cinnamon roll baked oats, you can easily leave off the cinnamon swirl and glaze and try one of these other options!
Banana: Replace the apple sauce with mashed banana and add some sliced banana coins on top before baking. Would also still be delicious with the cinnamon swirl!
Blueberry: While I do have a recipe for blueberry baked oatmeal cups, you can add in 1- 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries to the batter and serve with maple syrup or a drizzle of nut butter on top.
Peanut butter chocolate chip: Add in 1/4 cup of peanut butter to the batter along with 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. Add an extra drizzle of peanut butter before serving!
Can I add protein to oats?
Yes! If you want to make this more like a protein baked oatmeal, you can swap the apple sauce for 2 eggs and add in 1/4 cup of protein powder.
If you do choose to add protein powder, you won’t need to bake for as long since that will naturally absorb some of the moisture and the oats will cook faster.
Are oats gluten free?
Yes! This recipe is gluten free, but just be sure to used certified gluten free oats to make sure there was no contamination while processing if you have Celiac or are cooking for someone with Celiac.
Try these breakfast recipes next!
- 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
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup apple sauce
- 2 cups non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup maple syrup
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!
Lindsay says
I can’t find seem to find a recipe for cinnamon roll BLENDED baked oats. Do you think I can make this recipe and just blend the oats?
Claire Cary says
Yes, should be ok to blend everything and follow the recipe as usual!
Lindsay says
Back to report that I made this recipe but blended the oats. It was good! Definitely had to bake it longer though.
Camilla says
Genius, Claire, thank you! Trying to figure out how to get creative with oats for my hubby and this went over BIG on his birthday morning, so much cinnamon. Instead of applesauce I used a very ripe banana and two eggs, and we skipped the cream cheese glaze because the almond butter one was enough! Added lots of walnuts to finish. Reminded us of bread pudding. I’ll be making him your oat choco chip cookies later on today (baked goods are his favorite present). So glad I’ve found you! Healthy AND tasty.
Claire Cary says
Amazing! Makes me so happy to hear. Thanks, Camilla!
Nisa says
Greatest ever.
Teresa says
Just finished eating a piece! This turned out really nicely. I did change it only a tad as I didn’t have something’s,quick oats were used (texture was not soggy at all) cooked in. 8×8 Pyrex, added an extra 1tsp cinnamon and an extra 1tsp vanilla (I suspect mine are subpar so need extra) and did use cows milk. Also had to use mrs butterworth lite maple syrup with a tad bit of honey to equal the 1/4c. Skipped the toppings partly to save on calories but mostly because I didn’t have the ingredients, so the base is not really sweet at all tastes very good but if I had more I’d have put just a drizzle of syrup over top (had to settle for a small sprinkle of sugar) home run for me next I’ll try some apple in it too, or maybe some yogurt ontop.(oh and I did spray the dish slightly I didn’t see that in the instructions but glad I did think it help get a nice slice)
JP says
I see other reviewers talked about cutting out oil the in the oats and replacing with more applesauce… but I don’t see oil listed for the oats? It’s only listed in the swirl? My oatmeal is already in the oven– am I missing something?
Claire Cary says
There used to be oil, but the recipe has since been updated!
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!