Baked oatmeal, loaded with summer berries and lightly sweetened with brown sugar is a great way to start the day. 

Baked Berries with Oatmeal

A few days ago, I was having a conversation recently with our followers on our Facebook page about fall flavors and it turned into a discussion about why we associate certain seasons with certain flavors and foods.

It has only been in recent years that things like fresh strawberries and blueberries are in grocery stores year around. While I do love making and enjoying things in season when I get a craving for dishes with fresh berries it is so nice to be able to find them regardless of time and year and location.

That being said berries are a mainstay in my refrigerator. The other day I had a few things that needed to be used up and baked oatmeal is the perfect way to make sure those berries didn’t go to waste.

This oatmeal recipe isn’t overly sweet and it allows the bright flavors of the berries to shine through.

Baked oatmeal is one of those breakfast dishes I don’t like to oversweeten before making. It is easy to take the sweetness up a notch by topping it with honey or maple syrup when you serve it – if the finished oatmeal needs to be sweetened at all.

Oatmeal is one of my children’s favorite breakfasts and we’ve gathered a huge collection of great oatmeal recipes over the past few years.

My youngest son loves oatmeal so much, there was a phase where he attempted to order it at almost every restaurant we visited.

There was nothing quite like watching the waiter’s face when he requested, “A big bowl of oatmeal, please,” while we are dining at a Mexican restaurant. Luckily, he loves chips and salsa almost as much, so it was easy to distract him.

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Cranberry Apple Walnut Oatmeal is a tart and sweet body-warming dish perfect for filling those bellies before a busy day.

Cranberry Apple Oatmeal

Fall brings about such cozy feelings for me. Not only cozy sweatshirts and fires but cozy, warming things in my belly. The full-body warming feeling that comes from oatmeal is such morning comfort.

Being surrounded by local apple orchards, apple picking season brings about a bowl of fresh apples on the counter for weeks on end. There really isn’t a better snack and any that get soft I can easily toss into oatmeal or other dishes.

In August the orchards in our area put out a schedule of when each variety will be ready for picking. McIntosh’s are always first followed by Honeycrisp. Honeycrisp is our favorite for snacking! So good, fresh, crispy, and sweet.

For baking, I like Golden Delicious and Johnathan’s. Having local access to orchards here in Ohio it has been fun to discover varieties we hadn’t tried before like Ambrosia and Empire. I am curious about what you find in your areas?

This breakfast is so easy, warmed, and cooked in just one pot. Dicing a few apples – I even leave the peel on, warming them with oatmeal and spices fills your house with the scents of fall.

The aroma of spicy cinnamon and apples cooking always gets me in the mood for autumn. Oatmeal is everything I love about apple pie cooked into a hearty comforting breakfast.

Apple Oatmeal with Cranberries and Walnuts

• rolled oats
• water
• apples
• chopped walnuts (pecans may be substituted)
• dried cranberries
• kosher salt
• cinnamon
• butter
• light brown sugar, maple syrup or honey

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Peaches and cinnamon pair perfectly in this recipe for Baked Peach Oatmeal. Eaten on its own or topped with whipped cream, it’s a hit.

Anytime I bake peaches into something it reminds me of my favorite peach cobbler or crisp. What’s not to love?

Baked Peach Oatmeal

So, the fact that I love this breakfast really shouldn’t come as a surprise. And, yes, the fact that I want to make another pan of it tomorrow morning just goes to prove my addiction to the fresh peaches that are finally in season.

The smell of this oatmeal baking lures my family out of bed every time. In their sleepy state, they might think it is a peach dessert for breakfast, but they are never disappointed by a pan of baked peach oatmeal.

You probably notice in the photos I skip on peach peeling. There truly is no need to peel your peaches in this baked oatmeal. I do suggest using freestone varieties of peaches for how easy it is to remove the flesh from the pit.

Old-fashioned oats bake up nicely. Quick oats are often good for crisps or cookies or that quick morning oatmeal. But old-fashioned is best for this dish as they keep their shape and it doesn’t turn to mush. They have a rich nutty flavor as well.

You can easily bake this in a small casserole or 8×8 pan. My preference is muffin cups or individual little casseroles. My family fights for those buttery crisp edges.

Toppings, dressings, and condiments are one of the best ways to add flavor or make a dish more decadent. When it comes to oatmeal I am all about the toppings.

Our favorite way to enjoy it is topped with drizzled with honey or maple syrup. If I am really trying to sweeten my kids up for a day of t