Hot Cross Bun Baked Oatmeal (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free)
Apr 04, 2020 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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Hearty Hot Cross Bun Baked Oatmeal!
It’s that time of year when flowers bloom and hot cross buns start to make an appearance so I was inspired to make this Hot Cross Bun Baked Oatmeal. Unlike your standard hot cross buns, this baked oatmeal is not only vegan and gluten free, but also nourishing and easy to make! It has all your favourite hot cross bun elements–the raisins, signature spices and even the iconic cross to top it all off.
Great for brunch (especially for families, or to serve more than one) and also makes for a beautiful dish to display on the table. You can choose to serve in slices, or scoops, and even enjoy with a little extra vegan mylk if you so desire. The best part is, it’s pretty foolproof because the texture is totally up to you. You can bake it longer for a cake-like result, or bake it less for something more true to oatmeal texture.
This recipe is vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, oil free and can be meal-prepped for convenience!
what’s in this hot cross bun baked oatmeal?
- Gluten free rolled oats → I recommend using rolled oats and making sure you’re not using quick cooking oats or steel cut oats. Look for a certified gluten-free variety if you have an allergy to gluten or are unable to eat it, otherwise, any rolled oats will do! Oats are a wonderful source of polyphenols, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and more.
- Raisins → because it isn’t a hot cross bun without raisins! They not only add a natural sweetness to the oatmeal, but also contain iron, copper magnesium and potassium. It’s best to opt for raisins with no sugar added, as they are quite sweet already.
- Spices → to re-create the classic hot cross bun flavour, we’re going for spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. How much spice you use is up to you, but I’ve included a suggested base amount.
- Maple syrup → to sweeten our baked oatmeal. This is optional, and you could always opt to top your oatmeal with maple syrup after baking, but I like to add a small amount so that it can be enjoyed as is. Using an unrefined sweetener like this is always my personal preference, but you could also use date syrup, agave or another liquid sweetener of choice.
- Secretly healthy icing → that’s right–we’re finishing our baked oatmeal with the classic cross of icing. I used a simple mixture of powdered sugar + water to create the icing, but to keep it refined sugar free, used coconut sugar! Alternatively, coconut butter makes a wonderful, easy and delicious cross.
secrets to success
To bake my oatmeal, I used a skillet style pan measuring 7.5″ diameter with 3″ in height. You can bake this in basically any size container you’d like, but want to make sure it’s not too deep, as it may be more undercooked on the bottom if so. This is totally fine, it’ll be more like regular oatmeal if you choose to bake that way, so baking dish choice is up to you! Just make sure it’s oven safe.
I found that waiting for my oatmeal to cool before frosting the cross on was the best for looks, but if you want to enjoy it warm, please do! Just know the frosting may melt down a little bit if frosted right away.
To store your oatmeal, you can save leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days, or I recommend cutting into smaller portions and placing in the freezer. Microwave to re-heat, or pop back in the oven with some added vegan mylk.
if you like this recipe, try…
- Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal
- Vanilla Matcha Oatmeal
- Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Oat Jar
- Cinnamon Date Buckwheat Porridge
- Banana Bread Oatmeal
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
Hot Cross Bun Baked Oatmeal (vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups gluten free rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- icing
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- coconut butter optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F while you prepare your oatmeal
- In a large bowl, mix together all of your oatmeal ingredients until evenly combined. Transfer into baking dish of choice, and bake for roughly 20 minutes, or until top is lightly golden brown.
- To prepare icing sugar, blend coconut sugar on high until it becomes powdered. Mix with water, a few teaspoons at a time until an icing consistency forms. Start with less than you think you need and as more as you go along! Alternatively, use warmed coconut butter to top.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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