Protein Baked Oatmeal
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Published Sep 14, 2022, Updated Jun 28, 2024
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Have your oatmeal and get your protein in with this protein baked oatmeal! It’s easy to make, perfect for meal prep and packs over 17 grams of protein per serving.
One of the most popular questions I receive when it comes to baked oatmeal is “can I add protein powder to baked oatmeal?” While you can definitely add protein powder to any of my baked oatmeal recipes I thought it was time to create a specific protein baked oatmeal recipe.
Oatmeal on its own is not super protein-rich and can sometimes leave me feeling hungry 1 hour after eating it, which is why I’m all about adding protein and healthy fats to help keep me full and satisfied all morning long!
I’ve previously created protein overnight oats and protein oatmeal recipes, but this protein baked oatmeal might just be my new favorite way to eat protein oats (aka proats)!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make and only requires one bowl and one pan!
- Perfect for an on-the-go breakfast for busy days.
- It’s gluten-free, dairy-free and can easily be made vegan!
- Has 17 grams of protein per serving!

Ingredients Needed
- old fashioned rolled oats – my fave brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten free old fashioned rolled oats.
- vanilla protein powder – for this recipe I used the vanilla Warrior blend by Sun Warrior, but feel free to use your favorite brand of protein powder. Nuzest is also one of my favorite brands. It’s plant-based and has a minimal, clean ingredient list. Plus, the chocolate flavor is delish. You can use my code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.
- unsweetened almond milk – I used unsweetened almond milk, but any non-dairy milk will work.
- peanut butter – adds some more protein and great flavor to this baked oatmeal. Feel free to use your favorite nut or seed butter.
- eggs – the eggs will help bind all the ingredients together. See vegan alternatives below.
- maple syrup – pure maple syrup is the perfect natural sweetener to use for baked oatmeal in my opinion! Just be sure to use pure maple syrup, not the artificial kind labeled “pancake syrup” and made from corn syrup… NOT the same!
- coconut oil – make sure you’re using coconut oil that’s melted. I’ve purchased several different brands of coconut oil before, but Nutiva organic extra virgin coconut oil is my favorite.
- vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer.
- salt – can’t forget the salt! This brings all the ingredients together.
- fresh blueberries – I love the addition of fresh blueberries in this baked oatmeal. Frozen berries will also work.

Substitutions & Notes
- Protein powder: I prefer to use a plant-based vanilla protein powder, but feel free to use your favorite flavor and brand of protein powder. I’m sure whey protein or hemp protein would both work, I’m just not sure what the end result would taste like as I haven’t tried either of these options. If you don’t have protein powder on hand I suggest making one of my other 22+ baked oatmeal recipes instead.
- Peanut butter: If you have a peanut allergy or don’t have any on hand, feel free to swap it out with any nut or seed butter. Almond butter would be my second choice, but cashew butter, tahini or sunflower seed butter are all great options.
- Eggs: To make this recipe vegan use flax eggs or chia eggs instead or regular eggs.
- Maple syrup: Feel free to use your favorite liquid sweetener like honey or agave. To keep this recipe low-sugar use monk fruit maple syrup.
- Blueberries: I prefer fresh blueberries, but you could really use any fruit of your choice. Some options I would try are strawberries, raspberries, cherries or blackberries. If you want to skip the fruit and add a different mix-in, go for it! Chocolate chips or chopped nuts would both be delicious.
- Want to make this a blended baked oatmeal? If you’re a fan of the blended baked oats and want to make a blended version of this protein baked oatmeal just add all the ingredients (except for the berries) to a blender and blend until smooth, add blueberries, pour into a baking dish and bake!

How to Make
Just like all of my baked oatmeal recipes this one is super easy to whip up. Start by preheating your oven to 375°F and spraying an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray or oil. You could also line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl mix together the oats, protein powder, almond milk, peanut butter, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt. Once combined, stir in the blueberries and carefully pour the mixture into baking dish. Top it off with additional blueberries.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center is set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Portion and serve with a drizzle of nut butter!

