Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal with Cherries

What could be a better excuse to have chocolate for breakfast than this chocolate chip baked oatmeal loaded with fresh cherries? Any excuse for chocolate at any time of the day is a winner in our house. You'll enjoy the balance of flavors in this baked oatmeal and it's packed with nutritious ingredients so it's perfect to start the day with.

If you're chocolate lovers like us you need to check out our chocolate peanut butter baked oatmeal too. We have a great collection of baked oatmeal recipes (like our peach baked oatmeal) so be sure to check them out.

We use tahini in this recipe, it adds a lovely creaminess and nutty flavor from the roasted sesame seeds. Combine that with the richness of the chocolate chips and freshness from cherries and it makes for a champion breakfast.

We know you'll love this chocolate chip baked oatmeal recipe, don't forget to leave us a rating and drop a comment below with how much you loved it. Use the links here to get to where you need to.

⭐ Why you'll love this recipe

Here are some reasons why you need this chocolate chip baked oatmeal recipe in your life:

Easy - it only takes 10 minutes to whip up and throw in the oven. It's super simple and full of delicious ingredients. If you need to substitute check out the customizations below.

Make ahead - we love making baked oatmeal ahead of time for the week as it saves on time and we can easily reheat. The perfect way to simplify with a yummy breakfast.

Healthy - packed with protein and fibre, this baked oatmeal may not seem healthy but it is a well balanced way to start the day!

Chocolate chips - well, who doesn't love chocolate chips? We love them with zucchini too (try our zucchini bread) - they're not just for chocolate chip cookies!

Versatile - feel free to substitute and mix it up with the customizations we have suggested below. This recipe is truly so versatile.

Rolled oats - baked oatmeal calls for the use of old fashioned jumbo oats, don’t use steel cut or quick/instant oats. If you are gluten free just ensure they are certified gluten free!

Tahini - tahini is just so tasty, perfectly smooth and creamy! We highly recommend buying a high quality tahini such as Belazu in the UK or Soom if you're in the US. It really makes all the difference.

Chocolate chips - you’ll need fresh cherries, semisweet chocolate chips and roughly chopped raw almonds

For the glaze (optional) - you’ll only need a bit more maple syrup and tahini if you decide to add the tahini maple drizzle

We know you love to mix things up with customizations and substitutions so here are some of our recommendations for this baked oatmeal recipe:

Change up the fruit - If you haven’t got access to fresh cherries you can use frozen! Or you can give raspberries, blackberries or blueberries a go. If you try this baked oatmeal as muffins, you need to also check out our vegan blueberry muffins.

Vegan/dairy free? - Replace the eggs with flax eggs and milk with a dairy free option. We have not tested this but have had one of you lovely readers try this on our double chocolate peanut butter baked oatmeal and it worked great! Check out the FAQs for how to do this - do let us know if you try it in the comments!

Sweetness - Try switching out the maple syrup with your favorite honey or agave nectar, just remember they have different levels of sweetness so if you do change it up, take that into consideration.

Have a nut/sesame allergy? - For sesame allergy, don’t use tahini; you can directly swap with an alternative nut butter that you are OK with. If you have a nut allergy omit the almonds and it will still turn out great. If you remove the tahini due to a sesame/nut allergy you will need to add some fat to replace the tahini or nut butter used - we recommend using 4 tablespoons (56g) of butter or dairy free butter.

Follow these simple step by step guides to success for this baked oatmeal with chocolate chips:

1. Mix the oats, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
2. Mix together the tahini, maple syrup, vanilla and eggs with a whisk in a large bowl.
3. Add the milk into the tahini egg mixture. 
4. Whisk all the wet ingredients together until combined.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet.
5. Add in the cherries, chopped almonds and chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a greased 9" x 9" or 8" x 10" or 9” round baking dish and top with extra chocolate chips and cherries if desired before baking.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180^oC/350^oF for 35-40 minutes until golden and baked through.

Make sure to read and follow these expert tips to ensure complete success with this baked oatmeal with chocolate chips:

Wet ingredients - whisk together the eggs, tahini, vanilla extract and maple syrup before adding the milk. It will be easier to incorporate the milk rather than adding it all in together.

Oatmeal cups - make this baked oatmeal into oatmeal cups by checking out the instructions below! It makes 14 oatmeal cups.

OG Chocolate chip - if you want to make the OG chocolate chip baked oatmeal, just omit the nuts and cherries.

Grease - be sure to lightly grease the baking dish to make it easier to serve up and clean.

Baking time - if the baked oatmeal has a wobble or looks wet in the center keep baking for an extra couple of minutes. Take care not to overbake though as that will make it dry.

🧁 Can I make these into baked oatmeal cups?

Yes! Just split the mixture between muffin cases in a muffin tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180^oC/350^oF for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. When we tested them, the mixture made 14 baked oatmeal cups. A great grab and go breakfast!

This chocolate chip baked oatmeal is versatile and great for making ahead of time, here are the best ways to store it:

Fridge - we would recommend storing it in the fridge wrapped in foil for 3-5 days, but for us it is normally gone within four days as we make it into 8 portions.

Freezer - if you want to freeze it, you can store it for up to 3 months. Cut into individual portions, wrap in clingfilm and then foil and freeze at -18^oC/0^oF.

You have two options to reheat your chocolate chip baked oatmeal and it depends on how you have stored it:

From chilled - Reheat using a microwave on high for 45-60 seconds. Or a preheated oven at 180^oC/350^oF for 10-15 minutes.

From freezer - Defrost in the fridge and heat in a microwave for 45-60 seconds on high or 10-15 minutes in a oven preheated to 180^oC/350^oF. Make sure the inside is piping hot.