This recipe for Collagen Baked Oatmeal is simple, filling and protein-packed and perfect to meal prep ahead for a healthy weekday breakfast. Made with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, it’s an easy recipe to customize and serves as a great base baked oatmeal recipe for any of your favorite additions — fresh blueberries, sliced almonds and more. The photos in this post recently got a little refresh and I hope you all continue to enjoy it as much as we have in our house throughout the years.
A while back, I shared a blog post all about Healthy Meals to Make for Others. It was born out of a reader request and incorporated a roundup of recipes I love to bring to those who might need a little extra love and support for a myriad of reasons. I joke that food is my love language and it certainly is a way I like to show I care to others.
I’ve found that when I bring people healthy meals rather than indulgent dishes during a hard time, it seems to be even more appreciated. I think we can all agree that when life gets stressful, it’s so much easier to turn to indulgent food and takeout so I personally feel like having a healthy homemade meal delivered to your door can feel like a big sigh of relief when you’ve been living off takeout for days.
When I first flew to Florida to visit my niece after she came home from the hospital, I was determined to make some healthy meals for my sister and brother-in-law while I was in town. I know their preferences and what kind of foods they like to eat on a daily basis so figuring out what healthy recipes to make for them was rather simple.
I knew Leslie was prioritizing foods linked to increasing her milk supply so for breakfast, baked oatmeal seemed like a perfect fit for a morning meal. (For me, personally, aside from staying very hydrated, consuming oatmeal regularly seems to help my supply most. Leslie said she’s noticed the same thing.) I think I made three batches of baked oatmeal for Leslie and Ross during my first visit because they liked it so much!
Then, during my return visit to Florida over Christmas, I began chatting with Ross about the baked oatmeal recipe I initially made for them. Ross said it’s now a staple in their house but they’ve upped the ante and added collagen peptides to the original recipe to give the baked oatmeal more staying power. I know a lot of people say oatmeal “sticks to their ribs” and makes them feel full in the mornings but, for me, without an additional source of protein along with rolled oats, I often find myself looking for something to eat soon after breakfast is over. This is why I’ve shared so many protein-packed oatmeal recipes on the blog over the years! I need protein with my oats!
Ross raved about adding collagen peptides to baked oatmeal and said that while you cannot taste it, the collagen somehow gives the top of the baked oatmeal a kind of soft yet slightly crisp crust. (Note: The fact that you cannot taste the collagen in this recipe is what I love most about it as opposed to traditional protein powder in baked oatmeal which dramatically alters the flavor.) I was all about this updated version and made a batch over Christmas at my parents’ place that we all devoured in one morning.
Ever since I returned to Charlotte, I’ve found myself making Collagen Baked Oatmeal regularly because it makes breakfast in the morning so darn easy. I’m also a weirdo who loves cold oatmeal (always have!) and I actually really like pairing a slice of cold Collagen Baked Oatmeal with Greek yogurt, nut butter and fresh berries for an afternoon snack as well.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today for Collagen Baked Oatmeal is meant to serve as a launching pad for you! It’s the most basic of baked oatmeal recipes meaning I haven’t added much to it so you can easily doctor it up and add your favorite mix-ins. It’s fantastic with chopped nuts or blueberries stirred in before baking. I also love it with a sprinkle of chocolate chips, a drizzle of nut butter or sliced bananas. Play around with this one because it’s easy to adapt and somehow seems to always turn out well!
I hope you love it!
Collagen Baked Oatmeal
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Collagen Baked Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 very large squares 1x
- Category: breakfast
Description
This recipe for Collagen Baked Oatmeal is simple, filling and protein-packed. Made with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry, it’s a great recipe to prep ahead for a healthy weekday breakfast!
Ingredients
- 2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds (or nuts of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
- 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 3/4 cup collagen
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons MCT oil (or melted coconut oil or melted butter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Pour in the almond milk followed by the collagen and stir to combine. Add the MCT oil, maple syrup, egg and vanilla and stir to thoroughly mix ingredients together.
- Pour oatmeal into baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until top is set.
- Allow baked oatmeal to cool for several minutes before slicing and topping with desired toppings. Refrigerate any leftovers in an air-tight container.
