These Gingerbread Baked Oats are an easy, festive breakfast made with warming ginger, cinnamon and maple syrup. Ready in just 30 minutes, this Christmas baked oatmeal is soft, lightly sweetened and perfect for making ahead. Add the optional creamy Greek yogurt topping and little gingerbread people for an extra festive touch.
I love making breakfasts like this during December, when mornings seem to get even busier than usual. The kids get so excited when they see the little gingerbread people peeking out of the oats, and I love that I can make everything in one bowl (plus a blender).
It's also a great recipe for meal prep. Make a batch, keep some portions in the fridge and freeze the rest for those mornings when you want something homemade without starting from scratch.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 25 November 2024 and was fully retested in November 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
For more gingerbread recipes, try our easy gingerbread pancakes, 3 ingredient gingerbread truffles, crunchy gingerbread granola or our simple gingerbread cupcakes.
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Why You'll Love It
- Easy Christmas breakfast - All the festive flavours of gingerbread in a warm, comforting breakfast. The little gingerbread people make it feel extra special, especially for the kids.
- Great for making ahead - Prepare everything the night before or bake a batch in advance and reheat individual portions. Perfect for busy December mornings when there's already enough going on.
- Ready in 30 minutes - Just mix everything together, pour it into a dish and let the oven do the work. No complicated ingredients or techniques needed.
- Easy to adapt - Keep it simple or add the Greek yogurt topping, walnuts and gingerbread decorations. You can also adjust the spices to make the gingerbread flavour as strong as you like.
Recipe Overview
- Flavour: Gently sweetened with maple syrup, with warming ginger and cinnamon. The gingerbread flavour is festive without being overpowering.
- Texture: Soft and cake-like rather than traditional porridge, thanks to blending the oats before baking.
- Equipment: You'll need a blender, mixing bowl and a 15 x 22cm (6 x 9 inch) ovenproof baking dish.
- Make ahead: Bake the day before, refrigerate and reheat when needed. Keep the Greek yogurt topping separate until serving.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oats - We use rolled oats (porridge oats) which are then blended. They soften as they bake and give the mixture a lovely texture. Avoid instant oats, as they absorb liquid differently and can become mushy.
- Baking powder - This helps the baked oats rise and gives them a lighter texture. Make sure your baking powder is fresh for the best results.
- Ground ginger and cinnamon - These give the oats their warming gingerbread flavour. We have kept the spices fairly gentle, but you can add a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg if you prefer a stronger festive flavour.
- Maple syrup - Adds sweetness without needing granulated sugar. Honey works too, although it will change the flavour slightly. For a deeper, more traditional gingerbread flavour, you can try a little molasses or black treacle (see variations below).
- Egg - Helps hold everything together as the oats bake. We use a medium egg.
- Milk - Skimmed milk works well, but semi-skimmed, whole milk or an unsweetened dairy-free alternative can also be used.
- Vanilla extract - Vanilla adds flavour and a little perceived sweetness.
- Optional topping - We mix thick Greek yogurt with a little maple syrup and finish with crushed walnuts. You can use pecans instead, or leave off the nuts. The little gingerbread biscuits are also optional, but they make this breakfast especially festive.
How To Make Gingerbread Baked Oats
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4 and grease a 15 x 22cm (6 x 9 inch) ovenproof dish. Blend the oats into a flour-like consistency.
- Make the oat mixture: Add the blended oats, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, maple syrup, egg and milk to a large bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour into the dish: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Add the gingerbread people on top if using them.
- Cook the oats: Bake for around 25 minutes, until the centre is set and the top is lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
- Make the topping: For the optional topping, mix the Greek yogurt and maple syrup together.
- Top the oats: Spread over the cooled baked oats, then sprinkle with crushed walnuts.
Make Ahead Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal
This is one of my favourite ways to get a head start on Christmas breakfast. You can do most of the work in advance, so there is much less to think about in the morning.
Make it the night before: Mix the dry ingredients together and keep them covered. In a separate container, combine the milk, egg, maple syrup and vanilla and refrigerate. In the morning, mix everything together, pour into the baking dish and cook as normal.
