This Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal is super quick and easy to make and will provide you with a delicious, healthy, frugal breakfast (or dessert!). It’s perfect for freezing too!
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I used to think that I didn’t like baked oatmeal. I knew it was supposed to be a healthy, cheap food, but somehow it just always seemed mushy and unappetizing. Maybe I’ve just grown up, or maybe this recipe is just amazingly good. Either way, I’m now a fan of baked oatmeal- especially Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal!
I first tasted this recipe at a brunch that my mom’s group had. It was there in the line up of delicious foods and at first, I passed it by. But one of the other moms sitting at my table kept mentioning how super good it was, and finally I decided to get brave and try it myself. After all, I reasoned, how bad could something that has chocolate chips in it be? And yes, ma’am, it was good! So good in fact, that I had seconds and then tracked down the recipe too! 🙂
I think what makes it a winner for me is the fact that it doesn’t just use all regular oatmeal but instead, it adds in rolled oats too which gives it a great texture. That and the fact that it has chocolate chips. Oh yum!
What isn’t better with a few chocolate chips? Of course, if you disagree, you can always leave them out. But I’d recommend not doing that. I’m pretty sure you’ll wish you hadn’t. Anyway…on to the recipe.
Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
This Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal is super quick and easy to make and will provide you with a delicious healthy, frugal breakfast (or dessert!). It’s perfect for freezing too!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c. oatmeal*
- 1 ½ c. rolled oats
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 c. milk
- ½ c. butter, melted
- 2 eggs, beaten
- ¼ to ½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips**
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
-
Spoon into a greased 9 in. baking dish (or any similar sized baking dish).
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and center is set.
Recipe Notes
* You can use 3 c. quick cooking oats instead of half quick cooking, half rolled oats- the texture will just be different.
** Feel free to try other add-ins such as apples, blueberries or bananas. Some people like to eat baked oatmeal without any add-ins and then top it with fruit. I also know people that love eating it with milk dumped over it. Obviously, it’s quite versatile!
*** Baked oatmeal freezes really well. I like to make several batches at once and then cut it into individual portions and freeze it that way. Then I just pull out several servings as needed. This saves me time and allows me to use my oven less often too!
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Maria says
March 3, 2015 at 3:38 PMYummy! I love baked oatmeal, and with chocolate chips at that! I should definitely try that more often. I recently made a batch of baked oatmeal in muffin cups, which was 1) more fun for the kiddos, and 2) easy for freezing small portions.
Lydia @ Thrifty Frugal Mom says
March 3, 2015 at 4:16 PMMaria, the kids about think they can’t eat baked oatmeal without chocolate chips now! The muffin cup idea is a great one. It would definitely make it easier to freeze. I just wish muffin tins weren’t so annoying to clean! 🙂
Oh and have you ever tried parfaits using baked oatmeal? So yummy!
Shiloh says
March 9, 2015 at 11:24 AMMy kids picked this recipe to look at! Yum!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 9, 2015 at 11:32 AMI’d say they have good taste! 🙂
Shiloh says
March 9, 2015 at 1:08 PMYes! We love anything with oatmeal!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 9, 2015 at 1:45 PMAnd the chocolate chips just totally take this far beyond ordinary oatmeal!
Shiloh says
March 10, 2015 at 12:58 PMYes, we put raisins instead but still tasted wonderfully sweet. We also substituted ground flax seed for the eggs.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 10, 2015 at 8:14 PMI’m odd and don’t like raisins, but I know lots of people love them in their oatmeal. And thanks for the tip on subbing flax seed for eggs….will be helpful for any readers who are needing to avoid eggs.
J says
January 8, 2016 at 10:09 PMTo make cleaning muffin tins easier (and minimize sticking), try Pam no stick spray WITH FLOUR in it (Baking Pam? depends where you live). My muffins just FALL out of tins now.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
January 9, 2016 at 2:46 PMThanks for the tip! I bet that makes the tins way easier to clean too.
Joedee says
December 4, 2017 at 8:33 AMTo make your own muffin cups take a square piece of baking paper, cut slits from each four corners about a third of the way down. Then you can pop them straight into your muffin tray and clea up is so much easier.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
December 5, 2017 at 11:11 PMOh, that’s a great tip! Thanks.
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
March 3, 2015 at 7:20 PMI love baked oatmeal for breakfast – especially because it freezes so well. And as much as I love chocolate, would you believe I’ve never added it to my baked oatmeal? I’ll have to give it a try on my next batch.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 3, 2015 at 7:54 PMOh, Kristen, do it! It almost takes it to dessert level. And then you can enjoy eating “dessert” for breakfast. 😉
Jess says
March 4, 2015 at 8:22 AMHave you tried it with all steel cut oats? (We can’t have quick cooking due to dietary restrictions.) This looks amazing! I’ll have to pin and try this for sure.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 4, 2015 at 9:31 AMJess, I think that steel cut oats are the same as rolled oats, right? (Rolled oats are the bigger, unprocessed flakes of oatmeal.) I’ve never made baked oatmeal with totally rolled oats, but I’m pretty sure my sister-in-law has. I really don’t think it would be a problem, it just will be crunchier, which isn’t a bad thing in my opinion.
