This cinnamon roll baked oatmeal recipe is a sweet, gooey, fluffy and ultra delicious healthy breakfast that tastes like dessert!
Healthy cinnamon roll baked oats
I blame Ikea.
It is impossible to walk out of that store not craving cinnamon rolls.
The aroma of their freshly baked rolls permeates the entire warehouse, as if they’ve sprayed cinnamon scented perfume in every room.
I spent yesterday afternoon happily shopping for furniture while dreaming of soft homemade cinnamon rolls.
Wanting a healthier option, I baked up this wholesome single serving cinnamon roll baked oatmeal for breakfast the next morning.
It gives you all the gooey comforting goodness of a classic cinnamon roll, with whole grains, fiber, and protein at the same time!
You may also like: Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Step by step recipe video
Key ingredients
Rolled oats – You need a half cup of old fashioned rolled oats or quick oats. For gluten free baked oatmeal, use certified gluten free oats or substitute rolled quinoa flakes.
Applesauce – I like applesauce (sweetened or unsweetened) because it compliments the cinnamon flavor. You can swap mashed banana, pumpkin puree, or Greek yogurt for a high protein boost.
Sweetener – Liquid sweeteners like honey or pure maple syrup work well. Or if you want a breakfast with no sugar added, use the equivalent sweetness amount of stevia.
Cinnamon – The star of the show. It wouldn’t be a cinnamon roll without ground cinnamon! Play around with complimentary spices if you wish, such as a pinch of ginger, nutmeg, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice.
Nut butter (optional) – A tablespoon of a neutral tasting nut butter (like cashew or almond butter) or melted coconut oil adds incredible richness and really makes it feel like you’re eating dessert.
Add ins of choice – Feel free to stir in a spoonful of raisins or dates, dried figs or cranberries, chopped walnuts, chia seeds, or finely diced apple.
Other ingredients – The dessert baked oatmeal recipe also calls for pure vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, and water or milk of choice.
While the cinnamon is out, make Baked Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
How to make cinnamon roll baked oatmeal
- Start by preheating your oven to 375° Fahrenheit (190° Celsius). Alternatively, you can cook the recipe in a microwave or preheated toaster oven.
- Grease a one cup ramekin, mini loaf pan, or small heat-safe dish with oil or fat free spray. Want a double layer cinnamon roll oatmeal cake? Grease two half cup ramekins instead, or line the bottoms with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, stir the oats, cinnamon, salt, and any other dry ingredients.
- Whisk in the applesauce, water, sweetener, nut butter, vanilla extract, and all remaining ingredients.
- Spread the uncooked mixture into the prepared dish or pan.
- Bake on the center rack of your oven for fifteen minutes, or microwave until fully cooked. (Microwave time should take around one to three minutes and will vary depending on the wattage of your machine.)
- Let cool, then frost if desired and enjoy for breakfast, snack, or dessert.
- For optimal freshness, refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to five days. Or freeze in an airtight container for up to two months. Thaw or reheat frozen oatmeal before eating.
Prefer traditional cinnamon rolls? Try these Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Frosting the cinnamon oatmeal
Protein frosting: Top the oats with your favorite thick yogurt or dairy free alternative. Mix in a scoop of vanilla protein powder or sweetener to taste if desired.
Cream cheese frosting: Use store bought icing or whip up the quick homemade cream cheese frosting written out in my recipe for Carrot Cake Bars.
Powdered sugar glaze: Stir two tablespoons powdered sugar with a few drops water, milk, or lemon juice. If glaze is too thick, add more liquid.
Coconut butter frosting: This is one of my personal favorites. Spread your oatmeal with warmed buttery Coconut Butter. You may not even need additional sweetener.
Other options: Eat the cinnamon roll baked oatmeal plain, topped with mashed banana, or spread with almond, apple or pumpkin butter.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if IKEA bottled their cinnamon scent and sold it as perfume?
Or maybe I am the only one who wants to smell like a giant cinnamon bun…
Just thinking out loud here…
The recipe was inspired by my Vegan Cinnamon Rolls.
Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (45g)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup applesauce (60g) (or pumpkin, yogurt, or mashed banana)
- 1/4 cup water (60g)
- 1 1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup (22g) or stevia to taste
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp almond butter or coconut oil, optional (15g)
- 1 spoonful raisins or chopped walnuts, optional
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit (190° Celsius). Alternatively, you can bake the recipe in a microwave or preheated toaster oven.
- 2. Grease a one cup ramekin, heat-safe dish, or mini loaf pan with oil, or line the bottom with parchment paper.
- 3. Stir together all dry ingredients. Whisk in wet to form a batter.
- 4. Spread into the prepared ramekin, then bake on the center rack of the oven for fifteen minutes. (If using a microwave, cook 1-3 minutes or until fluffy. Time will vary based on wattage of your machine.)
- 5. Let cool, then serve and enjoy. Frosting ideas are included above if you want to ice your cinnamon roll baked oatmeal.
