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This High Protein Blueberry Oatmeal Bake recipe is a healthy breakfast that is low calorie, gluten free and packed with protein. Perfect for make ahead of time for meal prep and easy to customize to your liking. Low Calorie + Gluten Free
Who's ready to cozy up to a warm, baked blueberry oatmeal? I've got the perfect recipe for you High Protein Blueberry Baked Oatmeal!
My High Protein Oatmeal recipe is one of my most popular (and delicious) recipes on this website! I love enjoying oatmeal for breakfast but from a nutrition standpoint, oatmeal on its own is a an incomplete meal. Many people don't know that they need to balance a healthy breakfast like oatmeal with PROTEIN.
Lack of protein in meals and snacks drives increased hunger and cravings, low energy, mood issues and anxiety. People almost always eat MORE calories throughout the day when they are not getting adequate protein.
Often, increasing protein at each meal and snack can significantly reduce the amount of food an individual eats. This one adjustment in how you enjoy healthy meals like oatmeal can make a huge difference, and I see it time and time again with my weight loss clients.
What Makes High Protein Oatmeal Better For You
The lack of protein in oatmeal is a problem. Oatmeal is a wonderful, healthy, high fiber food; however, it lacks protein. Many will have oatmeal for breakfast and be hungry in a few hours. Oatmeal is a carbohydrate and most people will pair oatmeal with fruit (another carbohydrate) and/or peanut butter (a fat).
These are healthy foods, but this combination is missing protein. Meals should be balanced with all three food groups, and while peanut butter does have some protein, it is not ENOUGH protein for a complete meal for neither men nor women.
Protein stabilizes blood sugar and keeps hunger and cravings away. And in my experience, protein is a deficiency I see in 100% of my weight loss clients. They are simple not consuming adequate protein.
I share more about the importance of a high protein breakfast and the science behind this in my free weight loss class if you want to know more. Here's a few more reasons why I love this recipe!
- Low Calorie - Calories are not everything when it comes to weight loss (hormones matter too!), but the reality is calories are an important part of the equation. This recipe is low calorie with healthy ingredients that are BALANCED. I can't express how important having macronutrient balanced meals is especially when eating something high carbohydrate like oatmeal. The calories are higher than traditional oatmeal in this recipe because of the added protein. A healthy breakfast for average statured individuals is between 350-500 calories. This breakfast is actually less than that with the added protein. I mention this because I'm sure some will comment that this is too many calories. That mindset is terrible. Food is more than calories. The balance of what makes up the calories is what's important for great health, weight loss and hormones.
- Gluten Free - This recipe is made with gluten free oats making it gluten free friendly.
- High Protein - The egg whites and Greek yogurt provide the protein in this recipe making this baked oatmeal recipe much better (macronutrient balanced) for you than regular oatmeal without protein.
- High Fiber - Oatmeal is a great source of fiber which is important for hormone balancing and weight loss. I talk about the science of fiber in this free weight loss class.
Ingredients to Make High Protein Baked Oatmeal
Here's what you need to make this yummy high protein baked oatmeal recipe! You will also need a large mixing bowl and an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish. See the substitutions section below in this blog post for substitutions I recommend for this recipe.
- Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
- Salt
- Almond Milk, unsweetened
- Greek Yogurt, nonfat
- Egg Whites
- Vanilla Extract
- Blueberries (I used wild blueberries, frozen)
How To Make Protein Oatmeal in the Oven
Here's the steps for making healthy protein oatmeal in the oven. It's super easy and great for meal prepping a healthy breakfast ahead of time!
First, prepare an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish by spraying lightly with cooking spray or by lining it with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients with the blueberries.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until the oatmeal is golden brown and set.
How To Meal Prep Blueberry Protein Oatmeal
This high protein oatmeal recipe is perfect for meal prep! You can easily bake it ahead of time so it is ready to eat for breakfast in the morning. For meal prep, bake the protein oatmeal according to the instructions then let it cool to room temperature before slicing and storing the refrigerator.
You can also meal prep this blueberry protein oatmeal recipe in advance of baking. To do so, follow the instructions up to the point of baking. Store the baking dish with the batter in the refrigerator overnight then place in the oven the next morning. I recommend removing the baking dish from the refrigerator while the oven preheats. I also recommend doing this no more than one night in advance due to how absorbent oats are.
How To Reheat Protein Oatmeal
To reheat this baked protein oatmeal, you can do so in the microwave or in the oven. If you are reheating in the microwave, place 1-2 slices of the baked oatmeal in the microwave for 60-90 seconds on high, or until the oatmeal is warm. For reheating in the oven, place your baked oatmeal in a baking dish (or you can reheat in the original baking dish) at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.
Substitutions For High Protein Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
Here are the substitutions I recommend for this high protein blueberry baked oatmeal recipe. As always, any substitutions you make will change the calories and macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrate grams) you see in the nutrition data facts in the recipe card below.
- Rolled Oats - You can use steel cut oats instead, but I find the recipe works best using rolled oats. You can use regular oats instead of gluten free too.
- Greek Yogurt - I recommend nonfat Greek yogurt as it is high in lean protein while keeping the fat content balanced. You can use dairy free yogurt in place of Greek yogurt, but I recommend you look for one that is high in protein 10-12 grams per serving with no added sugar and lower fat. This can be challenging with dairy free yogurts, but they ARE out there if you look!
