Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal is a fluffy baked oatmeal recipe studded with fresh cranberries, orange zest and topped with a tangy orange cream cheese glaze!
There are a lot of lovely Christmas brunch recipes floating around right now. Cinnamon rolls, donuts, coffee cakes — you name it.
I love to indulge every now and then in the morning, but like I’ve told you a thousand times, I love my oatmeal.
I feel so much better when I start my day with a nutritious breakfast, and this Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal proves that you can have a wholesome breakfast that you look forward to at the same time.
I mean, look at the pop of color from those cranberries….and that drizzle.
The cranberry orange combination is one of my favorites, and I wanted to do something different with it this year. I make a quick bread with these flavors, but this was the first year I made this baked oatmeal recipe.
The first time I made it, there wasn’t enough orange flavor, so I had the idea to add a glaze with plenty of fresh orange juice and zest. It was the perfect solution. 🙂
The cream cheese adds a nice creaminess and tang, and gives the glaze it’s wow factor. I love how festive it makes this baked oatmeal looks.
Who needs cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning with this around??
I always have fresh cranberries in my freezer this time of year because I love baking with them, as well as making cranberry sauce often.
I didn’t even thaw the cranberries out for this cranberry orange baked oatmeal recipe. I just popped half in the bottom of the baking dish and half on top — no chopping required.
You can put this recipe together in about 10-15 minutes tops, which means you get a delicious, wholesome breakfast that doesn’t get much easier.
If you’d like to set things up ahead, follow the instructions in my Overnight Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Crisp by placing it in the fridge overnight and baking it in the morning.
Healthy, festive, and bursting with flavor, this Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal is an easy breakfast or brunch item that’s perfect for your holidays!
More baked oatmeal recipes you’ll love:
Berry baked oatmeal by Happy Healthy Mama
Hummingbird cake baked oatmeal
Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
For the oatmeal:
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats*
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom optional
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup fresh cranberries divided
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or your favorite sweetener
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup pecan pieces optional
For the cream cheese glaze:
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
Prepare the oatmeal:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8" glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle half of the cranberries in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt until combined. Pour the oat mixture evenly over the cranberries.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, maple syrup, orange zest, and vanilla until well incorporated. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the oats and rap the baking dish on the counter. Top with the remaining cranberries and pecan pieces. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until set and golden brown.
Prepare the glaze:
- Beat the cream cheese in a medium bowl with a handheld mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Add in the orange juice and zest, and beat until combined. If you’d like your glaze to be thinner, add a bit more orange juice.
- Drizzle over the baked oatmeal, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftover cranberry baked oatmeal in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
33 Comments on “Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal”
This baked oatmeal is stunning, Marcie! I’ve only made baked oatmeal once before, so you are reminding me that I need to change that. I love the combination of cranberries and orange, especially with that cream cheese glaze! I bet this would be a delicious addition to a Christmas brunch. And it’s so hearty and filling too. Definitely a show stopper!
Thank you, Gayle! I’m a baked oatmeal fanatic, and it’s nice to have a special breakfast that’s still on the healthy side! 🙂
Girlfriend this is absolutely wonderful!!!
You’re the sweetest, Jocelyn — thank you! 🙂
Gah!! This oatmeal is pure perfection, Marcie! I’m seriously ALL over those pretty cranberries and glory, that orange cream cheese glaze!! I need this in my face asap. That is all. 😉
Thank you so much for the nice words, Sarah! I’d love to share some with ya! 🙂
Oatmeal has never been prettier!! This is just gorgeous!!
This is stunning! Love how you added that orange glaze- cranberry and orange were made for each other 🙂
Thank you, Medha, and I totally agree about the cranberry-orange combo! 🙂
Well you my friend have perfect timing because I was just trying to decide what to make for Christmas morning! I LOVE cranberry and orange together! This sounds wonderful!!
Thanks so much, Ashley! I might just make this again for Christmas, but my kids put in an order for my Egg Nog Baked French Toast. We’ll see who wins out! 🙂
I love cranberry and orange together, and this sounds like such a perfect holiday breakfast – and it looks gorgeous!! I wish I had this for breakfast 🙂
Thanks so much, Rachel! 🙂
This is the prettiest oatmeal, Marcie! I’m with you, I love starting the day with a bowl of oatmeal and now I want to swap out my plain jane bowl for your delicious cranberry and orange version. The flavors and colors are so perfect for the holidays!
This was such a fun way to change things up, and you can’t beat the cranberry orange flavor this time of year! Thanks so much, Kelly! 🙂
Dear Marcie, what a delightful morning treat. Your oatmeal looks so pretty and delicious. I would love this for tomorrow. xo, Catherine
Thank you, Catherine!
I love that we are baked oatmeal twins today, Marcie! I just can’t get over this cranberry orange version, especially with that orange cream cheese glaze! I’m penciling this one in for breakfast this weekend!
Thanks, Kristine, and I’m penciling in your version for this weekend! 🙂
I really need to make these for the holidays, it looks amazing. Imagine this on Christmas morning, so perfect. I love the combo and it’s so colorful. My mom is a big oatmeal fan for years now, I need to send her this picture and recipe.
Pinning.
The gorgeous color of the cranberries is the best part about this for me because it makes it look so Christmas-y! Thank you for the pin, Ash!
Gorgeous, gorgeous dish! This wins the prize for prettiest Christmas breakfast! Love the seasonal flavors too 🙂
You’re so sweet! Fresh cranberries make everything so gorgeous, don’t they? 🙂
I love baked oatmeal! Using cranberries is such a great idea to mix things up.
Thank you, Laura! This was such a fun, seasonal change. 🙂
I want to wake up to this!! All the flavors will make the house smell delicious in the morning.
It really did! Thanks, Z!
I would not want to share this with anyone! Looks great!
Thank you, Nancy! The family was lucky I shared. 🙂
Just made a double batch of this baked oatmeal & it was delicious! I substituted honey for the syrup & topped it with chopped almonds. The only thing I will change next time is reduce the amount of milk as this had too much liquid for me. I think for a double batch I will likely use 2 cups & for a single batch, 1 cup of milk. Hopefully this will firm it up a little bit so that it can be cut up & keep its shape rather than needing to be scooped with a spoon out of the baking dish. Regardless, the flavors in this were perfection!
Hi Sherri! I’m really surprised that you had to scoop it out with a spoon..I’m wondering if it baked long enough? Normally it’s really easy to slice. At any rate, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it and thank you for leaving feedback for me!
Can you sub steel cut oats?
It’s not a straight forward swap — see my post for pumpkin steel cut oatmeal for the ratios. You could easily omit the pumpkin, use an egg and add cranberries and orange.https://flavorthemoments.com/overnight-pumpkin-baked-steel-cut-oatmeal/