Brown Butter Strawberry Baked Oatmeal

Um, excuse me? Brown butter and strawberries in an oatmeal that reminds me of strawberry shortcake? You need this in your life and it’s perfect for strawberry season! Here are a few reasons I love this strawberry baked oatmeal:

1. My boys will always, always devour it.
2. It’s a nutritious breakfast that I can easily make ahead of time and reheat.
3. It’s a crowd-pleasing brunch situation.
4. And, last but certainly not least, the strawberry glaze is NEXT LEVEL! It gets its intense flavor from freeze-dried strawberries, which are becoming more widely available in grocery stores and online.

There are fun ways you can really customize it with different flavor combinations and toppings, so be sure to read through the full blog post to choose your own adventure. Omggggg… healthy breakfast is served!

Ingredients in this strawberry baked oatmeal

This incredible strawberry baked oatmeal is made with super simple ingredients that pair so wonderfully together:

• Butter: oh yeah, we’re browning butter in this baked oatmeal recipe to add a rich, caramel-like flavor.
• Eggs: you’ll need 2 eggs to help the oatmeal bake up properly.
• Milk: feel free to use any milk you’d like — I prefer unsweetened almond milk.
• Maple syrup: we’re naturally sweetening this oatmeal bake with a little pure maple syrup.
• Extracts: I like to add both vanilla extract and almond extract to bring out that strawberry shortcake flavor. Learn how to make your own vanilla here!
• Oats: you’ll need old fashioned rolled oats for the perfect texture and plenty of whole grains. Feel free to use gluten free oats.
• Baking staples: don’t forget the baking powder (not baking soda) and salt.
• Strawberries: we’re adding fresh sliced strawberries right into the batter for juicy strawberry goodness.
• For the glaze: I like to drizzle a simple strawberry glaze on top made with freeze-dried strawberries, powdered sugar, salted butter, and a little milk. It’s SO delicious and easy to make!

Can I make it dairy free or vegan?

• To make it dairy free: simply use melted vegan butter (do not try to brown it) in place of the butter in oatmeal and the glaze, and dairy-free milk.
• To make it vegan: I think flax eggs or chia eggs will work well in this strawberry oatmeal bake, but please note that I have not tested it to be sure. If you try it, you’ll also need to make the above dairy free swaps to keep it vegan.

Can I use steel cut or quick oats?

I would not recommend using steel cut oats in this recipe as the texture will be much different. I think quick oats will work — you may need to use a bit more if you’re trying this recipe with quick oats.

Customize this strawberry baked oatmeal

Yes, there are a few ways to really make this strawberry oatmeal bake your own! Here’s what I can suggest:

• Try a new fruit: not into strawberries? Replace them with another berry or diced peaches, apples, or pears.
• Add chocolate chips: feel free to stir in ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips (75 grams) to the oatmeal with the fresh strawberries for a chocolate-covered strawberry flavor. YUM.
• Drizzle a new topping: skip the strawberry glaze and drizzle warm almond butter or peanut butter on top, or serve with a little vanilla yogurt or milk on top for a strawberries ‘n’ cream treat.

How to brown butter

It may seem intimidating, but it’s actually super easy to brown butter! Get all of my tips and tricks for doing so here, and try more recipes using brown butter here.

Make strawberry baked oatmeal cups

Looking to make oatmeal cups or muffins instead? Here’s how:

1. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or use muffin liners.
2. Evenly divide the batter and bake until the edges are golden brown and set, 25 to 35 minutes. I recommend dicing your strawberries if you are making muffins.
3. Enjoy as is or drizzle with the glaze, nut butter, or yogurt!

Storing tips

This wonderful baked oatmeal is perfect for meal prep! You can easily make it and store it in the fridge for the week:

• To store: be sure the strawberry oatmeal bake has completely cooled, and then cover the baking dish with tinfoil before transferring it to the refrigerator. It will stay good covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can also store individual slices in airtight containers for ease. Reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
• To reheat: you can reheat an individual portion in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.