I wouldn't recommend mixing all the ingredients together and leaving the uncooked mixture overnight. The oats absorb the milk as they sit, which changes the consistency and can affect how the mixture bakes.
Bake it ahead: You can also bake the oats completely, allow them to cool and refrigerate them for breakfast the following day. Reheat individual portions and add the yogurt topping just before serving.
If you're preparing Christmas morning breakfast, I'd make the baked oats on Christmas Eve and keep the decorations and yogurt separate. That way, breakfast feels freshly made, but almost all the work is already done.
Variations
One of the best things about this gingerbread baked oats recipe is how easy it is to adapt.
Extra gingerbread flavour - Add a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg, or try a little molasses or black treacle for a richer flavour. Black treacle is particularly strong, so start with a small amount.
Chocolate gingerbread baked oats - Stir some dark chocolate chips into the mixture before baking. White chocolate chips work well too, especially with the cinnamon and ginger.
Cheesecake-style topping - Mix equal parts Greek yogurt and cream cheese with a little maple syrup for a thicker, richer topping.
Simple icing - Instead of the yogurt topping, mix icing sugar with a little milk until you have a consistency that can be drizzled over the oats. Melted white chocolate is another option for a special Christmas breakfast.
Fruit and nuts - Chopped pecans work just as well as walnuts. You could also serve the baked oats with chopped apple, pear or berries for some extra freshness.
Serving Suggestions
These gingerbread baked oats are delicious warm with the Greek yogurt topping, a splash of milk or some fresh berries. You can also crumble a portion over Greek yogurt with berries and a drizzle of maple syrup for an easy breakfast bowl.
If you are making a Christmas breakfast or brunch spread, our Christmas fruit tray adds plenty of colour and freshness. You could also make our Christmas fruit wreath for something that looks really impressive on the table.
For a savoury option alongside the sweet oats, our breakfast egg muffins are ideal because they can be prepared ahead too.
And if you want a festive drink to go with them, try our hot mulled apple juice. The cinnamon and warming spices go really well with the gingerbread flavours.
Storage
Store: Allow the gingerbread baked oatmeal to cool and transfer it to an airtight container in the fridge within two hours of cooking. Eat within 48 hours, or freeze any portions you won't use in that time.
Freeze: These baked oats freeze really well, making them ideal for preparing ahead during the Christmas season. Cut into individual portions, wrap well or place in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to three months for the best quality. Freeze without the yogurt topping.
Defrost: Leave individual portions in the fridge overnight until completely defrosted.
Reheat: Reheat a portion in the microwave until steaming hot all the way through, checking the middle before serving. A splash of milk can help keep it soft. You can also reheat covered portions in the oven until thoroughly hot. Only reheat leftovers once.
You can eat properly cooled and refrigerated portions cold, too. If adding the Greek yogurt topping, this is often how we enjoy any leftovers.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Use the right sized baking dish. We use a 15 x 22cm (6 x 9 inch) dish. A much larger dish will give you a thinner layer of oats, which may cook more quickly.
- Don't overbake them. The middle should be set, but the oats should still be soft. Remember they will firm up a little as they cool.
- Make individual portions. You can divide the mixture between four greased, ovenproof ramekins. Check them earlier than the full baking dish, as smaller portions may cook more quickly.
- Grease the dish well. A little butter or oil helps stop the baked oats sticking, especially if you want to cut them into portions.
- Add extra fibre. Stir a little chia seed into the mixture, although remember that chia seeds absorb liquid and may make the oats thicker.
- Keep the topping separate when meal prepping. Add the yogurt and nuts just before serving for the best texture. The yogurt topping is best added after reheating.
- Think about the gingerbread decorations. Biscuits added before baking may soften as they cook. If you want them to stay crisp, add them after baking instead.
