Vegan Cinnamon Roll Baked Oats

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.

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!