What to Serve With Baked Oatmeal
This baked oatmeal is packed with fiber, healthy fats and 17 grams of protein per serving, so it’s a great breakfast option and can definitely be eaten on its own, but if you want to serve it with some sides here are some ideas that would pair well with it:
- A savory egg dish – baked egg muffins , egg white bites, dairy-free spinach quiche or kale and feta crustless quiche
- A fresh fruit salad – easy fruit salad or fruit salad with mint
- Meat – regular bacon, tempeh bacon, chicken sausage, breakfast sausage or veggie sausage
- Yogurt – a side yogurt bowl

Can I Make Baked Oatmeal Ahead of Time
Yes, you can totally make baked oatmeal ahead of time. Here are a couple of options that work well.
OPTION 1: BAKE AND THEN REHEAT BEFORE SERVING
- Prepare baked oatmeal as the recipe suggests. Once baked, let the oatmeal cool, cover the baking dish and place in the fridge. You can do this 1-2 days in advance. When you’re ready to serve, take the baked oatmeal from the fridge, cover with foil, and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. For individual portions, set the toaster oven to 350°F and bake for 5-10 minutes. Or you could use a microwave for 1 minute.
OPTION 2: PREP AS MUCH AS YOU CAN WITHOUT BAKING
- Mix all your dry ingredients together in a large bowl, cover, and let sit out on the counter until morning.
- Mix together all the wet ingredients in a different bowl, cover, and store in the fridge until morning.
- In the morning just mix your dry and wet ingredients together and pour the mixture into your baking pan, and prepare in the oven as suggested above.

How to Store and Reheat
This baked oatmeal is a great meal prep recipe and stores really well in the fridge or freezer.
In the fridge: store in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
In the freezer: store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When freezing, I recommend cutting the oatmeal into portions, wrapping each in plastic wrap and placing the portions in a large freezer bag. The individual servings make it easier for reheating.
To reheat the entire pan of baked oatmeal: cover with foil and reheat in the oven at 350ºF for about 20 minutes or until warm.
To reheat individual portions: set oven or toaster oven to 350ºF and bake for 5-10 minutes. You can also reheat in the microwave for 1 minute. Once warm, add your toppings and enjoy!

FAQ’s
For this recipe I used Sun Warrior, but Nuzest is also one of my favorite brands. I have a more detailed guide on the best protein powders out there if you’re interested in learning more.
The one fault oatmeal has is that it’s usually not very high in protein. For those of you that think oatmeal isn’t very filling or you’re hungry 1 hour after eating it, all you need to do is add some protein and healthy fat. That’s why I’m a huge supporter of making protein oatmeal. Adding protein powder to my oatmeal ensures that breakfast will keep me full for hours and the vanilla protein powder I use adds extra flavor (and sweetness) as well.
You can use steel cut or quick/instant oats for baked oatmeal, but you need to follow a recipe that calls for those oats because the liquid ratio is different. I do have a baked steel cut oatmeal recipe I would suggest making if you’re looking for a recipe that calls for steel cut oats.
This recipe is a bit soft, but shouldn’t be too soggy. If yours turns out super gooey or soggy, you either added too much milk, or you might need to cook it longer.
Definitely! Adding protein powder to recipes is a great way to make certain ones more filling and add more protein to your diet. I bake with protein powder all the time and have so many protein recipes here on EBF.
Everything You Need to Make Protein Baked Oatmeal

Bob’s Red Mill Organic Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, 32-ounce (Pack of 4)
Buy Now →
8×8 inch Square Porcelain Baking Dish
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Glass Food Storage Container with Silicone Sleeve
Buy Now →More Protein-Packed Recipes
- Protein Overnight Oats
- Protein Cake
- Protein Brownies
- Protein Cookies
- Protein Waffles
- PB&J Protein Yogurt Bowl
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- One Pan Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Coffee Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Coffee Baked Oatmeal
- Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal
Be sure to check out all of my baked oatmeal recipes as well as all of the protein recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.

