Start your day off with this delicious vegan and gluten-free baked oatmeal. Made with bananas, blueberries, and coconut for a sweet and creamy heart-healthy breakfast. Just 10 minutes of prep time!
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On most days my typical breakfast is a veggie-packed tofu scramble. In the summer, I lean more towards fruit smoothies and acai bowls. But every once in awhile, I'll get a sweet tooth and start craving baked oatmeal in the morning.
And this Coconut and Blueberry Vegan Baked Oatmeal is my go-to.
It is like an oatmeal casserole filled with fruit and packed with wholesome, heart-healthy ingredients that will not only satisfy the sweet tooth but it leaves you feeling fueled all morning long.
It's the perfect breakfast when you're craving something sweet during the 30-day cleanse.
What is Baked Oatmeal
Rather than cooked on the stovetop, baked oatmeal is made in the oven. It is made with similar ingredients - a combination of oats, fruit, nuts, and a sweetener (I choose maple syrup). Traditional Baked Oatmeal Casserole is made by combining the oats with an egg-based custard to give it a bread pudding texture that helps bind the oatmeal together.
The end result: a casserole that is somewhere between the texture of bread pudding and an oatmeal bar that allows the oats to keep their shape and texture without getting soft and mushy. Now that's my kind of oatmeal.
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ripe Bananas
- Blueberries - I recommend fresh berries but frozen will do. Just make sure to thaw frozen berries before using them. Otherwise, the berry juice will bleed into your oatmeal.
- Rolled Oats- When I make my baked oatmeal, I choose extra-thick old fashioned oats. You want oats that will keep their shape so that you can have that perfect texture. If you are gluten-free, make sure to look for gluten-free thick cut.
- Unsweetened Coconut
- Baking Powder
- Spices - You will need a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
- Coconut Milk - I recommend light canned coconut milk. For a stronger coconut flavor, feel free to use full fat just note that the nutritional information will be affected by that.
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla Extract - Use pure vanilla extra for flavor.
- Chia Seeds - This is used as a binder (egg replacer) as well as provides extra texture to the dish. Read below for more binder options.
Best Egg Replacer
Because baked oatmeal relies on custard to help hold the casserole together, we need to find a good egg replacer. And for this recipe, we've got several different options. I like the chia egg because it gives the baked oatmeal a little crunch while boosting its healthy benefits by adding one of the best superfoods available. For similar results, we could make our custard with a flax egg.
The other egg replacer I recommend is chickpea flour. Chickpea flour provides a texture much more similar to traditional baked oatmeal without adding the crunch of chia or flax seeds. To substitute chickpea flour, combine 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour with 6 tablespoons of warm water mixing it until it is thick and homogenous. Pour the chickpea eggs into the rest of the wet ingredients, omitting the chia seeds, and follow the rest of the recipe as is.
Do remember, chickpea flour does have a strong flavor when unbaked so I don't recommend trying the casserole before it's out of the oven.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a 7×11 casserole dish or similarly sized baking dish. You will also need mixing bowls and basic kitchen utensils. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets
How to make Baked Oatmeal
Step One - Assemble the Oatmes
To begin place the sliced bananas on the bottom of the dish. Top with ½ cup of blueberries (or berries of choice) and set aside.
Next mix together your dry ingredients - that's your oats, spices, nuts, and baking powder - in one bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and chia seeds.
Evenly cover the bananas and blueberries with the oatmeal mixture. Slowly pour the wet ingredients over the oats so that the oats are evenly saturated. You may need to press down on the oats with your hands to fully saturate them.
Step Two - Bake and Cool
Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown and oatmeal is baked all the way through. There should be a slight wiggle to the oatmeal. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before slicing.
Serving and Storing
Serving - When the edges are golden brown, your oatmeal is done. There should be a slight wiggle to the oatmeal. Remove it from the oven and let the oatmeal cool 10 minutes before slicing up and serving. To serve, top baked oatmeal with fresh berries, nuts, and maple syrup.
Enjoy as a stand alone breakfast or part of a bigger brunch with a tofu scramble and a Chai Tea Latte.
Storing - If you have leftovers, tightly wrap the oatmeal and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. To serve, gently reheat the oatmeal in the oven or microwave.
Variations of Baked Oatmeal
Among the things I love about baked oatmeal is there are so many flavor combinations.
- Peaches & Berries - Swap out bananas for peaches. Use berries of choice and omit the coconut.
- Chocolate Raspberry - Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and an extra 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the wet ingredients. Swap blueberries for raspberries.
- Banana & Chocolate Chip: Omit the berries and coconut. Fold in chocolate chips before baking.
- Banana Ginger - Add ½" fresh ginger, minced or grated into the wet ingredients. Omit the coconut and berries.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
More Vegan Oatmeal Recipes
- Strawberries & Cream Overnight Oats
- Blueberry Coconut Overnight Oats
- Creamy Vegan Matcha Oatmeal
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Steel Cut Oats
Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, thinly sliced
- 1 cup blueberries, divided (you could also use blackberries or raspberries)
- 2 ½ cups thick gluten-free rolled oats
- ¼ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1 (14 oz) can light coconut milk
- ½ cup pure maple syrup + more for topping
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 7x11 dish. A 9x9 square pan will work as well.
- Place the sliced bananas on the bottom of the dish. Top with ½ cup of blueberries (or berries of choice) and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the oats, coconut, baking powder, salt, and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and chia seeds.
- Evenly cover the bananas and blueberries with the oatmeal mixture. Slowly pour the wet ingredients over the oats so that the oats are evenly saturated. You may need to press down on the oats with your hands to fully saturate them.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is golden brown and oatmeal is baked all the way through. There should be a slight wiggle to the oatmeal. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with fresh berries, maple syrup, coconut, and pecans.
Notes
- Peaches & Berries - Swap out bananas for peaches. Use berries of choice and omit the coconut.
- Chocolate Raspberry - Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and an extra 2 tablespoons of maple syrup to the wet ingredients. Swap blueberries for raspberries.
- Banana & Chocolate Chip: Omit the berries and coconut. Fold in chocolate chips before baking.
- Banana Ginger - Add ½" fresh ginger, minced or grated into the wet ingredients. Omit the coconut and berries.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Tracy says
I love this baked oatmeal! I’ve made it several times and it’s always so good. I’ll try some of the suggested variations next. Thank you!
Peggy Gauger says
I made this today, and used peaches instead of blueberries. It is delicious and quick! I love baked oatmeal, and this is my new favorite recipe! I thought it was plenty sweet without adding any extra maple syrup. Pecans on top are great too!
Carolyn says
Thank you!! This was amazing and better yet all 4 of my kids loved it! Would this be okay to prep the night before? I'd love to have it in the oven and the timer set to do the cooking before I wake ?
Sarah says
I believe that would be fine!
Alex says
This looks fitting for my sweet-tooth. Thank you for sharing with such detail.
Geraldine says
This looks amazing going to try it
Bryan says
This recipe looks really good! I've never tried baked oatmeal before but I think it'd be a great breakfast! thank you