Healthy baked cherry oatmeal recipe with an addictive nutty topping! This amazing skillet oatmeal is easy to make for a crowd or for breakfast meal prep.
Hi, Rhubarbarians! We've got a super tasty, summery version of a tried and true go-to breakfast for us: skillet baked cherry oatmeal!
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we looooove cherry season. Spokane, WA is like a dream for cherry lovers in early to mid-summer, and cherry picking is a yearly tradition. We pick three different types of cherries: sweet dark cherries, pie cherries, and rainier cherries.
The game plan is to pick as many pie and sweet dark cherries as we can eat, and then triple that amount to freeze all the rest. Those rainiers all get eaten up before we can freeze, LOL!
Got extra cherries? Try this cherry smoothie! It's one of our favorite breakfasts.
Skillet baked oatmeal: a versatile staple
We love love love oatmeal in our house! The base of this healthy baked oatmeal recipe stays the same while we switch out the fruit (and sometimes the nuts) for whatever is in season. It's kind of a healthy spin on a crisp. But for breakfast. With lots of nuts. HUZZAH! Strawberry rhubarb in spring, cherries and berries in summer, apples in fall, cranberry orange in winter.
But... because it's the season... CHERRY OATMEAL. With a dash of cinnamon and nutty topping. Oh yes.
Make ahead for the week
This makes a lot! About 8 servings. Perfect for making ahead and eating throughout the week. Just store in the fridge for up to 5 days and heat up in the microwave in the morning. Add a splash of milk when it's warm and you've got a warm, healthy oatmeal breakfast.
How to make skillet baked cherry oatmeal
- First, choose your cherries.
- I like to use tart pie cherries so it isn't too sweet. Sweet, dark cherries are still delicious, but tend to turn the oatmeal an unappetizing grey color.
- You can use fresh or frozen cherries! No need to defrost the cherries either. I actually found that frozen cherries hold their shape more, while fresh cherries turn into soft, mushy, cherry goodness at the bottom. Both delicious, but whatever you prefer.
- Choose your skillet.
- I'm a cast iron skillet fan! I use mine for everything. But any large, oven safe skillet will work. You can even bake this in a casserole dish to make storing in the fridge easier.
- Preheat your oven, grease your skillet, and spread the cherries evenly along the bottom.
- Combine your dry ingredients.
- Whisk the eggs and combine with the wet ingredients.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients and pour evenly over the cherries.
- Top with the nuts and bake!
Veganize it
This oatmeal is already dairy free, but does include eggs. Make it vegan by subbing the eggs for flax or chia egg. I prefer flax egg in oatmeal, but either one works!
Cozy breakfast recipes you'll love!
Healthy baked cherry oatmeal recipe
Recipe
Healthy baked cherry oatmeal
Ingredients
- Coconut oil or butter for greasing pan
- 4 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries*
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats (gluten-free certified for gluten-free)
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs (sub chia or flax "egg" for vegan)
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- ¾ cup unsalted hazelnuts
- ¾ cup unsalted walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large oven safe skillet with coconut oil or butter. Spread the cherries evenly along the bottom of the skillet. Set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Stir until well combined.
- Add the egg mixture to the oats mixture and stir until well combined.
- Pour evenly over cherries in the skillet. Top evenly with the hazelnuts and walnuts.
- Bake 45 minutes, or until oatmeal is set.
- Let rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you make this recipe, please let us know on social media or in the comments below! Leave a star rating in your comment or tag us on Instagram with #Rhubarbarians.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting Rhubarbarians and the brands that we recommend. If you’re looking for a group of people cooking vegetarian recipes through the seasons, join us on Facebook in our vegetarian and vegan recipes group!
Hope you enjoy this cherry oatmeal!
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KAITLYN
Sooo tasty 😋 I replaced the egg with a flax egg. I also replaced the maple syrup with sugar free pancake syrup
Trish Bozeman
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health
cherries are my favorite too, esp this time of the year. i hate pitting them though. you've got so many lovely recipes, those popsicles and baked oatmeal, i love it.
Wandercooks
This looks like my kind of oatmeal! Love the addition of all those gorgeous flavours and textures from the nuts, and that spike of sweetness from the cherries. Can't wait to give this a try! 🙂
Gloria Duggan
I love baked oatmeal, and this looks delicious. Perfect for easy mornings since I like to make a batch so I can warm some up for breakfast the next day. Also nice for brunch!!
Patricia Bozeman
Thanks Gloria! We keep big batches of oatmeal around all week long. Perfect for easy breakfasts! 🙂
Molly Kumar
I love Skillet Oatmeal and addition of cherries just made it so yummy!
recipesfromapantry
Cherry and oatmeal sound like my idea of heaven. 😀
kathi @ laughingspatula
You Foodie Mama's got the cherry thing down! All the recipes look delicious and since I'm a Seattleite I'll just skip on down to the Pike Place Market and pick me up some! I just ave to choose which one to make! Lovely post!
Patricia Bozeman
YES! A fellow Seattleite! I am so pumped about Rainier cherry season. Gotta head over to Eastern Washington and pick up a flat of them!
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival
That oatmeal looks amazing! I've never baked oatmeal before! All the cherry recipes really make want some!
Patricia Bozeman
Thank you, Beth!
Lucy
This looks so delicious! Just pass me the vanilla ice cream and a spoon 🙂 I feel like cherries are ALWAYS paired with almonds. I love that you used walnuts and hazelnuts to change things up. Yum!
Patricia Bozeman
Thanks Lucy! I actually prefer walnuts to almonds most of the time. Adds more of a savory taste. And yes, vanilla ice cream with this would be SO TASTY!
safira
That topping looks delicious and with the cherries, it looks to die for.
Patricia Bozeman
Thank you!
Welcome to LittleSugarSnaps
I loved your leading photo - it just drew me in. I think it's that nutty topping and then discovering CHERRIES. Heaven. Also, those little skillet pans... extra cute.
Patricia Bozeman
Thanks so much! We have a few of those teeny skillets and I love them! This one is cooked in a large one though. 🙂
Sara | LifesLittleSweets.com
This looks amazing & delicious, what a great breakfast idea that can feed the whole family with easy cleanup! What a fantastic cherry recipe roundup this month from the #FoodieMamas!
Patricia Bozeman
I agree, this was a wonderful roundup! Thanks so much Sara!
Alexa @ Sweet Little Kitchen
This looks wonderful, Trish! I am also a big fan of Ranier cherries, but this may help me waiting patiently over the next few weeks until I start seeing them around. Loving the combination of hazelnuts and walnuts!
Patricia Bozeman
Thanks Alexa! I actually saw some Rainiers in the grocery store yesterday. So early! WOOOOOT!
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil)
Oh this cherry lover is in HEAVEN! I have a recipe for Baked Oatmeal Squares with Cherries but your recipe blows that one out of the water - can't wait to try it 🙂
Patricia Bozeman
Thanks so much, Deanna! Oatmeal squares sound delicious!