Notes
It is important to use a kind of collagen that easily dissolves in liquid in this recipe. I’ve made this recipe over and over again with Great Lakes Grass-Fed Collagen Hydrolysate and it works great!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 large square
- Calories: 404
- Sugar: 8g
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 47mg
Recipe inspired by Brittany’s Maple Pecan Baked Oatmeal
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Totally agree with you! When people take the time to make a homemade meal, it means so much to me. I bet your sister and brother in law appreciated it!
I love baked oatmeal but always find that the usual recipes are filled with sugar! Your recipie looks soooo good but I don’t have collagen on hand. Will the recipie work if I omit the collagen?
Yes!! It’s great without collagen as well — just omit it and it should be good to go! Maybe just keep an eye on the baking time because the one thing I did notice is that it seems to take LESS time to bake in the oven when I make it without collagen (5 min less or so).
Could you make this without the collagen?
If so how?
Absolutely! Please see above for my response to Ashley about the same thing! 🙂
could you leave the nuts out?
my family prefers basic and add our own toppings…
Yes!
Do you think this would be fine to also share with my toddler (including the collagen in the recipe)?
Thanks!!
Yes!! Of course check with your pediatrician first, but in all of my personal research I’ve found collagen to be safe for kids!
Also, Chase really likes this recipe though I do let him top his with a little drizzle of maple syrup!
Looks awesome. Does Chase eat it too?
He does! I just let him drizzle the top of his with a little maple syrup and he’s all in 🙂
Yum! I love the idea of adding the collagen. I love oatmeal and all its forms but same, if I don’t add extra protein in some way I’m snacky a couple hours later.
I will never understand the collagen fad. There is nothing natural or wholesome about eating ground-up animal bone and tissue. And, as with most supplements, it’s not a highly regulated industry. I would be cautious in its use. Very, very limited research shows some benefit, but at what cost? This is a snippet of one article I read:
“Meanwhile, dermatologists and consumer groups have also said they were concerned that those ground-up hooves, hides, and nerve tissues — particularly if they come from cows — could carry diseases like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease.
In 2016, the FDA prohibited the use of some cow parts in dietary supplements to “address the potential risk” of the presence of BSE. (Human consumption of BSE-infected meat has been linked to neurological disorders.) The FDA exempted gelatin — a key collagen source — from the ban, “as long as it is manufactured using specified industry practices.”
Source: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/news/20180308/collagen-supplements-what-the-research-shows
Sourrce: https://www.sciencealert.com/science-behind-collagen-supplement-market-increase
This looks delicious. I’ve been eating plain jane oatmeal every single morning for breastfeeding so this looks like a great way to mix it up a bit!
I made this last night!
Also, if you’re taking suggestions… I’d LOVE to see a post about what you pack for Chase for lunch. A roundup of ideas or a typical week post maybe?. I struggle with coming up with ideas for my son.
Baked oatmeal is WONDROUS. Your recipe looks wonderful–I have to try it with a flax egg and some extra protein powder to make the batch vegan-friendly. Tastes like dessert for breakfast, which is the BEST kind of breakfast.
Made this for a breakfast this morning and it was a huge hit!
I am so glad to hear it!!! And thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it so much!
I made it this weekend and swapped the nuts for ground flax and it turn out great.
It is yummy and filling.
Thanks for this great recipe.
I’ve added ground flax to mine before as well and love it that way! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Kristy! And thanks for leaving a review — I really appreciate it!
I have made this a few times and I love it! It keeps me full for hours. I added chia seeds in my last one but I will have to try ground flax next time.
I’ve made this several times and love it! Typically oatmeal doesn’t fill me up but this always does.
I make it as is with the addition of ground flax. So good!
I’ve made this a few times and it’s delicious; a nice change of pace from my usual overnight oats. Lately I’ve been having it reheated in microwave with a dollop of peanut butter – yum!
Just FYI if the collagen helps it to feel more filling that’s great but collagen powder isn’t a complete source of protein. So if someone is trying to get more protein in their diet or tracks macros the protein in this doesn’t “count” the way eggs or cottage cheese or another form of complete protein would. Same thing with bone broth, it’s great for joint health and beauty reasons but doesn’t actually increase the amount of protein you consume.