Protein Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder, I used Sun Warrior
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk, or any dairy-free milk
- ¼ cup peanut butter, or any nut butter
- 2 large eggs, or flax eggs
- 3 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup fresh blueberries, plus more for topping
- nut butter, for drizzling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, protein powder, almond milk, peanut butter, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and salt.
- Stir in blueberries and carefully pour oatmeal mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with additional blueberries.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until center is set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Portion and serve with a drizzle of nut butter.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Equipment
- 8-inch Baking Dish (my favorite for baked oatmeal)
Another great EBF recipe! I made it with cows skim milk (in Australia, not sure what the US equivalent is, it’s too confusing lol) and it worked really well. Anyone tried freezing it? Look forward to making it again.
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Anna. You can definitely freeze this. I prefer to freeze it in individual portions to make defrosting easier, but you can also freeze the entire baked oatmeal if you prefer. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight and reheat if desired or serve cold!
Can I use egg whites instead?
Hi Carol – Egg whites should work just fine as a substitute! Let me know how this one turns out for you if you make it.
Made today and wow! So good! Made as written with 2 changes because of what I had on hand– Bob’s Protein Oats in place of old fashioned rolled oats and homemade vanilla xylitol syrup in place of maple syrup. Used oat milk and sunflower seed butter. Frozen mixed berries. Threw it all in a food processor (except berries) to chop up the oats a bit. It came out absolutely perfect! Delicious and filling, not too sweet, a great start to the day. Love how versatile this recipe is, too. Thank you so much for creating and sharing this, Brittany! 💙
Thanks for sharing your substitutions, Holly! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂
Can I make this without protein powder?
Hey Rebecca – I’d make my blueberry baked oatmeal recipe instead. That one doesn’t have protein powder in it.
I used this as a guideline since I didn’t actually have protein powder on hand. I left that out and did 1 cup dairy milk and 1 cup sourdough discard. I also added about 1tsp baking powder to react with the sourdough. I used frozen berries instead of fresh. It was very nice served warm with a side of cottage cheese. My husband and toddler agreed. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Jennifer! Love that you got creative with the sourdough discard. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!
Wondering how to modify this recipe to use frozen blueberries? Also can I omit the salt?
Hi Daniella – You can use frozen blueberries the same way you would fresh blueberries – no need to thaw! And yes, you can omit the salt from this recipe.
What can I use in place of coconut oil? I have an allergy.
You can use any oil of choice… olive oil, avocado oil, butter, etc. You can also totally skip the oil if you prefer. Let me know how this turns out for you if you make it!
Everyone in my family (kids and adults ) LOVED this! Love the extra protein and flavor of the protein powder. Was worried it would be gritty or too dense but it’s great. Especially paired with eggs.
Woo!! That makes me so happy to hear, Katie. Thanks for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Can you use real dairy milk?
Yes, you can use whatever milk you prefer!
I love this recipe!!! It’s so easily customizable. I followed the recipe as written but used chocolate protein powder and raspberries instead. It saved me so much time during the week and it was DELICIOUS! Thanks, Brittany 🙂
YUM! This sounds perfect, Alyssa. I am so glad you found this recipe and are loving it. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
very good, very filling, we ate it similar to how we would eat oatmeal (with a little bit of milk) still but having it warm slightly crispy and peanut buttery was amazing, also a little drizzle of maple syrup 😋
Delicious! I am so glad you are loving this baked oatmeal recipe and it turned out amazing for you. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it.
This recipe is so, so good! I would say it makes more like 10 portions, which is great for more of a snack and my 8 year old loves them too! I did add some hemp seeds for a bit of an extra protein and fiber bump, but just because I saw them in the fridge. Overall, awesome!
WOO! This is so great to hear, Natalie. I am glad you and your kiddo is love this recipe. Thank you for taking the time to share your review + star rating, I appreciate it!