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
Hi Katie,
I had to come back and let you know I tried this today (rather than the morning after I found it!) I didn’t crisp the top of it, but it was delicious! I mixed Chobani yogurt with Neufchatel cheese for the topping. YUMM! This recipe is definitely a keeper that I’ll be making again. Next time, I’ll turn on the broiler! =)
I LOVE Ikea! Although that is probably because I am infatuated with Interior Design, but either way, furniture shopping is like entering a candy store for me 🙂 Its weird, but I cannot relate with your bored state-of-mind in Ikea as a young kid, because I thought is was a super fun store to go in as a child. My parents even offered to get a babysitter before we left, but I insisted on going.
Anyways, would it be possible to include chunks of apple in this recipe to make it a “cinnamon-apple oatmeal cake”? I think it would be scrumptious 🙂
Oh I love your idea!
This looks SO good! I’m going to make these after dinner!!
This looks so good! I remember being dragged to IKEA when I was a kid and while I don’t remember cinnamon rolls, I do remember they had awesome Mac and Cheese 🙂 YUM. Anyway I don’t know if someone has already mentioned it, but I found a great yeast-free cinnamon roll recipe that I am going to try this weekend! I’m going to copy the link here, but I’ll check back and let you know how it goes!!
http://www.dontforgetdelicious.com/2009/fastest-cinnamon-rolls/
I seriously LOVE YOU! lol Your website & recipes are out of this world! Thank you for making amazing vegan recipes, I made cinnamon roll baked oatmeal & banana pancakes for breakfast & they were amazing! I definilty will be making a ton of these recipes c: Have a great day!
aww happy Friday, Holly!
YUM! I finally got around to making these this morning and they were DELICIOUS! Totally fulfilled the sweet tooth craving, while being healthier and OH SO FILLING! I love your site and all your recipes. So many more I want to make
Made this for breakfast today and had to feature it on my blog right away! Take a look– http://itreallyworksrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/cinnamon-raisin-oat-bake-goodness.html –I’d love your feedback! Thanks for a great way to start my Saturday!! Love your recipes!
Aw I’m so excited you liked it! I love your idea to use steel oats as well :).
Can you do this with soaked oats, or is it necessary they be dry for baking? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I have never baked oatmeal. I always soak oats to make oatmeal in the morning.
Any thoughts / advice on making this in the microwave?
Sorry, I haven’t tried it. But I’d love to hear the results if you experiment!
i know i’m replying late, but maybe it’ll help someone. for the oat recipes i’ve used, for 15-20 mins in the oven, microwave for 45-60 secs. it won’t get crusty like the last step of broiling, but its still yummy 🙂
I’m (about three minutes) pregnant with baby number two. This is the ONLY thing I’ve been able to eat for the past six days. It’s good. It’s also so much better than with baby number one when all I could eat was mac and cheese!
Aw haha my mom could only eat mussels when she had me… No wonder I never liked seafood!
Congrats, btw :).
I made this recipe last week and loved it! This morning I switched out the applesauce with pureed carrots (I cheated and used some of my son’s baby food since it was ready to go). With some frosting on top, it was like eating carrot cake for breakfast. Absolutely awesome!
This recipe changed my life! Who would have thought of baked oatmeal! Divine!
I made these for my kids this morning before school. My boys are non-oatmeal eaters. If I hadn’t given birth to them I would swear they belong to someone else. But I went ahead and made these anyway b/c they are cinnamon roll eaters 🙂 You wouldn’t believe the way they scarfed these suckers down. I made enough for all four of us (me and the three boys) to have some and they were gone b/f they could get cold. Thanks for the recipe!
Aw lol that really made me smile 🙂
This looks incredible!! What kind of oats does the recipe call for?
rolled (not quick or steel-cut)
Any suggestion on how much additional liquid or applesauce to add if adding protein powder? I’d like to get around 60g of flavored protein in the mix and not sure how to change the water or applesauce amounts. Suggestions?
My dad has been trying to eat more healthy foods, and I made him this for breakfast recently. Now both of my parents are obsessed with it! I always include the peanut butter and a tablespoon of brown sugar. For whatever reason, they have not quite come around to the idea of putting chocolate in or frosting on breakfast, but this giant oatmeal cookie is ok 🙂 I just wanted to say thanks for all these recipes that taste heavenly while being healthy!