Baked Peach Oatmeal

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Baked peach oatmeal is a great make-ahead breakfast for any morning. It’s filled with juicy, sweet peaches for the taste of summer.

It seems like wherever you live, there is something specific that defines your summer experience. There’s quite a few things that could define a Texas summer, but for me it’s the peaches.

Quite a few states in the South lay claim to the best peaches, but obviously I’m partial to the ones that grow in Fredericksburg, Texas, just west of where we used to live.

Watermelon-seed spitting doesn’t have anything on eating a perfect peach, standing over the kitchen sink to catch the juices as they dribble down your chin.

Summers in Illinois still mean eating plenty of peaches out of hand, but I love to cook with them too. My peaches and cream muffins are one of my absolute favorite muffin recipes, while my peach barbecue sauce is a great savory application. In short, you can’t go wrong.

Because I’ve also been obsessed with baked oatmeal lately, I knew I had to make a batch of baked peach oatmeal. Similar to my raspberry almond baked oatmeal, this oatmeal recipe uses applesauce and maple syrup for sweetness, in addition to the fruit.

Ingredients for baked oatmeal

You’ll need:

• Rolled oats
• Fresh peaches
• Walnuts
• Milk
• Egg
• Applesauce
• Maple syrup
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Baking powder
• Salt

If you need, you can use frozen diced peaches in this recipe, but make sure to thaw them first! Canned or jarred peaches will also work, although if your peaches are canned in syrup, you’ll probably want to omit the maple syrup in this recipe to prevent the oatmeal from being too sweet.

Make sure to use pure maple syrup, not imitation!

What kind of oats do I use for baked oatmeal?

There are two main types of oats available: quick oats and rolled oats. Rolled oats are sometimes also labeled as “old-fashioned.”

Make sure you use rolled oats for this recipe. Quick oats, which are rolled oats that are chopped up, will not work and the result will be very goopy. 

Steel-cut oats will also not work in this recipe, as they require more liquid and a longer cook time.

How do you peel peaches?

You don’t need to peel peaches for baked oatmeal, but I know that some people dislike the texture of peach skin.

Peaches are easy to peel, and the quickest way is to use the same method I use for peeling tomatoes.

Using a paring knife, cut a shallow X in the bottom of the peach.

Carefully set it in a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, then remove it to a bowl of ice water. As it cools, the skin will loosen and you can peel it off easily!

You can also freeze peaches whole and they will be easy to peel.

How to make this recipe

Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×9-inch square baking pan or 1-quart casserole dish.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, spices, baking powder, walnuts, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk the egg, then whisk in the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Slice the peaches in half and remove the pit, then chop. Add the peaches to the oat mixture.

At this point, it might seem too liquidy—don’t worry, because the oats will soak up the extra liquid as it bakes.

Scoop the mixture into the prepared baking dish, making sure the peach pieces are arranged evenly.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and set. Let cool slightly, then serve warm.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Recipe substitutions

One of the reasons I loved baked oatmeal is because it’s so easy to customize each batch. 

I use walnuts in this recipe, but pecans would be even more perfectly Texan. Choose your favorite nut, but make sure they are chopped a bit — whole almonds don’t work as well as sliced or slivered.

Try different spices in place of or in addition to the cinnamon and nutmeg. I enjoy ground cardamom in baked goods, and ginger is quite good paired with peaches.

You can also use puréed peaches in place of the applesauce for a full-on peach flavor.

If you like, you can add some chia, hemp hearts, or flax meal, but be sure to not do too much to avoid a dry result.

This recipe can easily be made vegan by swapping in unsweetened almond milk or oat milk, and using a flax egg substitute for the egg.

Can I freeze baked oatmeal?

If you like, you can freeze baked oatmeal for later.

Cut it into individual portions and package into freezer safe containers or zip-top bags and lay flat in the freezer.

You can also bake the oatmeal into muffin cups so it is already portioned out, and then just pop them into a freeze bag once cooled.

Reheat in the microwave for about 45 seconds, depending on the size and how hot you prefer it to be. 

If you choose not to freeze it, baked oatmeal will last 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator.

I like to make baked peach oatmeal on Sunday mornings, eat a slice hot, and then save the rest for breakfasts during the week. Having breakfast already made sure makes school mornings with my kids easier!

If you’re a peach lover, you need this baked peach oatmeal in your breakfast routine.