Protein Baked Oats

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Get set to change your breakfast routine with Protein Baked Oats, an indulgent twist on your daily oats that packs a protein punch! These oats are not your ordinary bowl of cereal! With a boost of protein powder and four irresistible toppings—Raspberry White Chocolate, Carrot Cake, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip, and Blueberry Muffin—every bite is so good and such a great way to start your morning!

Baked oats are certainly nothing new! I’ve been enjoying them for years in recipes like Oatmeal Breakfast Bars, Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups, and Banana Oatmeal Cups. But as with so many other things lately, TikTok has changed the game when it comes to how we think about baked oats.

This recipe for protein baked oats takes that TikTok-style oat recipe and transforms it by adding lots of protein to the mix. TikTok Baked Oats swap whole old-fashioned oats for ground oats, which means instead of being chewy, the oats bake up with a fluffy, light texture that’s more like cake than a bowl of oatmeal.

Each serving of these high-protein oats has a whole egg and a tablespoon of protein powder, bulking it up with some serious staying power. After blending the oat base until it’s smooth, you’ll fold in your choice of add-ins. While you can come up with your own ideas, I share recipes for Raspberry White Chocolate, Blueberry Muffin, Carrot Cake, and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip protein baked oats below.

With ripe banana and maple syrup mixed into the batter, there’s no need to add anything before serving—just grab a spoon and enjoy a protein-packed breakfast!

Why you’ll love these healthy baked oat recipes

• Protein powder without the ick factor: Protein powder mixed with water—or even in a smoothie—can be gritty or have off-flavors. By mixing it with other ingredients, you get the benefits of protein powder without any of the unpleasantness! It’s a great way to introduce protein powder into your diet if you’ve had difficulty with it in the past.
• It tastes like dessert: Unlike traditional baked oatmeal, this protein oats recipe has a light, airy texture that’s more like a muffin than a healthy breakfast. And that’s especially true once you add fruit, chocolate chips, and other mix-ins!
• Perfect for meal prep: Bake up a big batch of this make-ahead oat recipe and have a quick breakfast ready in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Hearty and satisfying: This is a breakfast that will fuel you through your day! Both the protein and the fiber from the oats will leave you feeling full and satisfied, without weighing you down.

Ingredients to make the protein baked oats base recipe

• Oats: From rolled oats, we create oat flour to make this protein-baked oats recipe. It’s more dense than regular flour, but it works perfectly for a breakfast treat. Grab my tips for making your own oat flour.
• Protein Powder: You’ll see a majority of recipes for baked oats include protein powder since it adds protein to the breakfast meal. I use plant-based Four Sigmatic, which has a great texture to add to any baked oats. It’s not gritty, grainy, or sandy. Instead, it’s a smooth protein blend without gums or fillers!
• Banana: This adds flavor, sweetness, and moisture to the recipe. Instead of one banana, you can add an extra ¼ cup of any milk or use applesauce.
• Maple syrup: To add a touch of sweetness to the oats, but you can leave it out if it’s sweet enough with the banana.
• Baking powder: This helps the baked oats rise while baking.
• Salt: To round out the flavor.

How to make protein-baked oats 4 ways

1. For the base recipe, place all the ingredients together in a high-speed blender.
2. Blend on high speed for about one minute until the mixture is well combined and pourable.

Raspberry white chocolate protein baked oats

White chocolate adds some creamy decadence to the baked oats formula. I love how it pairs with raspberries, but strawberries would also be delicious!

• Raspberries
• White chocolate chips

After you bake this in the oven, it looks like raspberry muffin—and tastes like a dessert!

1. Fold the raspberries and white chocolate chips into the oat mixture, reserving a few of each for topping.
2. Pour the batter into the ramekin, scattering the reserved berries and white chocolate chips on top.
3. Bake, or until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs.
4. Cool the protein baked oats in the ramekin, then serve.

Blueberry muffin protein bakeD oats

To get that blueberry muffin flavor, I’m using blueberries in addition to pecans and a touch of cinnamon.

• Blueberries
• Chopped pecans
• Cinnamon

When baked, this truly tastes just like a blueberry muffin—perfect breakfast treat!