Video
Notes
More delicious oatmeal recipes
Katie, your blog has changed my life! You are making it so much easier for me to transition to Vegan. I’ve made the pumpkin boatmeal twice and the cinnamon bun three times! My husband had a few bites of one and declared it dessert–then requested his own. This is just awesome. Thanks!
Awww you are too sweet, Vicki!
Hi Katie!
I was wondering if you would ever consider coming up with a recipe for actual cinnamon rolls. Most of the recipes I’ve found are intimidating because they involve yeast and too many steps and time. Or they’re just plain unhealthy. It would be great to see a cinnamon roll recipe that’s healthy, uses whole wheat flour, doesn’t use yeast, and is quick and easy. I know you would be the perfect person to come up with a healthy cinnamon roll recipe, because all of your other baked goods are so creative and delicious! I love your blog!
I do have a recipe I haven’t posted yet… but it does have yeast :(. I’ve been trying to do a yeast-free one, but with all whole-wheat flour, it just is so dense. I tried spelt flour too, but it was still dense. But I am definitely still working on it! 🙂
Good to know! Can’t wait for the recipe 🙂 Thanks!
Okay, so I’m not sure if someone else posted this but, I thought you might be interested to know that “pleasant scents” such as cinnamon have shown in consumer studies to influence people to purchase more. So, it’s not just able getting you to buy the buns, it’s about opening your mind to purchasing more furniture too.
That’s also why the stores next CinnaBon at the mall are such great “real estate”
Just FYI.
Wow, I am so going to pay attention to that next time I go to the mall. I’m curious what stores are next to the Cinnabon now!
Forgive me if this has been previously asked, but how many servings does this make? Would it work in a muffin pan? This will be my first attempt at Boatmeal 🙂
Thanks!
It serves one :). I have never tried it in a muffin pan… but I think other commenters have, so I think it would work. But I can’t say for sure. Maybe it would make 2 muffins?
I made it this morning for the first time – and yep, it worked out perfectly to 2 regular sized muffins. I still need to play around with the sweetness level, but for my first time eating oatmeal, they weren’t bad. And kept me full until lunchtime – so all the better!
Do you think this recipe would transfer well to a crockpot? We don’t have a stove/oven right now…everything is either cooked in my crockpot or a toaster oven. Thoughts?
To be honest, I don’t know much about crock pots at all :-?. But I do know that a lot of people HAVE made it in a toaster oven! 🙂
Oh goodness me. Oh my. This rocks. My butter of choice to slather on was the vegan smart balance:) though if I’d had apple butter I might have tried that…
Hi Katie,
Just wanted to say thanks for another great recipe! I am traveling for work this week and these little babies will make perfect snacks while I’m on the road. I added a scoop of unflavoured protein powder and doubled the recipe, which made four boatmeal muffins. Posted the link to the recipe and your site to my blog; hope you don’t mind!
Have a great week,
Kat
Yes I like Ikea very much … mainly because a lot of their furniture is on wheels. I resist the cinnamon bun aroma for fear that it will awaken my dormant sweet tooth.
To give a butter flavor without the extra fat or calories (if you’re on a diet or watching either of those) you can use Butter Buds 🙂
Katie, this looks legitimately delicious and I can’t wait to make it…. my roommates probably think I’m crazy bc I’m always looking at your recipes and making them in my dorm ha 🙂 Thank you for delicious nutritious meals and desserts
I’m making this as we speak. I have no doubts it’s delish. I’ve made it on form of another on my own over the years, but not in this shape. Now Katie — dumb question — where can I buy a ramekin? What are they, ceramic? Right now I’m using 2 muffin compartments in my 12 muffin tray.
Had to write back. Egads, this is just delicious. No topping used. I’m thinking next time maybe add some diced apple pieces for a more apple-y taste? Thanks Katie, I’m going to post about you one day soon on my vegan meetups.
Had to write back. Egads, this is just delicious. No topping used. I’m thinking next time maybe add some diced apple pieces for a more apple-y taste? Thanks Katie. I just posted about CCK here: http://www.meetup.com/Vegan-Long-Island/messages/boards/thread/19728582/#64941922
Aww thank you, Paula!!
Most dishware stores have ramekins in the baking section. Pier One, Crate n Barrel, or even places like Super Target! Maybe even Wal Mart…
Thanks. Ya think this recipe could be made with quinoa (maybe it would have to be cooked first) instead of oatmeal? And I’m thinking of putting in flax or chia seeds … so many ways to improvise!
FYI — I made a batch using quinoa (no oatmeal) and it didn’t hold together.
I got my ramekins (2 for now) and I like how these come out better than a muffin pan. Also, Katie, I improvised on the recipe and added some chopped walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, dried ginger bits, coconut flakes, chia & flax seeds, raisins and agave. There are an endless amount of variations on the basic recipe here. Thank you for this recipe … now I have something to take with me that’s healthy and delicious (I warm them up) when I have my coffee at Starbucks. Make all those soupy oatmeal eaters jealous!