This gingerbread baked oatmeal is the perfect breakfast for Christmas morning or a holiday brunch! Whipped cream optional but highly recommended.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas….well not really. It’s rainy and a balmly 57 degrees in Boston today, but our house looks like Christmas! We got a tree and decorated it over the weekend and it felt extra special because it’s the first tree in our first home together!
With Christmas around the corner, I’m sharing a few holiday recipes over the next couple weeks! Starting with this easy Christmas breakfast.
With only 5 minutes of prep and 45-55 minutes in the oven, you’ve got breakfast ready and on the table in less than an hour. Plus, with only five minute of prep, you can spend the other 50+ minutes making other dishes for your holiday brunch, setting the table, opening gifts, etc. If you’re hosting a Christmas brunch this year, you’re likely going to be looking for some time efficiencies and this dish is just that!
I’m a big fan of baked oatmeal during the winter months. It’s easy to make a big batch of it to have during the week (or for holiday guests!). You can use the same foundational recipe and then tweak it depending on the season (hi, Christmas) or flavor preferences. Like my apple baked oatmeal that I shared this fall.
You will love this baked oatmeal if you like:
- gingerbread cookies
- warm winter spices
- satisfying warm breakfasts
- meal prepping on a Sunday for breakfasts during the week
- putting whipped cream on your breakfasts
- adding a new dish to your holiday brunch menu
- breakfasts that are not super sweet (you can always add more molasses if you want it sweeter or just top it off with whipped cream!)
There’s something about having a seasonal breakfast that really puts you in the Christmas spirit for the rest of the day. I hope you and your fam and friends enjoy this one. Bonus Santa points if you top it off with a dollop of whipped cream ;).
Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal
(7 votes, average: 4.43 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 egg
- 3 cups milk or non-dairy milk alternative (I used almond milk)
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, divided
- Optional: whipped cream for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8×8-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk the butter, egg, milk, molasses, cloves, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
- Stir in oats and 1/4 cup pecans.
- Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and center is just set, about 45-55 minutes. During last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle remaining pecans over top.
- Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave with some additional milk splashed on top.
- Optional: serve with a dollop of whipped cream and dust with extra cinnamon.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Holiday
Tell me, what’s on your holiday brunch menu this year?
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This looks so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Thanks, Suzanne! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I use a lot of date syrup and was wondering if you think that taste would be altered using it?
Hey Toni,
The date syrup will likely alter the taste a little because molasses helps gives it that gingerbread flavor but I bet it would still be delicious.
I made this tonight, and while it didn’t have all the flavors I had hoped for, it wasn’t bad. I drizzled some honey over it and it was better. I’ll make it again and tweak it some more. Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback, Sherry! Sounds like a little more sweetness did it for ya! I write in this post that this is a breakfast that isn’t not super sweet so you can always add more molasses if you want it sweeter and/or just top it off with whipped cream! But in your case honey worked well! Maple syrup would work well too. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed it with your tweaks!
Question? – Do you know if this could be made in muffin cups? I know this would impact the cooking time.
Hi Jennifer – I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not! It will likely shorten cooking time since there is less surface area to bake. It may just require taking it out of the oven earlier and using a knife to see if it’s fully cooked (knife should come out relatively clean and come out easily). Let me know if you try!
Since molasses are high-FODMAP & I have a fructose & fructan sensititivy. I used 1/2 the amount of molasses called for and added 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar. I served this topped w/ lactose-free yogurt. It was good.
So glad you enjoyed it, Julie! I love it topped with yogurt too.