- Make it gluten-free if needed. Use certified gluten-free oats and baking powder, and make sure any gingerbread biscuits or other toppings are gluten-free too.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Still wet in the middle | Not baked long enough or the dish is too deep | Bake for another 3-5 minutes, until the centre is just set. |
| Dry or crumbly | Dry or crumbly Overbaked or the baking dish is too large | Use the recommended dish size and remove when just set. |
| Too dense or heavy | Oats not blended finely enough, or too much oat flour | Blend until flour-like and measure the oats before blending. |
| Yogurt topping is runny | Added while the oats were warm or the yogurt is too thin | Let the oats cool and use thick Greek yogurt. |
| Gingerbread biscuits are soft | Added before baking or left under the topping | Add them just before serving if you want them crisp. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Blending the rolled oats into a flour-like consistency gives these gingerbread baked oats their soft, cake-like texture. Using whole oats would give you a more traditional baked oatmeal texture, so I recommend blending them for the best results with this recipe.
Yes! Unlike some baked oatmeal recipes, this one doesn't need banana or applesauce. The egg helps bind the ingredients together, while the maple syrup provides sweetness.
More Baked Oats Recipes
If you've tried these Gingerbread Baked Oats, I'd love to know what you thought in the comments below. Let me know if you added the creamy topping or kept them simple!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Gingerbread Baked Oats
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the baked oats:
- 90 g (1 cup) of Oats - (use certified gluten free oats to ensure this recipe is gluten free)
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder - (use certified gluten free baking powder to ensure this recipe is gluten free)
- ½ teaspoon of Ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of Ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons of Maple syrup
- 1 Egg
- 250 ml (1 cup) of Skimmed milk
- 4 Gingerbread people - optional
For the topping (optional):
- 125 g (½ cup) of 0% fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons of Maple syrup
- 30 g (¼ cup) of Walnuts - crushed
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas 4.Grease a 15 x 22cm (6 x 9 inch) ovenproof dish.Blend the oats into a flour-like consistency.
To make the baked oats:
- Make the oat mixture: Add 90 g of Oats (blended), 2 teaspoons Baking powder, ½ teaspoon of Ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of Ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract, 3 tablespoons of Maple syrup, 1 Egg and 250 ml of Skimmed milk to a large bowl. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour into the dish: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Add 4 Gingerbread people on top if using them.
- Cook the oats: Bake for around 25 minutes, until the centre is set and the top is lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
To make the topping:
- Make the topping: For the optional topping, mix 125 g of 0% fat Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of Maple syrup together.
- Top the oats: Spread over the cooled baked oats, then sprinkle with 30 g of Walnuts (crushed).
Recipe Notes
- Use the right sized baking dish. We use a 15 x 22cm (6 x 9 inch) dish. A much larger dish will give you a thinner layer of oats, which may cook more quickly.
- Don't overbake them. The middle should be set, but the oats should still be soft. Remember they will firm up a little as they cool.
- Make individual portions. You can divide the mixture between four greased, ovenproof ramekins. Check them earlier than the full baking dish, as smaller portions may cook more quickly.
- Grease the dish well. A little butter or oil helps stop the baked oats sticking, especially if you want to cut them into portions.
- Add extra fibre. Stir a little chia seed into the mixture, although remember that chia seeds absorb liquid and may make the oats thicker.
- Keep the topping separate when meal prepping. Add the yogurt and nuts just before serving for the best texture. The yogurt topping is best added after reheating.
- Think about the gingerbread decorations. Biscuits added before baking may soften as they cook. If you want them to stay crisp, add them after baking instead.
- Make it gluten-free if needed. Use certified gluten-free oats and baking powder, and make sure any gingerbread biscuits or other toppings are gluten-free too.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Mary says
The allergen label is mis-advertised on this recipe, and possibly others?
You've listed this recipe as 'gluten- free'. Oats are NOT naturally gluten free, therefore please add 'gluten- free oats' on your list of ingredients, rather than just the 'oats' that is currently showing, or delete the 'gluten free' label.
Whilst I appreciate you've written it in the small print, this could potentially be life threatening to a coeliac and should be highlighted more than just a small paragraph that could be missed!!
Thanks Dannii x
Dannii Martin says
Hi Mary, oats actually are naturally gluten free. It is a cross contamination issue that can cause problems, which is why we have listed to use certified gluten free oats to make it gluten free. Someone who is coeliac and has a life threatening condition would be aware of this.
Eli says
Is this definitely meant to be 2 tablespoons of baking powder? Just seems a lot
Dannii Martin says
Apologies - that was a typo. Thanks for letting us know. I have changed it to 2 teaspoons