These almond croissant baked oats turn the buttery almond flavours of the cafe pastry into a practical breakfast meal prep. This recipe makes six portions and can be baked for a softer-spoonable centre or left int he oven longer for firmer baked oat bars.
I have baked oats nearly every week because they're fantastic as a quick breakfast meal prep or a snack. They're is usually a batch or two in my freezer because they (very weirdly) taste great frozen - or you can just be normal and thaw them or heat them up.
While the toppings on these almond baked oats might not keep their crispiness in the freezer, what they do do is keep the croissant flavour which I find missing from a lot of those "viral" recipes you see out there. The secret ingredient of almond extract helps keep the original flavour while making sure you're fuelled for your day!
These baked oats are not intended to replace an almond croissant exactly. Rather, they borrow its buttery almond flavours while providing a batch breakfast made with oats that can be portioned and stored for the week.
TL;DR
- Serves: 6 (breakfast with yogurt + berries), 8 (snack)
- Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30-50 minutes (depending how "cakey" you like it)
- Meal prep: It holds up well day-to-day and has filling ingredients for a healthier breakfast option
- Fridge storage: 5 days (airtight container - almonds will lose a bit of crispness)
- Freezer storage: 3-6 months (store without toppings)
- Reheating: Have cold or microwave 1-2 minutes
- Customise: Adjust to how "cakey" you like it, mix-and-match your toppings and add ins, serve with a mix of yogurt and berries.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Makes 6 breakfasts. Bake one large dish and divide into portions for the fridge or freezer then mix-and-match what you serve it with each day for versatility!
Adjustable texture. Bake it toward the lower end (30 minutes) for softer, spoonable oats, or longer (50 minutes) for firmer bars that are easier to transport.
Familiar flavours. Like my double chocolate baked oats, they take inspiration from cafe classics with more satiating ingredients for your breakfast.
Ingredients
Rolled oats. Rolled oats absorb the liquid and soften within the baking time while still providing some texture. Steel-cut oats require more liquid and a longer cooking time, so they are not a direct substitute in this recipe. Quick oats may work but will create a softer, less defined texture.
If you want to mimic a more cake-like result, you can blend the oats.
Butter. Croissants are basically pastry and butter, so adding a bit in here can help contribute to the richness of a croissant-like flavour.
Golden syrup / maple syrup. Adds a subtle sweetness and caramel flavour. You can omit or substitute for brown sugar or honey for a more neutral sweetness.
Protein powder. I recommend vanilla or a neutral flavour. If you're not using, you could substitute with additional flour.
Almond butter. I recommend a smooth almond butter for easier distribution. I have used a crunchy and one with added nuts and seeds before and it still works well but it is considerably thicker and needs more liquid to help it out.
I don't recommend substituting for another nut-butter as it would change the whole almond vibe.
Almond extract. This helps provide more of that almond flavour, plus helps to sweeten the dish up a little bit as well. You can substitute for vanilla extract but you'll lose that underlying tone.
Sliced almonds and icing sugar. Both optional, but they give the overall almond croissant vibe to make you feel like you're at a fancy French patisserie.
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity. See below for substitutions
Substitutions
Chia seeds. These help thicken up the batter, but the same thing can be done with flaxseed. You can omit, but the batter will be crumbly when it's removed.
Egg and banana. These can be used relatively interchangeably in baked oats. If you are omitting a banana, I would suggest adding in a little more sweetener to balance.
Milks. I've used all kinds of milk for my baked oats and most yield very similar results. If you do want to use an almond milk, I recommend using one that is a barrister variety as this will be creamier and yield a better texture in the end.
Different sweetener. You can quite easily swap golden syrup with maple syrup or honey. If you were to add a dry sweetener like brown sugar or white sugar, you may need to adjust your liquid quantity.
How to make almond croissant baked oatmeal
Step 1: Line an oven-safe container with either oil or butter, or line with baking paper.
Then, melt the butter in the microwave on 10second increments, stir each time. Be careful not to separate or burn the butter. Once melted, stir in the golden syrup.
Step 2: Mash the banana and mix together with the egg, almond butter, butter and golden syrup.
Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients (except the sliced almonds and icing sugar) and mix until combined.
Step 4: Add mixed ingredients into pan, levelling the top.
Step 5: Add sliced almonds to the top (optional).
Bake @160C (320F) for 30-50 minutes (lower end leaves a more gooey baked oats, longer for a more firm, baked oat bar - see the image below)
Note - you may have to adjust your cooking time depending on the size of your pan. Mine is 24cm x 24cm (10in)
Step 5: Let cool for at least 10 minutes then top with icing sugar and serve.
Over time I've learnt the bake time can vary how the baked oats turns out and I'll frequently adjust depending on how I'm going to eat them. A softer centre works well when the oats will be served warm, while a firmer bake is easier to slice, wrap and eat on-the-go. I usually aim somewhere between the two so the portions remain moist but still hold their shape.
