Can I use quick oats?

No. I would not substitute quick oats for old-fashioned oats. This will results in a super dry baked oatmeal as it cooks really fast.

Do I have to use frozen mixed berries?

Not at all. You can use any berry you prefer. While I don't think strawberries work that well since they get mushy when cooked, I personally think the combo of blueberries and blackberries is the best. With that said, you decide on what you want to use.

Can I use fresh berries instead of frozen?

Yes! If you are using fresh berries instead of frozen add 1/4 cup extra almond milk.

Does this freeze well?

Yes it does! I prefer to freeze it in individual servings as it thaws more quickly.

Can I use a different kind of nut?

Yes! I know some who prefer walnut over pecans, and I think that would work great in this recipe.

Can I use regular milk instead of almond?

Absolutely! I prefer to use almond milk just because it is lighter in calories. Any type of milk will work great in this recipe.

Healthy Baked Berry Oatmeal - Baking It Beautiful

The Story Behind the Recipe

I love oatmeal. Period.

Seriously, I went an entire year where I ate oatmeal every single morning for breakfast. And this was no normal oatmeal at that. I loved to use Clean Simple Eats protein powder to make protein oats. Maybe it sounds gross to you, but I couldn’t get enough.

One of my favorites was a Banana Bread oatmeal. I think ate that one for at least 2 months straight. I had never mashed up bananas into my oatmeal before. I actually knocked it when I saw my sister-in-law do the same thing about a year prior. Lesson learned. Don’t knock it before you try it.

I would rotate between chocolate and peanut butter oats, gingerbread, and raspberry. Some mornings I even had a hard time deciding on which one I really wanted. Almost always though, there were a few dark chocolate chips and a little squirt of Redi whip whipped cream. Let’s be honest, those few extra calories are totally worth it.

Not only do I love oatmeal, but I also have a few oatmeal loving kids. One kid love the Quaker bananas and cream oatmeal with a big spoonful of peanut butter mixed in. Seriously, what kid wants the bananas and cream oatmeal? Isn’t that the least favorite amongst most kids?

Another kid loves strawberries and cream oatmeal topped with a few chocolate chips. They both love this oatmeal, especially straight out of the oven. This sounds like my type of oatmeal.

Last year, I was gearing up for a surgery and I was prepared. My house had never been cleaner and my fridge and freezer had never been more stocked.

I decided to make a protein baked oatmeal and then freeze individual servings. I did this because I couldn’t trust my husband to get my protein oats cooked just right, so this was just easier.

This recipe is inspired by that same Clean Simple Eats. Although, I’ve made it a little easier to understand and to bake without using protein powder. It is still delicious, especially when you top it with some lightly sweetened whipped cream.