- Egg Whites - I do not recommend replacing the egg whites with whole eggs. When you replace with whole eggs, you are reducing the protein content because 3 eggs whites is only equivalents to 1.5 whole eggs. This significantly reduces the protein content per serving. If you are sensitive to eggs, you can use protein powder in place of the eggs. You will need to increase the milk to balance the wet ingredients. The amount of milk will depend on the protein powder. Protein powder consistencies vary wildly so you will need to experiment if you do this.
- Almond Milk - Any milk you enjoy can be used in this recipe.
- Cinnamon - You can replace with nutmeg. If you like your oatmeal sweeter, I recommend adding a bit of stevia or monkfruit.
- Salt - May be omitted if you are concerned with sodium.
- Vanilla Extract - Almond extract would be a great substitute or you could omit the vanilla extract, but I highly recommend it as it gives the protein oatmeal great flavor!
- Blueberries - Any fruit you enjoy can be used.
High Protein Blueberry Oatmeal Bake
Ingredients
- 2 cups Gluten Free Rolled Oats
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Unsweeted Almond Milk
- 1 cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- 3 Egg Whites
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup Blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl with the frozen blueberries. Add the dry mixture to the wet and combine.
- Bake at 350 F 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven once the oatmeal is golden brown and let the protein oatmeal cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving!
- This protein oatmeal can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 60 days. See the substitutions section of the blog post for substitution questions.
Notes
- If you prefer things sweeter, then you could add zero calorie sweetener or another sugar of your choice.
- A healthy calorie range for breakfast is 350-500 calories for average statured individuals. This oatmeal is much better for you because the carbohydrates are balanced with protein. The calories are higher than a breakfast of oatmeal on its own due to the protein. Please see the blog post for more details on why the protein is a necessity to balance your breakfast when eating something healthy like oatmeal.
Nutrition
What's best way to unthaw/reheat from the freezer? Just a single bar
I would thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Wow! Made with a combination of peaches and blueberries! Just stopped by to say this is a keeper and thank you! Just loved it !
So glad you enjoyed it! Love the peaches too.
I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong; I followed all the instructions but the bottom was mushy like all the egg and yogurt went to the bottom and cooked separately. The only thing I can think is a used sprouted rolled oats so maybe they didn’t absorb the liquid as much as regular rolled oats would? Thoughts?
Hi Amanda, it sounds like the egg and yogurt were too cold for baking. Separation happens (curdling) when things are too cold and it can't mix properly with the other ingredients. I recommend taking the yogurt and egg out for a while to take the chill off prior to mixing with the other ingredients and baking.
So I substituted almond milk for cashew milk, Greek yogurt for plain whole milk yogurt and 3 egg whites for 2 whole eggs. It came out amazing! I also added a tbsp of maple syrup and it was delicious. My picky 2 year old loved it as well. Thank you!
I doubled the recipe. Next time I would quadruple the fruit. This has no flavor and the only reason it makes you lose weight is that you don't want to eat it.
Did you forget to add the 2 teaspoons of cinnamon? Also, doubling a recipe always yields less flavor and for that reason I never recommend doubling a recipe. This recipe has received multiple 5 star reviews and I've received nothing but positive feedback on it. You are the first who didn't like it. Everyone's tastebuds are different so not every recipe is going to be likable to everyone. I don't think your comment that the only reason it makes you want to lose weight is because you don't want to eat it was appropriate. I truly hope you have a better day.
This high protein oatmeal bake is awesome! I switched out the almond milk for a Premier Vanilla Protein Shake for even more protein. It's like having cake for breakfast! It's a keeper!
I forgot to add milk but it still came out really good
Just a question. It says 4 servings. Is a serving really a 1/4 of the 8x8 pan for 231 calories? It’s so good! Thanks
That is correct! Glad you like it so much. 🙂
Yum!!
Best oatmeal bake. So easy and turns out perfectly every time!
How many grams does a serving have?
If you want the EXACT serving size in grams, then you would weigh the entire dish baked on a food scale in grams then divide by the number of servings (4). The number of grams per serving is equal to what one serving is.
Do you have a version without fruit added? Just wanted to add fruit in top
I haven't tried it with the fruit omitted, but I imagine the recipe will work fine without the blueberries baked in. Please report back and let me know if you try it!
Is the serving size for this correct? 4 servings?
Yes, 4 servings
This is probably the best baked oatmeal I've tried. Been looking for something with more protein and no added sugar. This has a great texture and wasn't dry (finally!). Looking forward to making different variations and freezing for busy mornings. Thank you!
If I wanted to add Protein Powder how much would I add?
It's going to depend on the protein powder as they all wildly vary with consistency. I would add one scoop or 20-30 grams of protein powder, adjust the milk as needed then bake. You may have to experiment a bit to get the right consistency with the protein powder you use.
No sweetener of any kind?
Sweetener is not needed. Cinnamon is naturally sweet and so are blueberries. The protein powder I recommend in this post has stevia already in it so it is sweet as well.
I am a little confused. I do not see protein powder listed in the ingredients or instructions, however you mentioned that the protein powder you use is sweetened. Should it be added? If so how much? Looks tasty!
The recipe is accurate as written. I explain throughout the blog post that the protein in this recipe comes from the greek yogurt and egg whites. I mentioned that quite a few times. Under the substitution section, I mention that you could use protein powder if you wanted to swap one of those ingredients. I think that is why you are confused.