How about a classic summertime dessert made into a delicious and healthy breakfast? Strawberry shortcake baked oatmeal features fresh strawberries cooked down into a thick jam, a sweet cream cheese drizzle, and thick baked oats. For the ultimate snack, strawberry shortcake baked oatmeal can be eaten on it’s own, or with some whipped cream or ice cream for an indulgent dessert. To enjoy with breakfast, serve alongside a dollup of yogurt and some fresh fruit.
What are the components of a strawberry shortcake, and how does this recipe measure up?
So traditionally, the components of strawberry shortcake are macerated strawberries (another word for strawberries marinated in lemon juice and sugar for the ultimate flavor), a shortbread cookie base, and whipped cream. This recipe really doesn’t have any of those components, but it’s got sweet, cooked strawberries, and a sweet cream cheese drizzle which mimics the flavor of sweet cream. Instead of a shortcake crust, this recipe has a sweet, baked oatmeal base, and is sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs. When I was developing this recipe, my inspiration was a “strawberries and cream” mashup with “strawberry shortcake” influences. My biggest hurdle was creating the creamy element on top of this baked oatmeal. To do this, I decided to use reduced fat cream cheese combined with sugar and vanilla extract. It actually ended up adding the perfect amount of sweetness and creaminess to this dish. The first round of testing for this recipe didn’t go as well; the taste was there, but I used sliced strawberries, which released too much water into the bake. To remedy this, the second (and final) recipe test uses cooked down strawberries into a compote of sorts. 
What is baked oatmeal?
Baked oatmeal is my current favorite meal prep and obsession this year. You see, it’s basically the perfect solution for any meal preppers out there who enjoy the flavor and texture of warm oatmeal, but who don’t feel like making a batch of oats every morning. Or, for those folks who enjoy the flavors of overnight oats, but don’t enjoy eating oats cold. I always say: baked oatmeal offers the convenience of batch meal prep, the ease of cutting a cake, and the comfort of a freshly cooked warm bowl of oatmeal. When it comes to baked oatmeal, the options are endless, and I have had such fun coming up with different flavor combinations every so often. The flavor combinations range from simple (Maple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal and Dark Chocolate Baked Oatmeal) to, quite frankly, over the top (Smores Baked Oatmeal, Almond Joy Baked Oatmeal, Peanut Butter and Jelly Baked Oatmeal). If you search “baked oatmeal” on this website, all of the recipes will pop right up. Have fun exploring! The texture of my baked oatmeal is moist and dense, like cooked oatmeal. It is not crunchy or crispy. 
What you’ll need to make strawberry shortcake baked oatmeal
Here is the ingredient list for this recipe:
- fresh strawberries (you can probably use frozen too, although I have not tried)
- sugar
- corn starch
- vanilla extract
- reduced fat cream cheese
- graham cracker crumbs
- old fashioned oats (quick cooking oats will work too)
- unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)
- bananas
- unsweetened applesauce
- baking powder
- kosher salt
Can I substitute anything for bananas? If you are allergic to bananas, I recommend using more applesauce (about 1 cup will replace 2 mashed bananas). Otherwise, if you aren’t a fan of bananas just because of the taste, I recommend using them in this recipe anyway. They are used only for sweetness, and I do not taste the bananas at all. What about using sugar replacements? You can use sugar replacements if you feel more comfortable doing that instead of sugar.
How to make strawberry shortcake baked oatmeal
Making the strawberries and cream topping components
The first step to making this baked oatmeal is the strawberries and cream toppings. First, wash your strawberries and trim the green stems off. Then, cut the strawberries into smaller pieces. Add them to a small saucepan over medium heat. In a small bowl, combine the corn starch, water, and 1 teaspoon of sugar to form a slurry. A slurry is a fancy way of explaining how to incorporate corn starch into water so that it doesn’t clump with the berries. Add the slurry to the berries. Cook this mixture for about 15-20 minutes or until the mixture is cooked down and thickened to your liking; it should resemble a jam consistency, and it shouldn’t be too watery. It should be thick enough to spread on top of the oats. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, remaining teaspoon of sugar, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
Making the baked oatmeal base and putting it all together
The base for the baked oatmeal is super simple to make. First, preheat your oven to 375F. Then, grab a large mixing bowl and mash the bananas. Add the applesauce, vanilla extract, salt, baking powder. Then add the milk and stir the oats in. Pour the mixture into a sprayed casserole dish (I use this 2.5 qt baking dish from Corningware). Then, add the cooked strawberries on top and spread out evenly. Next, dollup the cream cheese mixture across the top, and then using a knife, swirl it to form a pattern. Finally, sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs.
Bake this mixture for 35 minutes or until firm and set up. Let the bake sit for 10 minutes before cutting into it, otherwise it will collapse. 
Strawberry Shortcake Baked Oatmeal
Equipment
- baking dish, casserole dish, pie plate
- mixing bowl
- small sauce pan
Ingredients
Strawberries and Cream Topping
- 16 oz strawberries, fresh, washed, trimmed and cut
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 1 tsp water
- 2 tbsp reduced fat cream cheese
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp sugar, divided
- sprinkle graham cracker crumbs
Baked Oats
- 2 bananas, overripe
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup almond milk, unsweetened, or cashew milk or skim
- 1.5 cups old fashioned oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Pour the berries into the small sauce pan, and turn the heat on to medium.
- Combine the corn starch with 1 teaspoon of sugar and the water to form a slurry, then add it to the berries.