And I’ll be sure to check out the link-up!
Jennie @ Little Girl Designs says
March 4, 2015 at 9:08 AMMmm, this sounds like a delicious oatmeal chocolate cookie for breakfast! Love this! 🙂 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 4, 2015 at 9:52 AMOh, that is a great description, Jennie! Isn’t it fun when you can have dessert for breakfast guilt free? 🙂
Kori Tomelden says
March 4, 2015 at 10:45 AMI don’t think I’ve ever had baked oatmeal before but this does sound really good. We just bought rolled oats to make our own granola and were trying to figure out other things to make. Going to have to print this out for later!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 4, 2015 at 11:53 AMOh, we love homemade granola too, Kori! How fun that you are getting started making your own. And yes, this baked oatmeal will be another great breakfast recipe that will help you use up all those rolled oats. Enjoy!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
March 4, 2015 at 1:33 PMThe only thing better than oatmeal is oatmeal with chocolate chips!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe. I’m pinning it. It will be the perfect potluck for our Easter Brunch at church. YUM!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 4, 2015 at 1:55 PMTotally my sentiments, Heather! I’m sure this will be a hit at the brunch and the great thing is, it will be a cinch to make up the morning of. Win, win!
Tiffany | A Touch of Grace says
March 6, 2015 at 11:57 AMOk, this looks delicious! I’ve honestly never done a baked oatmeal but I am pinning this one to try.
Thanks for sharing on the Shine Blog Hop!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 6, 2015 at 1:03 PMWell, Tiffany, up until about 1 1/2 yr. ago, I hadn’t either. But this one is definitely a keeper!
Corinne says
March 8, 2015 at 11:05 AMThis looks delicious! I bet it makes the house smell amazing while it’s baking too.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 9, 2015 at 9:21 AMCorinne, it totally does!
Nathana says
March 9, 2015 at 12:15 PMI am looking for some great freezer meals post baby. I am totally going to try this! My husband is super picky about his oatmeal, but I think even he would like this! After you freeze it, do you reheat it in the oven or microwave?
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 9, 2015 at 3:41 PMCongratulations on the baby, Nathana! And kudos for planning ahead and getting some food in the freezer. In my opinion, that is one of the best ways to make your life easier post baby.
As far as how to reheat it, I always use the microwave, but I’m pretty sure you could do it in the oven too, just at a really low temp. Hope it’s a winner with the husband! 😉
Lisa Ehrman says
March 9, 2015 at 5:08 PMThis is such a great idea 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipe 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 9, 2015 at 8:24 PMLisa, you are very welcome!
Sarah J says
March 10, 2015 at 1:34 PMThis looks so delicious! I have recently started finding more recipes for oatmeal that have turned out good. Like you I never thought I liked baked oatmeal but I think I’m starting to change my mind. Pinning this! 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 10, 2015 at 8:20 PMIsn’t it funny how we sometimes surprise ourselves by liking something after all? If you are going to like any oatmeal, I’d think it would be this one. I mean hey, it’s practically a dessert! 😉
Kris ~ Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies says
March 10, 2015 at 5:57 PMSounds delicious! Stopping by from Simple Supper Tuesday
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 12, 2015 at 9:09 PMIt is, Kris. A favorite here!
Jenny @ Women With Intention says
March 10, 2015 at 9:25 PMCan’t wait to give this a try! 🙂 I will be featuring you tomorrow on Women With Intention Wednesdays! Thanks for the great post and I look forward to what you’ll share this week!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 10, 2015 at 9:49 PMAw, thanks so much, Jenny! I appreciate that. And thanks for hosting the link-up!
Brandi Clevinger says
March 12, 2015 at 1:59 PMThis looks super yummy! Maybe this recipe could break down the wall my kids have against oatmeal. haha That would be great! I’m going to print this out and give it a try!
I found your post at Inspire Me Mondays.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 12, 2015 at 2:38 PMWell, if your kids are anything like mine, the chocolate chips will have a really big pull! 🙂 I still don’t care for regular instant oatmeal, but I do love this baked oatmeal. Another reader said that it reminds them of a great big oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and really, I thought it was a great description. Hope it does the trick for you!
