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3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares (V, Oil-free, GF)

Super-simple & so delicious 3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares! They are healthy, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and oil-free.

3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares on a wire cooling rack
Hello, everyone!

Apologies for my laziness these past few days. I had a great run on Sunday at the Houston Marathon—beautiful weather, great course, fantastic crowd support; will post pics shortly–but the remainder of the day, and Monday were spent hobbling around (so sore!) and savoring the fact that the farthest distances of the day were from sofa to kitchen, and later, to bed.

Plans to get back on the ball were further waylaid because of our East Texas Snow-pocalpyse on Tuesday (i.e., about an inch of snow). Schools was cancelled, hence, oh darn, I had to spend another day being cozy and playing board games with my favorite 11-year-old.

But, I did get around to crafting a new recipe to share: 3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares.
3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Square on a white plate with blue background

Oh my goodness, these are so good.

They have but 3 ingredients, too.

Not fanciful, expensive ingredients, either. Just rolled oats,  a can of lite coconut, and some coconut palm sugar (or any sweetener you like).

ingredients for 3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares on a white napkin

Confession: the recipe calls for water and salt, too. But IMHO, those shouldn’t count towards total # of ingredients :).

Ingredients for 3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post.

You will also need some regular water and optional salt.

Baked Oatmeal, Made Super-Simple

Here’s how I came up with recipe:

I wanted to make another super-simple, make-ahead, healthy, handheld, breakfast-on-the-go option.

What about a new version of baked oatmeal? I knew I could make a batch without eggs; flax eggs and chia eggs work beautifully for baked oatmeal. But did I need either? Oats have plenty of sticking power without any additional support. If you have ever witnessed a half-eaten bowl of oatmeal in the sink, you know this is true. 

So, out with the flax and chia.

Oil-Free Baked Oatmeal

What about fat?

I’ve made baked oatmeal without any fat; it was passable, both as baked oatmeal and rubber eraser. I could add milk and some coconut oil, but why not make it one step and add milk that has the coconut oil (as well as tropical flavor) built in? Specifically, a can of lite coconut milk (or full-fat coconut milk, if you prefer). Done.

Coconut Sugar for Natural Sweetness

Last up sweetener. Coconut palm sugar, to complement the coconut milk, sounded right to me (although, you can use any sweetener you like). Also, the aforementioned water and salt.

Sometimes you get lucky on the first go. This is one of those times!

baked Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares in a foil-lined pan, uncut

Crispy-crunchy edges, tender middles, gentle sweetness, and lots of toasty coconut flavor makes these a complete win for me, and, I hope, for you, too!

The key to getting the right texture, and cohesion (without the flax or chia), is simple: blend 1 cup of the oats with the liquid ingredients. Once cooled, these have a light, yet toothsome texture. The fat from the coconut milk adds to the tenderness.

Vegan Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares, cut, on a wire cooling rack

Customize Your 3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares

Although I took the minimalist route for the basic recipe, add-ons and add-ins are always a great idea.

For the latter, consider dried fruit, raspberries or blueberries, diced banana (or some pureed banana in place of the water, for added sweetness), a light shower of chopped chocolate or chips, vanilla extract, chopped nuts or seeds for crunch, or rev up the protein by adding a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder.

close up of vegan Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares

For add-ons, I cannot say enough good things about some peanut butter & jam on top. We all need to keep up our strength, so slather away!

Vegan Coconut Baked Oatmeal Square topped with peanut butter and jelly

Stay warm, eat well, and let me know if you give this recipe a try (especially if you like it!). Tag the recipe as #coconutbakedoatmeal. Cheers!

More Vegan Baked Oatmeal Recipes to Try:

  1. Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal {vegan, oil-free, GF}
  2. Vegan Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal Cups {oil-free, gluten-free}
  3. Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal {vegan, oil-free, GF}
  4. Vegan Baked Oatmeal Cups {oil-free, GF)
  5. Overnight Oatmeal Cookies {vegan, gluten-free, oil-free}
  6. Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Protein Cakes {oil-free, gluten-free}
  7. Banana Chia Overnight Oats (vegan, gluten-free)
3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares {V+ GF}

3-Ingredient Coconut Baked Oatmeal Squares {V+ GF}

Yield: 9 squares
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Baked oatmeal squares, made easier, more delicious and with just 3 ingredients! With minimal effort, you'll have a healthy, make-ahead, portable breakfast that also happens to be vegan, gluten-free, and just 155 calories per square.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided use
  • 1 13.5-ounce can lite coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (always optional/adjustable)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil; spray with nonstick cooking spray or lightly oil/grease.
  2. In a blender or food processor, process 1 cup of the oats with the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt until smooth.
  3. Arrange the remaining oats in an even layer in the prepared pan; slowly pour in the coconut milk-oat mixture. Use a spatula to gently combine and evenly distribute the batter in the pan.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 43 to 45 minutes until set at the center, crispy at the edges and golden brown. For extra crispy edges/golden color, turn the oven to broil (high) and broil for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan and cutting into 9 squares.
  6. Serve warm (plain or with any toppings you like, such as nut butter, jam, fruit, or in a bowl with milk) or cool completely!

Notes

Storage: Store the completely cooled squares in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Re-warm for 30-45 seconds in the microwave or enjoy cold!

Milk subs: Other varieties of milk can be used in place of the lite coconut milk. However, if the milk is low in fat, you will want to add about 2 tablespoons or more of the fat of your choice (e.g., coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, ghee, butter, vegan margarine) to the blender in step 2 to make up for the missing fat (the bars will be rubbery without it!).

Nutrition Information
Yield 9 Serving Size 1 square
Amount Per Serving Calories 155Total Fat 4.8gSaturated Fat 2.3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 78mgCarbohydrates 25.7gFiber 2.7gSugar 7.8gProtein 3.9g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @powerhungrycamilla on Instagram and hashtag it #powerhungrycamilla

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Ellie

Tuesday 14th of November 2023

Thank you for this wonderfully simple yet delicious recipe! I made it twice in a week as the first batch disappeared in less than 24hrs!!

Camilla

Wednesday 15th of November 2023

Oh, That’s fantastic, Ellie!!! :)

Charlotte

Thursday 23rd of March 2023

Love the simplicity of these! Very pleased with the results.

Camilla

Sunday 16th of April 2023

Yay! This is a longtime favorite at our house :)

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Anna

Sunday 18th of August 2019

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I have finally found a recipe that is as close to a stovetop recipe as possible and uses the same ingredients.. I could literally put the batter in a pot on the stovetop or in the oven which is awesome! I made this with a 6-cup large muffin tin and it came out really well. I just kept sticking it with a fork to determine when it was done and it was about the same cooking time as you have listed in the recipe. I didn't use muffin cup liners but I oiled the pan fairly well and they just popped right out (with some effort and shaking!) after letting them cool for about an hour.

Also, I added chia seeds and a dash of baking soda which I usually add to muffins but I don't think it made that much of a difference as far as rising, density, or crumbliness. I filled them up to about 3/4ths and they didn't rise much. I think that sticking to this exact recipe would yield the exact same results.

I seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. I am excited to try all of my oatmeal flavors with this new recipe!

Camilla

Monday 19th of August 2019

Anna, I am so happy to hear that this worked so well for you! And thanks for sharing that you made this in a muffin tin, sounds great (as do your spice additions--YUM!)

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