Lauren's Top Tips
Tough almond butter? Almond butter can sometimes be quite hard to stir in. If you're in a colder environment, consider microwaving for about 15 seconds to loosen it up.
Let it cool. Especially if you plan on adding the icing sugar, doing it while the baked oats are just out of the oven will cause it to disintegrate. Wait until slightly cooler.
Meal prepping baked oats
Meal prepping almond croissant baked oats is a great way to have a delicious, nutritious breakfast ready to go throughout the week (just make sure you eat it before your partner does. As you can see in the picture, Zak was a fan and couldn't wait for them to be finished photographing so the main meal prep challenge in my house is them actually making it to the fridge!
To help with balance, I suggest serving with some yogurt and fresh fruit.
How do you store baked oats?
Allow to cool down at room temperature for no more than 2 hours then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The almonds will be soggy from about day 3 and you may notice the icing sugar isn't as prominent as it will collect moisture from the fridge.
If this is a deal breaker, you can always add fresh the day of.
If you plan to serve them with some yogurt and berries, I suggest keeping these in a separate compartment so they don't impact the texture of the oats and can be removed if you plan on heating the baked oats up!
Snack prepping
Depending on how hungry you get, I recommend 6 per batch for a breakfast sized portion (with your optional extras) and 8 for a snack. Add some bars to a container (or just keep them wrapped singularly) and pair with some fruit and Greek yogurt for a more substantial snack - or just on their own for something quick on-the-go.
Keep them separate to other components to ensure the texture doesn't go soggy from things like fruit or yogurt.
Can you reheat baked oatmeal?
Yes. Warm individual portions of baked oats in the microwave for about 30-60 seconds or until heated through.
If the mixture seems dry (which it can be if you baked it on the longer end, or if they've been frozen) add a teaspoon of milk to help it loosen.
Freezing
Baked oats freeze really well. We regularly have about 20 individually wrapped portions in the freezer to grab-and-go in the morning. When wrapped well, they can be frozen for up to 6 months - although, if you want the best texture, I suggest only storing for 3 months as you'll notice the edges go quite hard after that mark.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
They may have been overbaked, the dish may have been too wide, or the protein powder may have absorbed more liquid than the one tested. Add milk or yogurt when serving and reduce the bake time next time.
The dish may be smaller and deeper than the tested pan. Continue baking in short intervals, keeping in mind that the centre firms further as it cools.
The egg, chia seeds or other binder may have been reduced or omitted, or the oats may have been sliced while still hot. Let the bake cool before cutting.
More baked oats recipes
Or, you can have a browse through my baked oatmeal recipes for more delicious eats.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do - Love & Pasta, Lauren x
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Recipe
Almond Croissant Baked Oats
Save Recipe
Equipment
- Square Baking Dish, 10inx 2.5in / 26 x 6.5cm (cooking time may need to be adjusted if using different size)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter, see note 1
- 2 tablespoon golden syrup, or maple syrup/brown sugar
- ½ cup banana, very ripe, approx.1, subs note 2
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup protein powder, (or flour), vegan recommended, see note 3
- 1 egg, subs note 2
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup almond butter
- 1 ½ cup milk, see note 4
- Sliced almonds, to top, optional
- Icing sugar, optional
Instructions
Prepare
- Coat the bottom of an oven-safe pan with a small amount of oil or butter. Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F.
- Melt the 2 tbsp butter in the microwave on 10 second increments, stir each time. Be careful not to separate or burn the butter. Once melted, stir in the 2 tbsp golden syrup, ½ cup banana (mashed), 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ¾ cup almond butter
- Mix the following into the mixture: 2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup protein powder, ¼ cup chia seeds, 1 ½ cup milk.
- Then, pour into a baking pan and level out the top. Add Sliced almonds if using.
Bake
- Bake 40-60 minutes (lower end leaves a more gooey baked oats, longer for a more firm, baked oat bar) (See Note 5). I suggest putting on a lower rack to ensure the almonds don’t burn.
- Remove once satisfied with the texture (if baking at the lower end, you won't get a clean skewer). (Optional) top with Icing sugar.
Felipe
Love the recipe! This is as close as you can get to an almond croissant but healthier.
athletelunchbox
It's such a fantastic option for breakfast (or a snack), or just any time of the day!!
Leslie
The texture was perfect and they were easy to make! I used PB2 for the protein powder, vanilla paste and toasted almonds. I didn't have powdered sugar on hand, which I regret. That would have added just a bit more sweetness, which my palate needed. Great and inventive use of oats. I'll make them again. Thank you for your recipes!
athletelunchbox
Hi Leslie, thank you so much for your comment! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it - it's a favourite recipe of mine! Yes, the powdered sugar does help with the sweetness. If you don't have any, maple syrup can help as well 🙂
Cassie
I made the vegan version of this recipe and it turned out great!! So delicious and filling. I served mine with yoghurt and it hit the spot for breakfast ?
athletelunchbox
Hi Cassie! Thank you so much for making this, I'm glad you enjoyed it! It's perfect served with yoghurt!!