Joy @ Joy Love Food says
March 14, 2015 at 7:07 PMThis sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at What’d You Do This Weekend? I hope you will join us again this Monday morning 🙂
Jamie @AllThatSrocks says
March 16, 2015 at 8:35 PMThis looks great, I am saving this for next time we have grandparents visit! They are going to love it. Do you think it would save well? Like if I made a batch, we could eat in over 2-3 days. Thanks for sharing at Project Inspire{d} !
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 16, 2015 at 9:00 PMJamie, yes, that should be fine especially if you keep it in the fridge. I do it all the time actually. 🙂 I just reheat my piece in the microwave to make it nice and warm again. It’s good plain, but we love it with a bit of milk or yogurt on top and sometimes even add fruit too. Enjoy!
Emily says
March 17, 2015 at 7:10 PMI am trying to get my daughters to like oatmeal, as I love it…this may help my cause!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
March 17, 2015 at 7:52 PMWell, the chocolate chips are pretty enticing! 😉
Cydnee says
March 18, 2015 at 9:03 PMWhat a fabulous and delicious recipe! Yum! Thank you for joining us at #purebloglove. We enjoying having you every Thursday at 8PM, EST through Sunday night. ~Cydnee
Christina says
September 3, 2015 at 1:15 PMI see this recipe all the time and always forget to get chocolate chips so I can make it. I always have everything else. Where do you find chocolate chips at a good price? I’m thinking Aldi would be my best bet in my area but I wanted to ask you first where you get yours 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
September 3, 2015 at 4:55 PMYup, Aldi’s my favorite spot for chocolate chips. And the last couple of years over Christmas they’ve dropped their price on them too, so I like to stock up then. And you can definitely make this recipe without the chocolate chips too- I do it all the time without them. The chocolate chips just make it extra good. 😉 You can even add in fruit if you like such as peaches, apples or blueberries too. It’s a pretty versatile recipe.
Dorcas says
September 4, 2015 at 8:04 AMI rarely come back to comment on a dish I’ve tried, but this was Extraordinary!! I made it with only 1/3 c. raw sugar, cashew milk, and coconut oil to make it dairy free, and I could hardly stop eating it! The cinnamon & chocolate chip combo is over the top! I’m putting it in the fridge for more breakfasts that I can look forward to. (on a very strict diet…) Thanks so much for posting this! 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
September 4, 2015 at 9:04 AMThis just made my morning, Dorcas! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it and I love how you tweaked it to fit your diet. I often cut back the amount of sugar a bit too, but I’ve never tried it with coconut oil. I can believe that would be yummy!
Yvonne says
September 13, 2015 at 4:56 AMJust made this today. Our first time having baked oatmeal and we loved it. I made a few tweaks to be sure my husband liked it: cut the sugar in half as he’s not a fan of sweet oatmeal and used peanut butter in place of the butter. Served it with a dollop of natural yogurt on the side, but it would have been just as yummy on its own. Thanks for such a versatile, delicious recipe! 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
September 13, 2015 at 11:21 AMOh, I love the peanut butter idea! So are you saying that you didn’t use any butter and only peanut butter? I want to try it too, because it sounds delicious. I’ve thought for a long time that I should figure out how to make a peanut butter oatmeal, but just never took the time to do it. So glad you all loved it! That’s always fun to hear. 🙂
Yvonne says
September 14, 2015 at 1:58 AMYes, I didn’t use any butter, only peanut butter. Making a few batches for the freezer this week. 🙂
ThriftyFrugalMom says
September 14, 2015 at 10:45 AMThanks! Definitely will be playing around with it. Yum!
Kim Hawkins says
September 13, 2015 at 9:54 PMI just pulled this out of the oven. I looks and smells great! Do you refrigerate the cooled Baked Oatmeal?
Thank you!
Kim
ThriftyFrugalMom says
September 14, 2015 at 10:43 AMI hope it tastes great too, Kim! 🙂 Yes, I typically refrigerate it, although it doesn’t really hurt it if it sets out for a day or two either- especially if your house is cool.
Kim Hawkins says
September 16, 2015 at 4:39 PMThank you.
YES, This is the most delicious guilt-free baked oatmela we have ever tasted! and so easy!!
I plan on sharing the link on our blog. Our daughter is a vegetarian, so I am always looking for high protein meatless recipes. This is a keeper!
Much thanks….
ThriftyFrugalMom says
September 16, 2015 at 8:05 PMDelighted to hear you all loved it, Kim! And i’ll watch for the share- so very kind of you!
