Cozy Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal

4.31 74 Published Dec 16, 2019, Updated Dec 15, 2023 I’m sure I’ve shared this before, but growing up I remember being so excited about the holidays and looking forward to our Christmas morning tradition. Each year my mom would make a festive holiday breakfast for us to enjoy as a family. Now that Isaac and I have started our own holiday traditions, I’m the one whipping up the festive breakfast and I love making healthier options for us to enjoy. I’ve been sharing a new baked oatmeal recipe every month since April, so I knew I needed a holiday themed baked oatmeal for December. This festive gingerbread oatmeal is soooo delicious! It’s loaded with bold flavors and topped with coconut butter icing that is to die for. I can’t wait to hear what you think about this tasty, healthy breakfast.

Ingredients in Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal

rolled oats – I recommend using rolled oats for this baked oatmeal, not quick oats or steel cut oats. Make sure your oats are certified gluten free if necessary! I usually purchase Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats. almond milk – I like to use vanilla unsweetened almond milk, but you can use whatever milk you have on hand. You can also make homemade almond milk! bananas – the banana flavor is barely detectable in this recipe, but if you despise bananas you can use 1/2 cup of applesauce instead. maple syrup and molasses – natural sweeteners that pair beautifully with the ginger flavor! coconut oil – use extra virgin coconut oil if you can. I’ve purchased several different brands of coconut oil before, but Nutiva organic extra virgin coconut oil is my favorite. ground flaxseed – we’re using a flaxseed egg to bind these ingredients together. vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer. warm spices – ground cinnamon, ground cloves and ground ginger come together to create a delicious gingerbread flavor profile. baking powder – a leavening agent. sea salt – to bring the flavors together. walnuts – adds a bit of crunch and texture but they’re totally optional! You can also use a different nut if you prefer, I bet pecans would be delicious.

Coconut Butter Icing

coconut butter – I have an easy homemade coconut butter recipe! You’ll need 1/4 cup melted. Just put the jar into hot water to melt it, no need to microwave. maple syrup – a liquid natural sweetener is best for this as it blends into the coconut butter and almond milk easily! almond milk – to thin the coconut butter.

How to Make Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal

Mix dry ingredients: To make this baked oatmeal, you’ll start by mixing the dry ingredients together first. Add the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add wet ingredients: Next, add in the milk, bananas, maple syrup, molasses, coconut oil, flaxseed and vanilla. Stir well to combine and gently fold in 1/4 cup walnuts. Bake: Pour the mixture into a prepared baking dish and top with additional walnuts. While your baked oatmeal is baking, make the coconut butter icing!

Coconut Butter Icing

In my opinion, this icing steals the show! Mix together melted coconut butter, maple syrup and almond milk. Drizzle on the warm, baked oatmeal and enjoy! You can make this in advance, store it in the fridge in a sealed jar (I like using a small mason jar) and just warm it up right before serving. To warm, simply place the sealed jar in a bowl of hot water. The coconut butter will melt quickly. Once melted, stir the icing and serve.

Prepping in Advance

One of my favorite things about baked oatmeal is that you can make it ahead of time. There are a couple of options that work really well. Here’s what I recommend:

Option 1: Bake and Then Reheat Before Serving

Option 2: Prep as Much as You Can Without Baking

How to Store Leftovers

If you have leftovers, you can store this gingerbread baked oatmeal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. I love taking a slice out, heating it up in my toaster oven (or microwave) and drizzling fresh coconut butter icing on top in the morning!