Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal is filled with brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla and is a perfect autumn or winter breakfast! Make a big batch at the beginning of the week and have breakfast all week long - just reheat and drizzle with a little milk.

Like many of us, I grew up eating lots of instant oatmeal packets for breakfast. Oh and toaster strudels. But today, we're talking about oatmeal. Even now, we give the kids a packet of instant oats here and there, but I really do love making it from scratch best. My favorite has always been the maple brown sugar oatmeal, and I've been on a mission to recreate it!

I enjoy making baked oatmeal, because it can be made ahead of time and just reheated in the morning rush of a busy day. I always love my Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oatmeal and Raspberry Baked Oatmeal recipes and now I can add this Maple Brown Sugar Baked Oatmeal to add to the mix!

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal is all of the flavor that you'd find in the packets, but is 100% homemade. This healthy breakfast recipe is lower in sugar than most baked oatmeals, no artificial flavors, and has less butter than other baked oatmeal recipes I've tried.

Ingredients in Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal

The ingredients in this brown sugar oatmeal are very simple ingredients and mostly things you already have in your pantry!

• Old Fashioned Oats - I have only used old fashioned oats in this recipe and the kind of oats that you use really does matter. I would not use steel cut or quick oats in this recipe, as it will require an adjustment in baking time. Old fashioned oats are a great source of whole grains and are high in fiber and loaded with nutrients.
• Brown Sugar - of course a brown sugar oatmeal recipe needs brown sugar! Light or dark brown sugar will work. It adds sweetness and that classic brown sugar flavor. You can use coconut sugar, if you prefer.
• Maple Syrup - maple syrup is also in this recipe which almost makes this oatmeal taste like pancakes!
• Cinnamon
• Baking Powder
• Salt - a pinch of salt goes a long way in this recipe.
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Milk - I used whole milk because that's what we have on hand, but any kind of milk would work.  Skim, 1-2%, almond, oat, or soy milk would all be great!
• Oil or Butter - I've made this with both melted butter and melted coconut oil, with great results.  You could also use a neutral oil like canola oil, too.

How to Make Maple Brown Sugar Baked Oatmeal

This recipe comes together very quickly

Prepare. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13" baking dish.

Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until they're well combined.

Add the wet ingredients. To the bowl, add the milk, eggs, maple syrup, oil, and vanilla. Mix it well so the eggs are whisked.

Bake. Pour the oatmeal mixture into the prepped baking dish and bake for a cooking time of 35-40 minutes. You'll want the edges to be slightly golden and the middle cooked through.

Finally, serve! I like topping mine with pecans or almonds, some berries, and a drizzle of milk. Other ideas are bananas, any berries, cream, maple syrup, nut butter, walnuts and sliced apples.

Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Tips and Variations

Make ahead. This baked oatmeal recipe is perfect for meal prep. Make it ahead of time and then divide into individual serving containers. Reheat in the microwave and then stir in some almond milk (or whatever milk you prefer!) for a creamy texture and then top with your preferred toppings.

Toppings! Oatmeal is never complete without some great toppings. Some of my favorite toppings for baked oatmeal are almond butter, peanut butter, fresh fruit, maple syrup, granola, nuts, and chocolate chips if I'm feeling crazy.

As mentioned, this breakfast recipe for homemade maple brown sugar baked oatmeal is great for meal prepping a week of breakfasts and is the best oatmeal that I make. It's also a great addition for a Sunday brunch with friends or a cozy weekend breakfast with the family. They will love it!