Kristy says
October 29, 2015 at 1:56 PMJust wanted to say I’ve made this three times now and am about to make it for the fourth time. The second time I added 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts – delicious. The third time I added 1/2 cup dried blueberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts – also delicious. I’m going back to the original for the next batch, but I love this recipe! I have a newborn and it is great to prep before going to bed and let sit in the fridge overnight. I bake it in the morning and have breakfast all week long! Thank you!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
October 29, 2015 at 10:46 PMThanks so much, Kristy, for taking the time to give me feedback and let me know that you love this recipe! That’s always fun to hear. 🙂 I love hearing about your variations, too! The fact that this recipe can easily be made ahead has been such a lifesaver for me too. Anything to make the morning rush less hectic is super nice. Lately, I’ve actually been making a triple batch and then freezing 2 of the pans for later. Means I only have to do all the work once instead of 3 times, which is kind of handy. 😉
Enjoy snuggling that newborn! I always enjoyed that stage so much, even though it is rather exhausting.
Sandy says
February 7, 2016 at 10:20 AMCame across your recipe this morning and I am so glad I did. It was absolutely delicious. I felt naughty because it was like having a cookie for breakfast. I may switch it up some day but boy is it good just the way it is. When you reheat do you just warm it the microwave. I am definitely going to try that too. Thanks for the recipe.
ThriftyFrugalMom says
February 7, 2016 at 2:53 PMSo glad you enjoyed it, Sandy! If I’m feeling a little more healthy I’ll make it without the chocolate chips or replace the chocolate chips with fruit, but my favorite is definitely with the chocolate chips included. 🙂 And yes, when I reheat it I just pop into the microwave for a bit till it’s nice and warm again. It tastes almost like it’s just made when you do that.
LaTrice says
June 8, 2016 at 10:31 PMI found your blog through a Google search engine. I’m having a serious craving for oatmeal. If I were to freeze some oatmeal, do you use plastic containers or freezer bags? Thanks!!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
June 9, 2016 at 7:30 AMHi LaTrice! Yay for Google. 🙂 And you could freeze it in either, although the freezer bags might be a bit more difficult since it’s kind of moist and can be crumbly. If you are wanting to do it in individual portions, I like to do it in something that I can reheat it in since I prefer it just a tad warm. Of course you can always transfer it to a bowl or something when you want to reheat it too, if you choose to do so. I usually pop mine in the microwave for 20 seconds or so to warm it up a bit. And it’s so good with a little milk, yogurt and/or fruit. Hope that helps and that you can get that craving satisfied. 😉
Mae says
June 9, 2018 at 3:57 PMHello,
Is the 1 1/2 c of oatmeal precooked oatmeal?
Thanks
ThriftyFrugalMom says
June 11, 2018 at 11:10 PMNo, it is dry uncooked oatmeal!
Jess says
August 13, 2018 at 9:28 AMThank you for this recipe. My 6 year old triplets love it!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
October 2, 2018 at 11:46 AMTriple approval from kids? I’m flattered! 🙂 So glad you all love it.
Cordelia says
September 2, 2018 at 4:11 PMWe have our grandson visiting from CO. and I know he enjoys Baked Oatmeal. Just made it this morning before leaving for church. Wish I would have thought of the chocolate chips; I’m sure he would have it enjoyed it even more! (I only saw your recipe now.) I’m not one to cut back quickly on sugar but I knew my daughter makes a recipe very similar, using 1/2. c brown sugar. That is delicious, for those who prefer less sugar. I add 1 tsp. vanilla instead of the cinnamon. I will try the cinnamon next time, for sure! Thanks!
ThriftyFrugalMom says
September 7, 2018 at 10:51 PMThat’s so sweet of you to make him baked oatmeal! Maybe you can try the chocolate chips next time? And I think you’ll like the cinnamon. That addition is partly what I think got me hooked on this recipe and convinced me that baked oatmeal can be good!
Miriam Iwashige says
May 7, 2019 at 10:16 AMThis is an answer to a question in the comments about steel-cut oats–with some additional information thrown in. Steel cut oats are very different from rolled oats. As you probably know, oats are harvested and fed to livestock with the husk still intact. After the husk is removed for human consumption, what is left looks much like whole wheat and is called oat groats. We often add this when cooking Asian white rice. For the sake of eating more healthful food, my Asian husband likes this better than eating brown rice, since the sticky-but-not-mushy texture of Japanese rice is preserved. If oat groats are smashed flat by rolling (maybe after softening the whole grain?), the grain shape is still visible, but mostly two-dimensional rather than three-dimensional. Quick oats have these flattened rolled oats broken up into smaller pieces. Steel-cut oats are made from oat groats that have been chopped up without first being rolled. In other words, the product looks much more like bulgur (parboiled wheat–like converted brown rice) or cracked wheat cereal (not parboiled). It can be cooked and eaten just like cracked wheat cereal, which was a staple of winter breakfasts when I was growing up. That made good sense for people living in Kansas–known as the wheat state or, more grandly, as “the Bread Basket of the World.”
ThriftyFrugalMom says
May 7, 2019 at 3:28 PMInteresting! Thanks for that explanation. I never knew what the difference was before!