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!
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:
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
What’s the best protein powder to use?
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.
Why add protein powder to oatmeal?
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.
Can you swap rolled oats for steel cut oats or quick oats?
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.
My baked oatmeal turned out soggy. What happened?
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.
Is it okay to bake with protein powder?
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.
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.
Delicious! This came out perfectly. I only had chocolate protein powder, but I figured chocolate and peanut butter is a great combination so why not. Otherwise I followed the recipe to a T. I will definitely put this on regular rotation.
Yay! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that the chocolate protein power worked out great, Toni. Thanks so much for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
This was easy, great texture, and just the right amount of sweetness! I was worried about the soggy comments but mine was dense and moist. I made it exactly as directed. I use Legion brand protein powder. Will definitely make again! This is a great pregnancy snack or pre-workout snack. I cut my dish into 9 squares, not 6.
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Delicious! This came out perfectly. I only had chocolate protein powder, but I figured chocolate and peanut butter is a great combination so why not. Otherwise I followed the recipe to a T. I will definitely put this on regular rotation.
Yay! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that the chocolate protein power worked out great, Toni. Thanks so much for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
This was easy, great texture, and just the right amount of sweetness! I was worried about the soggy comments but mine was dense and moist. I made it exactly as directed. I use Legion brand protein powder. Will definitely make again! This is a great pregnancy snack or pre-workout snack. I cut my dish into 9 squares, not 6.
YUM! I am so glad you are loving this recipe, Amanda. Thank you so much for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
Food prepping for breakfast for the coming week! I’m using strawberries and will add unsweetened coconut flakes!
YUM! This sounds delicious, Laura. I hope you love this recipe!
Nice post
Not crazy about this recipe – I probably did something wrong – this was far too wet, so I added additional oats – came out gummy and tasteless.
I am sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out as you had hoped, Kelly. Did you change anything about the recipe? Measurements or ingredients?