Protein Baked Oatmeal
on Oct 13, 2020, Updated Nov 17, 2025
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This vegan protein baked oatmeal is super easy to make in one dish in 30 minutes for the perfect make-ahead breakfast or snack.
Featured Review
Yum! I followed this as listed, using frozen blueberries, and it’s delicious! A great way to use my beloved protein powders without pulling out the blender. Thank you for this!!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jennifer
Why You’ll Love Protein Baked Oatmeal
Protein baked oatmeal is perfect for a make-ahead breakfast or meal prep snack. Here’s what we love about it:
- Customize with add-ins like chocolate chips or berries.
- Made all in one dish.
- Gluten-free, vegan, nut-free and soy-free.
- No added sugar.
- Low in fat, high in protein.
- Source of fibre.
- 9 grams of protein per serving.
- 140 calories per serving.
For a variation, these Vegan Chocolate Protein Baked Oatmeal Bars or you can try these Easy Vegan Banana Baked Oatmeal or Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal or Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal for baked oats without protein.
Ingredient Notes
The base ingredients for protein baked oatmeal are oats, milk, flax, banana and protein powder. From there you can experiment with add ins like nuts, berries, seeds or chocolate chips.
Here are a few notes on the basic ingredients:
- Oats: I’d recommend large flake or rolled oats but quick oats are also suitable.
- Milk: You can use any unsweetened non-dairy milk like almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk.
- Ground Flax: You can use ground flax seeds or chia seeds for binding since the recipe does not contain eggs. We found flax to produce a firmer, more structured bar but both work well.
- Banana: Use a ripe or slightly overripe banana.
- Protein Powder: Use plant-based vanilla protein powder. Make sure you like the flavour before using as it will contribute to the overall flavour of the bars! You can substitute another protein flavour if you like.
- Extras: Cinnamon, salt and vanilla extract are suggested for flavor but not required.
This list is not complete. Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.
Variations & Additions
There are many different ways to make protein baked oatmeal! Here are some ideas to customize the recipe:
- Berries: Fresh or frozen berries of choice are recommended. You can use blueberries, blackberries, raspberries or sliced strawberries. Blueberry banana or strawberry banana is a good combo! Diced apples work well here too.
- Chocolate Chip Baked Oats: Add up to 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the batter.
- Maple Nut: Add 2 tbsp maple syrup and up to 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Carrot Cake: Add up to 1 cup finely grated carrot to the mixture. A pinch of ginger and nutmeg goes well here and you can consider other add-ins like walnuts, coconut or raisins.
- Dried Fruit: Try raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots, dates or cherries.
- Seeds: Try hemp seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
- Morning Glory: Add pumpkin seeds, carrot, raisins and walnuts.
- Powdered Peanut Butter: Replace one scoop of the protein powder with 1/3 cup powdered peanut butter for peanut butter protein oats.
- Additional Spices: Cinnamon is recommended but spices like ginger, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves all work well for flavor variations.
How to Make Protein Baked Oatmeal
Step 1. Add the banana to a 7-8 inch square baking dish. Mash with a fork until it resembles a paste.
Step 2. Add the vanilla and plant-based milk and stir to combine.
Step. 3. Add the oats, flax, protein, sea salt and cinnamon to the wet ingredients and stir into a thick mixture.
Step 4. Stir your choice of add-ins such as fresh or frozen berries or chocolate chips into the oat mixture, or leave them plain.
Bake for 30 minutes, let cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes to allow to firm into bars. This isn’t required but the bars will be firmer if you let them cool a while.
Serve with a drizzle of peanut butter, sunflower seed butter or almond butter, Greek yogurt, coconut yogurt, banana, walnuts or any other topping you desire.
You can enjoy them as a snack bar or heated in a bowl with oatmeal toppings like maple syrup, yogurt and more berries.
Expert Tips
- Depending on if you flax or chia, you may find the bars are more or less firm. Either way, if you let them cool in the pan they’ll firm into a solid bar you can eat as a snack. If you don’t mind them a bit more mushy, you can slice from the pan right away.
- If you’re using frozen berries, it’s suggested to sprinkle them over the top of the bars before baking and press them down a bit rather than mix them in.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Baked oats work great for making in advance for meal prep. They can be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Fridge: Let cool them store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freezer: Freeze bars in a freezer-safe container or freeze-bag for up to 3 months. Recommended to wrap the bars individually in plastic wrap. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheating: Can be enjoyed cold or reheated in the oven or microwave until heated to your preference.
Yes. To freeze, be sure to cool completely. Portion into servings and store in in individual containers or silicone bags or in one container or freezer-bag with parchment or wax paper between the bars or individually wrapped to prevent them from sticking together. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge.
No, this recipe is not suitable for steel cut oats but you can use this Apple Baked Steel Cut Oats recipe.
You can use any plant-based protein powder. Vegan vanilla protein powder is recommended but you can also use chocolate protein powder for chocolate protein baked oatmeal. This recipe has not been tested with whey protein.
Protein baked oatmeal is gluten-free but be sure to gluten-free certified oats to avoid cross-contamination if celiac or otherwise needed.
If you try this Protein Baked Oatmeal recipe or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
More Recipes to Try!
Protein Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe banana, 120 g
- 1.5 cups unsweetened plant-based milk, 375 mL
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, optional
- 2 cups rolled oats or large flake oats, 200 g
- 2 servings vanilla plant-based protein powder, 60 g
- 2 tbsp ground flax seed or chia seeds, 14 g
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional
- 1/2 tsp salt, optional
- 1 cup fresh or frozen berries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Add the banana to a 7-8 inch square baking dish and mash with a fork until it resembles a paste.
- Add the milk and vanilla and stir to combine.
- Add everything else, except for the berries or other add-ins and stir until fully combined.
- Mix in your choice of add-ins such as fresh or frozen berries, chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, grated carrot or chopped dried fruit. If you're using frozen berries, it's suggested to sprinkle them over top of the bars and press them in a bit rather than mix them in.
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and firm.
- Remove from the oven and let sit cool in the pan for 20-30 minutes before slicing. Cooling is not required but the bars will be firm and set if you let them cool fist. Serve warm with your favourite oatmeal toppings like peanut butter and yogurt or enjoy as a snack bar.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 6, 2017.
Do you have any suggestions for making these into a bar with more of a granola bar consistency? (soft/chewy or a little crunchy)
It would be a whole different recipe sorry! I do have a baked granola bar recipe and a no-bake protein bar recipe but this recipe is just going to be soft and a little mushy, like oatmeal, haha. Thanks!