This Vegan Oatmeal is made with coconut flakes, ground flax seeds, fresh berries and a handful of simple & grain-free ingredients. It’s a healthy and hearty breakfast casserole that’s perfect for making in advance! Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, dairy-free and easily low carb and keto-friendly.
PIN HERE for later and follow my boards for more recipe ideas
Hearty and Healthy Vegan Oatmeal
Oatmeal is a notoriously healthy dish, but sometimes it can just taste bland. Not anymore! Once you try this Vegan Oatmeal, you’ll have a newfound appreciation for it. You can forget about soupy, mushy oatmeal, because this hearty casserole is chewy and delicious as can be. It may be a grain-free recipe, but it has just as many health benefits as regular oatmeal.
We love serving it with whipped coconut cream or dairy-free yogurt with walnuts for a nice crunch. There are endless possibilities!
It’s so easy to customize your oatmeal casserole with different toppings and pairings. My family loves having oatmeal for breakfast so you’ll find a ton of oatmeal recipes like these Baked Oatmeal Cups, Keto Overnight Oats and Paleo Oatmeal.
Is Baked Vegan Oatmeal Healthy?
This vegan baked oatmeal recipe is packed with healthy ingredients like flax seeds and coconut flakes. Flax seeds are known to boost digestive health, and the coconut provides many essential nutrients like copper and iron, which improve blood circulation. Coconut flakes also contain an important cell-protecting antioxidant called selenium. I could go on!
Let’s talk special diets. This oatmeal recipe is vegan, paleo, grain-free and gluten-free. It can also be made low-carb and keto with a few simple substitutions. Score!
Recipe Ingredients
This dairy-free oatmeal bake comes together with minimal ingredients. Feel free to adjust the lineup based on your own tastes and preferences!
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes: Unsweetened coconut will allow the flavors of the casserole to come alive.
- Flour: Or almond meal.
- Baking Powder: This will help your oatmeal bake up nice and chewy.
- Ground Cinnamon: For that warm and comforting oatmeal flavor.
- Ground Flax Seeds
- Sea Salt: Use fine rather than coarse sea salt.
- Unsweetened Almond Milk: You can use any kind of milk or milk substitute you like.
- Unsweetened Applesauce: You can sub the applesauce for 1 large egg, if you’re not vegan.
- Maple Syrup: Or Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup. If you’re not vegan, you can use honey instead.
- Vanilla Extract: For flavor.
- Fresh Blueberries: Or mixed berries of choice.
How to Make Vegan Oatmeal
Making vegan oatmeal is a breeze. You just have to mix everything together, throw it in a pan and bake!
- Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the inside of an 8X8 baking pan, or line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone liners. Set aside.
- Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the coconut, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, flax seeds and salt. Add the milk, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla and mix until combined. Gently stir in the berries. Add more milk, as needed, if the batter seems too dry.
- Assemble in Pan: Transfer to an 8×8 baking pan or divide evenly into the lined muffin cups. Top with more berries, if desired.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 28-30 minutes, or until the oatmeal is set.
- Let Cool: Let the casserole cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes to allow the oatmeal to set. Serve it warm with more milk or toppings of choice.
Tips for Success
For the very best baked oatmeal, be sure to take note of these tips and suggestions.
- Don’t Leave Out the Vanilla or Cinnamon! This oatmeal bake simply wouldn’t be the same without the warmth from the cinnamon and the sweetness from the vanilla extract. Both provide such great flavor to this dish, so you don’t want to sub either one out.
- Adjust to Taste: If you want to reduce the amount of sweetener you add or increase the number of berries or anything like that, feel free. Do what tastes good to you!
- Serve Warm: This casserole is definitely best when warm. However, you should let it cool for about 20 minutes before serving.
Can You Make This Recipe Ahead?
This casserole is a make-ahead masterpiece! The batter itself should be cooked right away, but once it’s out of the oven, breakfast is served – for days! Store the casserole in the fridge, well-covered, for up to a week. Just make sure it’s completely cooled before you chill it.
Fruit Variation Ideas
You could make this baked oatmeal recipe with different fruits every time, and it’d still be delicious! Here are some that I highly recommend trying.
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Bananas
- Raisins
- Raspberries
- Pears
- Mangos
- Pineapple
How to Store and Reheat Oatmeal
Leftover oatmeal bake keeps for a week in the fridge, if stored in an airtight container. Reheat it in an oven-safe dish for about 10 minutes at 350°F. Alternatively, you can microwave individual servings for about a minute each, or until warm.
Can I Freeze Extras?
Yes, baked oatmeal freezes well for up to 3 months! Cover the casserole tightly and wait until it’s completely cooled to freeze it. If you’d like, you can freeze individual servings, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. This makes for super quick and easy weekday breakfasts! Just transfer frozen oatmeal bake to the fridge the night before you plan to eat it so it’s thawed by morning and ready to be warmed up.
More Easy Vegan Breakfast Recipes
Want more easy and healthy homemade breakfasts? Try these recipes!
- Our Blueberry Breakfast Cookies are another great make-ahead delight.
- Overnight Oats Recipes
- This berries, oats and yogurt Breakfast Pizza is so fun to make with the little ones! And not to mention, it’s super tasty.
This Vegan Oatmeal is made with coconut flakes, ground flax seeds, fresh berries and a handful of simple & grain-free ingredients. It's a healthy and hearty breakfast casserole that's perfect for making in advance! Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, dairy-free and easily low carb and keto-friendly.
- 3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup almond flour OR almond meal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk , can sub with any milk you have
- 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce , can sub with 1 large egg if not vegan
- 2 tbsp maple syrup , can sub with yacon syrup OR Lakanto sugar-free maple syrup for low carb / keto or honey if not vegan
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries , or mixed berries of choice
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the inside of an 8X8 baking pan, or line a 12-cup muffin tin with silicone liners. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, flax seeds and salt. Add the milk, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla and mix until combined. Gently stir in the berries. Add more milk, as needed, if the batter seems too dy.
Transfer to an 8x8 baking pan or divide evenly into the lined muffin cups. Top with more berries, if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 28-30 minutes, or until the oatmeal is set. Let the casserole cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes to allow the oatmeal to set. Serve it warm with more milk or toppings of choice.
Leave a Comment