Baked Oatmeal Cake is a delicious oatmeal recipe made with quick oats and topped with your favorite toppings including (but not limited to) chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, shredded coconut, sliced almonds, and hemp hearts! It’s the perfect oatmeal cake for any brunch or breakfast! 

Oatmeal (in any shape or form) is my go-to every morning for breakfast. This baked oatmeal cake recipe is similar to my Baked Oatmeal Bites! But we also have Chocolate Baked Oats Recipe, Almond Joy Oatmeal, and Banana Steel Cut Oats to help spruce up your oatmeal breakfasts! 

A square slice of Breakfast Baked Oatmeal Cake topped with butterscotch chips, coconut, hemp hearts, and chocolate chips.

Why This Recipe Works

  • Mix up your oatmeal breakfasts! This is a great recipe when you are wanting to make something different but delicious for your oatmeal in the morning! 
  • Easily customizable. While the toppings listed in this recipe are the ones I’ve chosen, you can switch any of them out for your favorite topping instead! This baked oatmeal cake is perfect because you can enjoy it plain or with whatever toppings you prefer. 
  • Delicious flavors! I’m definitely partial to the flavor combination of these toppings! The chocolate, butterscotch, nuts and coconut remind me so much of my 7 Layer Bars! If you are also a fan of that flavor combo, then be sure to try my 7 Layer Bar Cookies and my 7 Layer Bar Cake

Ingredient Notes

Baked oatmeal cake ingredients portioned into glass bowls on a white background.
  • Quick Cooking Oats: The quick oats (also known as instant oats) are smaller than old fashioned oats, so they will provide a tighter cake texture. Note: This baked oatmeal cake is different from baked oats which are blended until smooth and bake up to have a texture very much like cake. This oatmeal breakfast cake will have more of an oatmeal texture. 
  • Brown Sugar: The brown sugar will provide sweetness to the cake. You’re welcome to swap out for honey, agave, or another sugar substitution if you’d like to make this baked oatmeal cake healthy. 
  • Baking Powder: The baking powder provides the rise in this oatmeal cake recipe so it bakes like a cake! 
  • Almond Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk because it’s healthier and low in fat and calories. You can use dairy milk or any non-dairy milk like oat milk, coconut milk, soy milk, etc. 
  • Toppings: My favorite toppings for this baked oatmeal cake are sliced almonds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, shredded cocoanut, and hemp hearts. Feel free to add or omit any toppings to your liking! 

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Whisk the dry ingredients. Add the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. 
A metal bowl full of the dry ingredients used to make a baked oatmeal cake recipe.
  1. Combine the wet ingredients. Add the eggs, almond milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl and mix until well combined. 
  2. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the oat mixture and stir until combined.
  3. Pour into pan and add toppings. Pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Smooth the top into an even layer. 
A bronze rectangular baking dish full of oatmeal cake batter.
  1. Add the toppings. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut. 
  2. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the baked oatmeal cake is cooked through. Remove and cool. Sprinkle with hemp hearts if desired. 

Recipe Tips

Add the hemp hearts to the baked oatmeal cake after it bakes. 

Feel free to swap out the sliced almonds for chopped pecans or walnuts. 

If you want toasted coconut, add the coconut last. If the coconut is underneath the chocolate chips, the coconut won’t get golden and toasty.

For a healthier twist, substitute unsweetened applesauce or coconut oil for the vegetable oil at a 1:1 replacement ratio, eliminate the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, use honey or agave instead of brown sugar, add a handful of ground flax seed overtop and some chia seeds, and use unsweetened shredded coconut rather than sweetened coconut. Feel free to add some protein powder to the batter to extra protein if you’d like! (I wouldn’t add too much so as to not compromise the balance of wet and dry ingredients.)

If you opt to not use the butterscotch chips, I recommend adding a tsp of cinnamon!

I like to eat a slice while it’s still warm with a drizzle of milk!

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

I wouldn’t make this recipe too much ahead of time. I would only recommend storing the oatmeal cake batter in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. 

To store, let cool and then cover and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 3 days. 

To freeze, cover the oatmeal bake pan tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. You can also cut the oatmeal cake into squares then wrap each square in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and and let thaw, then microwave to warm. Serve with a drizzle of milk! 

A square slice of Breakfast Baked Oatmeal Cake on a plate.

Recipe FAQs

Is oatmeal cake healthy?

I will be honest, this isn’t a health food, but there are some healthy elements to it! The oats help lower blood sugar, provide antioxidants and are high in protein and fiber. The almond milk is low in sugar and fat. Topping it with the sliced almonds, coconut, and hemp hearts also provide additional health benefits. Some great substitutions to make this oatmeal breakfast cake healthier is to use applesauce instead of vegetable oil (use a 1:1 ratio), remove the chocolate and butterscotch chips (or use mini chocolate chips for a touch of sweetness, but not as much!) and use unsweetened coconut for a healthy breakfast! 

What’s the difference between baked oats and baked oatmeal?

Baked oats are made with ingredients that are blended together in a blender, providing a smoother cake batter texture. They bake up to be more like the consistency of cake. Baked oatmeal is simply oatmeal that has been baked into a moist but firm texture. 

Can I use steel cut oats?

No. I would stick to quick oats (instant oats) or old-fashioned oats. Instant oats will give you a tighter baked structure, making it look more cake-like than old fashioned oats. Steel cut oats would require more liquid and a longer bake time to soften enough. 

Can I make this oatmeal cake in a muffin tin?

I would actually recommend going to my Baked Oatmeal Cups recipe! It is pretty similar to this oatmeal cake (minus a few ingredients), but it provides the correct bake time and temperature for the muffin tin. 

Does oatmeal cake need to be refrigerated?

No. Unless you have added something on top of the cake after baking that would need to be refrigerated (like drizzled it with milk). Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. 

Can you freeze oatmeal cake? 

Yes you can! Do freeze the pan, covered tightly and freeze for up to 1 month. Or you can cut the baked oatmeal cake into squares, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in a Ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw, then warm in the microwave and enjoy with a drizzle of milk! 

A square of Baked Oatmeal Cake on a plate with a fork cutting into the corner of the slice.

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Baked Oatmeal Cake topped with coconut, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and hemp hearts.
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5 from 1 vote

Baked Oatmeal Cake

This soft and moist breakfast oatmeal cake is topped with nuts, coconut, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, and hemp hearts for a delicious and healthy breakfast!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
  • 1 cup brown sugar - packed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups almond milk - or dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup butterscotch chips
  • 3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tablespoons hemp hearts - optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. 
  • In a large bowl whisk the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. 
  • In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, almond milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. 
  • Pour the mixture into the baking dish, use a rubber spatula to smooth the top into an even layer. 
  • Sprinkle the sliced almonds overtop, followed by the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and sweetened coconut. 
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool. Sprinkle hemp hearts overtop if you’d like. 

Notes

Note: this is not a typical “healthy” breakfast option. But it sure tastes good!
Sprinkling the coconut on last helps the coconut get nice and toasty.
To store, let cool and then cover and store at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for 3 days. 

Nutrition

Calories: 401kcal (20%)Carbohydrates: 51g (17%)Protein: 8g (16%)Fat: 20g (31%)Saturated Fat: 11g (55%)Cholesterol: 56mg (19%)Sodium: 215mg (9%)Potassium: 253mg (7%)Fiber: 4g (16%)Sugar: 28g (31%)Vitamin A: 108IU (2%)Calcium: 131mg (13%)Iron: 3mg (17%)
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
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