- Cook the berries for 15-20 minutes, or until they are broken down into jam-like consistency. Set aside.
- Combine the cream cheese with the other teaspoon of sugar and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- Spray a small baking dish or casserole with cooking spray. I used an 8.5" x 11" 2.5qt casserole dish for this.
- Add the bananas to the bottom of a mixing bowl, and mash them with a fork.
- Add the applesauce, sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract and stir to combine.
- Add the milk. Whisk together.
- Add the oats. Fold in.
- Pour the mixture evenly into the baking dish.
- Add the berry topping to the top of the oatmeal, in an even layer.
- Add the cream cheese mixture to the top of the berries in dollups. Use a knife to swirl it around.
- Sprinkle the top of the dish with the graham cracker crumbs.
- Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until set up.
- Allow this bake to sit and cool for about 10 minutes until cutting, this will allow it to firm up.
Notes
- 7 points
Nutrition
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This is FANTASTIC!!!! Thank you so much for all your easy and delicious recipes!! This is going to become a regular on my meal plan all summer!
So delicious! I loved this flavor combination. Very filling & such a tasty breakfast or dessert option! Perfect for Summer! Thank you for so many great recipes!
This is the best baked oatmeal I’ve tried so far. So good
OMG i just made this and it was UNREAL. the little dollops of cream cheese take this to the next level. I did use frozen strawberries instead of fresh and it worked perfectly. I just let it reduce a little bit longer than recommended to make sure there wasn’t too much liquid. This is definitely a new breakfast meal prep staple. Thanks Steph!!!
I loved this recipe just like all the other baked oatmeal. I also love all your recipes since I’m also a person who needs to be filled up with tasty, delicious food.
This is my new favorite Oatmeal bake. It’s definitely a 5 star rating. Instead of breakfast this is gonna be my desert for the next 4 nights starting tonight. 5 out of 7 days I have points roll over so this will be perfect. My only question is which one is next?? Carrot Cake, Raspberry White Chocolate, or Apple and pecan??
Smells and tastes amazing! Great recipe and filling!
So easy to make and absolutely delicious!!!
I love all of the oatmeal bakes but this one may be my favorite. Perfect for my rushed mornings delicious and and the generous portion keeps me full til lunch.
I have been dying to try all your baked oatmeal recipes but I am allergic to bananas. Thank you SO much for including the tip about banana allergies. I used 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce and it came out so perfect! The perfect way to use up some strawberries that were about to go bad. Can’t wait to work my way through the other recipes.
This was outstanding! My first baked oatmeal recipe I have made. I’m not usually an oatmeal person but this looked so fun, I wanted to try it out. I’m so glad I did. I will be trying some other of Steph’s recipes now that I know how delicious and filling the baked oatmeal’s are.
Seriously make this now!!!! This is so delicious. I have been making it the last two weeks on repeat ( that for me is 3 times so far). You will not be disappointed.
Thank you Steph for coming up with all these amazing ideas! Going to try the blueberry one tomorrow!
This was FANTASTIC!!! I will say when I put the recipe in my point calculator, it was slightly higher on Blue, but worth EVERY point. Delicious and filling.
I have now been making a bunch of your oatmeal’s for a few weeks. It’s a hit with the family. I am obsessed and always want breakfast! I use to never eat oatmeal and starts slowly but with these I can’t stop!
This is so good! Very easy to follow, filling, and delicious.
YUM!!! This was so good, I had a hard time deciding whether I wanted it for breakfast or dessert! LOL
This is so good. I made this last week for my breaky each morning and couldn’t wait for it 😍
I rotate all of Steph’s baked oatmeal recipes for weekday mornings. I also pair it with Greek yogurt with small amount of strawberry jam.
It was delicious 🤤 I did add a little sweetener and a dollop of Cool Whip to my serving as I like sweet oatmeal🍓
This was SO so good! So easy to come together and flavors together were perfect. Definitely adding it to my breakfast rotation!
This is AMAZING! I actually made it for dessert and the whole family loved it.
This was the perfect recipe for when strawberries were fresh in northern NY!! I made this for a few weeks straight, after the first time I found I liked the strawberry mixture mixed into the oats rather than on top. I omitted the cream cheese when I mixed the strawberries into oats but either way is fantastic!!
Can whole milk be used? I don’t use anything besides whole milk or condensed milk!
I made this recipe for breakfast this week and just tried it and I love it. I did get 3 more servings out of mine. I can’t eat a whole lot for breakfast.
This is the third time in like 2 months I’m making this! So good!!! And I made the blueberry baked oatmeal for company and it was a hit! Xoxoxo!
I made this for the first time today and it is absolutely delicious🥰 Every time I made a new one of your oatmeal bakes it become my favorite. I think they are all my favorite.
So freakin good!!
Love this so much!!!
Love it, I’m a WW member & perfect when you want to change things up. Very satisfying especially when you crave something sweet. 👌🏻
This is my favorite baked oatmeal! It satisfies a sweet tooth while being healthy!
I’ve tried several of your baked oatmeal recipes (always subbing extra applesauce for the banana), and they’re all great! I cheated on this one and did it the “lazy” way. I mixed up the oatmeal and just added cut-up strawberries and chunks of cream cheese. Yummy!
This is so delicious! The flavors are perfect!
So good!! Four days of breakfast done!!!
Thank you! I love your baked oatmeal recipes! This is the first time i will be making without bananas (ran out), Do i use 1 cup apple sauce total in the recipe? Or 1 cup to replace the bananas plus the 1/4 cup that the recipe originally calls for?