Freeze this strawberry baked oatmeal for later

Truly the perfect make-ahead breakfast that you can prep months in advance:

• To freeze: once the oatmeal bake has completely cooled, cut it into 6 squares or individual portions and wrap each square in plastic wrap and tinfoil. You can also freeze the entire strawberry baked oatmeal for later by wrapping it well and placing it in the freezer.
• To reheat: when you’re ready to eat it, place the unwrapped frozen square of baked oatmeal on a microwave safe dish and microwave it at 30-second intervals for 1-2 minutes. To reheat the entire baked oatmeal, simply reheat it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F while it’s covered with tinfoil.

More oatmeal recipes you’ll love

• Orange Creamsicle Baked Oatmeal
• Oh So Fluffy Vegan Banana Oatmeal Muffins
• Almond Butter Peach Blueberry Oatmeal Cups
• Cottage Cheese Banana Oatmeal Protein Pancakes
• Almond Butter, Strawberry & Banana Overnight Oats

Get all of my oatmeal recipes here!

I hope you love this brown butter strawberry baked oatmeal recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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Brown Butter Strawberry Baked Oatmeal

5 from 6 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

ServesServes 6 servings

Beautiful brown butter strawberry baked oatmeal with a light strawberry glaze. This easy strawberry baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened with a little pure maple syrup and makes the perfect nourishing breakfast or brunch for spring and summer!

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• Wet Ingredients:
• 4 tablespoons (56 grams) salted butter, sliced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups (360 grams) milk of choice
• ¼ cup (78 grams) pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• Dry Ingredients:
• 2 cups (180 grams) rolled oats (gluten-free if desired)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½ cups (225 grams) sliced fresh strawberries, divided
• Strawberry Glaze:
• ¼ cup (7 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
• ¼ cup (30 grams) powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk of choice, as needed
• Serving:
• Milk or yogurt of choice

Instructions

• Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• Brown the butter: Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, whisk constantly: the butter will begin to crackle, then foam. After a few minutes, the butter will begin to turn a golden amber color. As soon as the butter turns brown and gives off a nutty aroma, 5 to 8 minutes, remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
• Mix the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and almond extract until smooth and combined.
• Mix in the dry ingredients: Add the oats, baking powder, and salt, and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in the cooled brown butter until well combined. Next, fold in HALF of the strawberries.
• Bake the oatmeal: Pour mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Top with the remaining half of the strawberries. Bake until the edges are slightly golden brown and the center is set and a knife comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs attached, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Make the glaze: Just before serving, add the freeze-dried strawberries to a blender (a small handheld blender works best!) and blend to a fine powder, about 30 seconds. In a small bowl, mix together the strawberry powder, powdered sugar, melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of the milk until smooth, adding the additional tablespoon if necessary to reach a pourable consistency. Drizzle the glaze back and forth over the oatmeal. Cut into 6 slices. Serve warm in a bowl, with a little milk poured on top or with yogurt, if desired..
• To store: Allow baked oatmeal to cool completely then cover the pan with foil before transferring it to the fridge. Oatmeal will keep well for up to 4 days, and you can reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. You can also store individual slices in airtight glass containers or reusable silicone bags for quick, on-the-go breakfasts. For oatmeal cups, remove them from your muffin tin and store oatmeal cups in airtight glass containers or reusable silicone bags in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.

Recipe Notes

To make dairy-free: Use melted vegan butter (do not try to brown it) in place of the butter in oatmeal and the glaze, and dairy-free milk.

Feel free to replace the strawberries with another berry or diced peaches, apples, or pears.

To make into muffins: Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or use muffin liners. Evenly divide batter and bake until the edges are golden brown and set, 25 to 35 minutes. I recommend dicing your strawberries if you are making muffins.

See the full post for even more ways to customize this baked oatmeal!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (based on 6)Calories: 333calCarbohydrates: 44.8gProtein: 7.4gFat: 14.3gSaturated Fat: 6.9gFiber: 5.2gSugar: 17.7g

Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats