Quickly assemble baked oats for one and let your oven do all the work while you're getting ready for the day. Or try these overnight oats: Overnight Oats with Yogurt, Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats, and Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats.
[This recipe was originally posted in May 2021. It has been updated with new photos, cooking instructions, expert tips, FAQ, related recipes, video and ways to repurpose/use up ingredients]
Table of contents
How will this oatmeal recipe make your life easier?
Make these baked oats for one and you won't need to figure out how to use up leftovers from traditional baked oatmeal. It just takes a few minutes to throw together, then you can let your oven do all the cooking work while you get ready for the day.
If you want to make your life even easier, I recommend doubling this baked oats recipe and spooning it into a muffin tin. You'll get individual servings that you can freeze for later and save time. It's a great trick when you cook for one. Instructions below.
What makes single serving baked oatmeal so good?
How to make baked oats for one?
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add rolled (old-fashioned) oats, egg, banana, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, ground flaxseed, and milk to a medium mixing bowl.
After these ingredients are well incorporated, fold frozen berries into oatmeal mixture. Cut larger berries into bite sized pieces.
Spray small ramekin or baking dish, then pour oatmeal into it.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until oatmeal top is golden brown and cooked through. Test with a fork or toothpick. Eat your baked oats for one immediately (with a smear of peanut butter), or refrigerate for later. This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.
How to make oatmeal cups instead
This baked oats for one recipe is great, it works if you have the desire and time to bake your oats for about 30 minutes before eating. Honestly, I want my weekday breakfasts quicker. I'd make ahead this recipe, or on a morning when I have a bit more time.
If you want to have single serving breakfasts for a couple days, try this: double this recipe, then divide between sprayed muffin cups. This recipe makes between 6-8 muffin cups. Refrigerate/freeze until you're ready to pop them in the microwave!
Substitutions/Tips
- Easily double this baked oats for one recipe for more breakfasts. Use a larger pan or bake in a muffin tin. Freeze any you won't eat within about 5 days.
- You can use a frozen banana or a fresh one. Either way, choose a really ripe one.
- Substitute the frozen berries with fresh ones or other fruit. Cut to the size of blueberries so they're not too big to make the cups soggy.
- Refrigerate your oatmeal for up to 5 days.
- Other add-ins: Peanut butter (or add a smear to it when you're ready to eat it), chocolate chips, other fruit, chia seeds, etc.
FAQ
My friend, dietitian and chef-Julie Harrington breaks down the difference between quick oats/1 minute oats and rolled oats/old fashioned oats HERE. 1 minute oats in may break apart in this oats recipe, use rolled/old fashioned oats.
Yes, since the eggs in it have been cooked it's safe to keep out. But I recommend refrigerating these oats so it lasts longer. Even though this is a 1 serving recipe, you may eat more/less so it's always good to know options.
Oats are great because you can add more flavors to them than anyone can count. This simple baked oats for one recipe is one option, High Protein Granola, Apple Pie Overnight Oats, Banana Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins, or Oatmeal Cherry Bars.
What can I make with leftover ingredients?
- Oats: Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal, Oatmeal Cherry Bars, Protein Granola
- Berries: (just swap berries for what you have) Strawberry Banana PB Smoothie, Blueberry Chocolate Muffins, Blueberry Oreo Ice Cream.
- Eggs: Sausage Egg Casserole, Breakfast Egg Sandwiches, Freezer Breakfast Tacos
Did you make this baked oats for one recipe? Leave me a comment & rating to share how it turned out!
Baked Oats for One
Equipment
- medium mixing bowl
- rubber spatula
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- 7 ounce****** ramekin or your smallest baking dish
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned oats aka rolled oats
- 1 whole egg
- ½ medium ripe banana fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon ground flaxseeds or chia seeds
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ cup frozen berries frozen
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add ½ cup old fashioned oats, egg, ½ medium ripe banana, 1 teaspoon ground flax, ½ teaspoon vanilla, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅓ c milk to a medium mixing bowl. Mix with a rubber spatula until combined.
- After oatmeal is mixed together, fold in ½ cup frozen mixed berries.
- Spray ramkein or baking dish.
- Pour batter into ramkein. Transfer to the oven to cook for 30-40 minutes, or until top is browned and toothpick comes out clean.
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for longer. Heat leftovers in microwave and slather some peanut butter on top if desired.
Video
Notes
- Double the recipe for leftovers
- Divide between muffin cups for hand held breakfast
- You can use a fresh or frozen banana and berries
- I used frozen mixed berries, use the type of berries you'd like. Just cut bigger berries into blueberry sized pieces.
- This takes 30-40 minutes to bake, and is quite thick. Use a larger dish for thinner oatmeal to cut down on baking time, which varies based on the size of your dish.
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Nathan says
I've never had something like these oatmeal cups before, what a fantastic idea! I'm always looking for easy and healthy breakfasts, so I'm definitely going to be trying these out 🙂
Kate says
Love this idea so much - I'm totally an oatmeal addict, I have it almost every morning but prepping ahead is the way forward, mornings are too busy to be doing all that prep!
Rebecca says
totally agree! baking it ahead of time makes life so much easier
Liz says
Such a perfect breakfast recipe! I love how easy this is for busy mornings when we're trying to get everyone out the door!
Rebecca says
oh it's the perfect on the go or quick to eat breakfast for sure
Erica says
The single serving size for these is absolutely wonderful for my freezer. Thanks!
Rebecca says
totally agree!
Jill says
Not sure why I hadn't thought to make baked oatmeal in individual serving sizes like this before. Thank you for this recipe!
Deirdre says
I've totally committed to making our oatmeal this way, no more throwing out old congealed uneaten oatmeal! They taste so great as well.
Rebecca says
totally agree! This is the way to batch prep oatmeal for sure