1. Fold the blueberries, pecans, and cinnamon into the oat mixture, reserving a few berries and pecans for topping.
2. Pour the batter into the ramekin, scattering the reserved berries and nuts on top.
3. Bake until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs.
4. Cool the protein baked oats in the ramekin, then serve.

Carrot cake protein baked oats

For the carrot cake version, use some grated or shredded fresh carrots along with walnuts and cinnamon. You can also add some raisins or dates.

• Grated carrots
• Chopped walnuts
• Cinnamon

This tastes so fresh, and I love that you can’t even taste the protein powder or any aftertaste that is associated with some protein powders.

1. Fold the carrots, walnuts, and cinnamon into the oat mixture, reserving a few walnuts and shredded carrots for topping.
2. Pour the batter into the ramekin, scattering the reserved walnuts and carrots on top.
3. Bake, or until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs.
4. Cool the protein baked oats in the ramekin, then serve.

Oatmeal chocolate chip Protein baked oats

This version is pretty much a cookie for breakfast. I use peanut butter along with chocolate chips, but you can use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version.

• Chocolate chips
• Peanut butter

When baked, it pretty much looks and tastes like a big cookie—definitely my kids’ favorite one!

1. Fold the peanut butter and chocolate chips into the oat mixture, reserving some chocolate chips for topping.
2. Pour the batter into the ramekin, scattering the reserved chocolate chips on top.
3. Bake until a cake tester comes out with just a few crumbs.
4. Cool the protein baked oats in the ramekin, then serve.

Tips for making the best Protein Baked Oats

1. Use oat flour and skip the blender. If you use oat flour, the consistency of the oats is already like flour. Then you can simply whisk everything together by hand to make protein baked oats.
2. Cook it faster in the microwave. If you’re making a bunch of these, I found it faster to cook in the microwave with pretty much the same result. Test your microwave at 90 seconds to check for doneness, but it could take up to 2 minutes.
3. Make them into muffins. You can triple the batch and make them in a muffin tin. It will take 15 minutes in the oven at 350F.

Popular substitutions & additions

• Add extra protein. While the protein powder and egg will add plenty of protein to these healthy baked oats, you can give them even more of a boost by folding hemp hearts or chia seeds into the batter before baking.
• Try other add-ins. As long as you keep the proportions the same—adding no more than ¼ cup of mix-ins per ramekin—you can customize this recipe with your own favorite fruits, nuts, and other add-ins. Work with what’s in season or what you happen to have on hand!
• Swap out the sweetener. Honey or date syrup are also excellent choices for naturally sweetening this protein baked oats recipe.
• Add a splash of vanilla. If you’re using unflavored protein powder, you can add a bit of vanilla to the blender with the other ingredients. Adding vanilla is also a great way to cut the flavor of the egg.

How to store & reheat baked oats

This is a fantastic make-ahead oat recipe—it will even keep for up to 2 days at room temperature! I love making a big batch of protein baked oats for meal prep over the weekend so we have a quick breakfast to enjoy all week long.

How long will baked oats last in the fridge?

Store baked oats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can eat them chilled, let them sit on the counter for a few minutes to come to room temperature, or warm them up in the microwave.

Can I freeze baked oats?

Yes, you can freeze baked oats before or after baking. Either way, they’ll last for 3 months in the freezer.

To freeze this protein oat recipe before baking, simply pour the batter into a freezer-safe ramekin, wrap it tightly, and freeze. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then bake in a 350ºF oven for 25 to 28 minutes.

To freeze baked oats after baking, transfer the baked oats to an airtight container or freezer bag, or simply wrap them tightly in the ramekin. You can microwave them from frozen, or let them thaw in the refrigerator first and enjoy cold, at room temperature, or warmed up.

Frequently asked questions

If you’re looking to switch up your breakfast or want to try a special treat during the weekend, these baked oats are a great choice! All you need is oats, a few staple ingredients, and a blender. The combinations are endless, and the texture is everything!

More oat recipes:

• Oatmeal – 4 ways
• Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal
• Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
• Quinoa Oatmeal
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
• Banana Oatmeal Cookies
• Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal
• Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
• Protein Oatmeal
• Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cups

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Protein Baked Oats recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

This Protein Baked Oats recipe was originally published on March 1, 2021. The recipe has not been modified, but the photos have been updated!