Cranberry Oatmeal Bake
Updated Nov 12, 2025
My Cranberry Oatmeal Bake uses fresh cranberries and a homemade maple Greek yogurt! It's a great holiday baked oatmeal for a fall morning.
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Make my cranberry oatmeal for the holidays!
I make this cranberry oatmeal a lot in the fall, especially when I have fresh cranberries to use up. The cranberries soften in the oven and mix really well with the cinnamon and orange zest. It’s an easy baked cranberry oatmeal that comes together in one dish, and the leftovers reheat really well for busy mornings. I love adding a spoonful of the maple yogurt on top.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Cranberry Oatmeal Ingredients
- Old-fashioned oats: Also called rolled oats. Don’t use quick oats, because they don’t hold up well in the oven. I recommend organic oats if you can find them.
- Cranberries: You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries.
- Pecans: Walnuts or sliced almonds work, too.
- Orange: Choose an orange that feels smooth and doesn’t have any blemishes. Here are my tips on how to zest citrus.
- Dry ingredients: Cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
- Wet ingredients: Pure maple syrup, 2% milk, plain Greek yogurt, and egg.
How to Make Cranberry Oatmeal
Cranberry Oatmeal Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup chopped pecans roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 2 cups 2% milk
- ½ cup maple syrup divided
- 1 orange zested
- 1 cup cranberries
- ½ cup greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Place the oats, pecans, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in an oven-safe 8×11-inch baking dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, ¼ cup maple syrup, and orange zest. Pour it over the oat mixture, then fold in the cranberries. Gently press down to make sure the wet mixture covers all of the oats.
- Bake, uncovered, until the mixture sets, about 35–40 minutes. The top of the oatmeal will be golden brown. Remove it from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the remaining maple syrup with the Greek yogurt. Serve the cranberry oatmeal bake with a dollop of the maple Greek yogurt.
Equipment
Notes
- My Top Tip: Toast the pecans first for extra flavor.
- Storage: Store leftovers in the baking dish covered with plastic wrap, or in an airtight container or bag. The cranberry oatmeal will last in the fridge for 3–4 days. Reheat in the microwave until hot, about 1–2 minutes.
- Freezing: Wrap the cranberry oatmeal tightly in plastic wrap or freezer-safe aluminum foil. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Increase the protein. Stir in a scoop of protein powder before baking.
- Add some baking spices. For more holiday flavor, sprinkle in some ground ginger or cardamom before baking. You can also use 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon.
- Make it vegan. Use your favorite plant-based milk and make a flax egg.
- Top it with whipped cream instead of Greek yogurt. If you prefer a less tangy topping, serve your fresh cranberry oatmeal with whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
- Use roasted pecans. Here’s how to toast pecans for extra flavor.
- If you use frozen cranberries, don’t thaw them. Use them right from the freezer and fold them quickly into the batter before baking. If they start to thaw, the color will leak and turn your oatmeal pink.
- Cut the cranberries in half to reduce tartness. I love the tartness of cranberries in a baked oatmeal during the holidays. But you can lessen it by slicing the cranberries in half.
- Stir halfway through baking. Cranberries naturally love to float, so stirring the oatmeal after 10 minutes of baking helps distribute them more evenly so there’s cranberry in every bite.
Serving Ideas
- Eggs: Sheet Pan Eggs, Scrambled Eggs with Cottage Cheese, Hash Brown Egg Nests
- Chia pudding: Matcha Chia Pudding, Yogurt Chia Pudding, Strawberry Chia Pudding
- Coffee: Cold Brew Coffee, Whipped Coffee, Breakfast Coffee Smoothie
FAQs
Yes, you can make cranberry baked oatmeal ahead of time by combining all of the ingredients in a baking dish and storing it in an airtight container or bag in the fridge. Then, bake it when you’re ready to serve.
Both work well for this recipe! It depends on your personal preferences and what you have available. Usually, fresh cranberries are more tart, and frozen cranberries are sweeter.
The top should be golden brown, and the oatmeal should feel firm. You can stick a toothpick or a knife into the center to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, the oatmeal is ready. If there are still wet ingredients on the tester, continue baking for another few minutes.
Comments
Very tasty… what a great combination of flavors. Don’t skip the yogurt topping- so good!
Yay, so happy you liked it!! Thanks, Sue!
I just took this out of the oven โ and eating it as I type this review. I could not wait to leave a review, because this is SO good!
You are the queen of oatmeal recipes! I first found your overnight oats recipe, and then it was your basic microwave oatmeal recipe (the peanut butter chocolate version is amazing!) and now this one!!!
It made more than enough for me to have the leftovers for breakfast for the next 2-3 days!
I will admit that I accidentally put the full 1/2 cup of maple in the oatmeal, but it still came out amazing. I made up for it by serving the Greek yogurt plain, haha. The tart cranberries contrast perfectly with the sweet oatmeal!
Youโve really done it again!
Yay, I am so happy to hear this, thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed it!