Tiramisu Baked Oats are a delicious dessert-like breakfast. Made with oatmeal, banana, coffee and a creamy yogurt topping, it’s a breakfast-inspired twist on the classic Italian dessert. The topping is dusted with cocoa and stands in for the mascarpone. Reheats well and can be eaten warm or cold – ideal for meal prep. Recipe updated 26 Nov 2025 with improvements to flavor, sweetness and topping consistency.
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Why Make Tiramisu Baked Oats?
Truthfully, I am not much of a breakfast or morning person. I’ve always desperately wanted to be one though. To make the challenge of early rising even harder, since becoming a mum, the state of my sleep hygiene and overall hours of sleep has plummeted to lows I would never have dreamed of surviving in my twenties. My son Ollie is now two and finally sleeping through the night which has been LIFE CHANGING, but I am now used to running on fumes and have fallen deep into the trap of a well-trod parenting phenomenon known as revenge bedtime procrastination (yes, there’s a term for it apparently according to TikTok).
So nowadays, coffee alone isn’t quite enough to take the edge off the early hours. I really have to lure myself out of bed with fun, tasty breakfasts.
On the plus side, this aversion to early rising has resulted in some pretty creative recipes. I have made so many breakfast recipes now that it’s actually become the most popular category of recipes on my blog. It first started with my viral Chocolate Chia Mousse, then my now quite extensive range of Blended Oats recipes. I also love convenient grab-and-go options for a breakfast-meets-snack situation like my Sweet Potato Muffins, Breakfast Cookies or a slice of Choc Zucchini Bread. Perfect for wolfing down in the car after rushing out the door to take my son to day care.
As the colder months approach here in Australia, my latest breakfast recipe of intrigue is baked oats.
Now, I was skeptical about whether or not I could make a truly delicious baked oats recipe. I have tried some in the past but the texture wasn’t right. They were tasty, but dense and stodgy. So I wanted to make some that were cakier and lighter – which, if you have any baking knowledge, you will know is a tall order. Oats are a heavy ingredient and they don’t rise easily.
But I am pleased to report that with a generous amount of baking powder and a lug of acidity (vinegar or lemon juice) to boost rise even more, this recipe worked beautifully. I like to make this for meal prep. You can eat it warm but I personally prefer it chilled, and you’ll want to make sure you leave the base to cool down before layering on the yogurt or it will be very runny.
Of course, it doesn’t taste exactly like tiramisu but all the right notes are there. I was already well versed in this flavor combination from my experiments with Tiramisu Chia Pudding and Tiramisu Blended Oats. It has the rich espresso flavor, topped with a creamy yogurt layer instead of traditional mascarpone and dusted with cocoa powder. It looks as good as it tastes too, so if you bring a slice of it into the office, I bet everybody will be asking for the recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Perfect for meal prep. Make it ahead and it keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- A fun breakfast that makes the start of your day feel a little inspired. Plus it really does have all the flavor you’d expect from tiramisu – a little hit of coffee, creamy topping and a cakey oat base (without being stodgy).
- Made from kitchen staples. Oats, plain yogurt, milk, almond butter and optional protein powder are probably already in your cupboard.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll find exact ingredient amounts down in the recipe card (scroll right down to the bottom of the post to find it), but here’s a quick shopping list to make things easier:
- Bananas
- Milk
- Espresso or strong coffee
- Maple syrup
- Smooth nut butter
- Vanilla extract
- Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- Old-fashioned rolled oats
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Vanilla protein powder (optional)
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Table salt (for the batter, plus a tiny pinch for the yogurt layer)
- Plain yogurt
- Maple syrup (optional, for yogurt layer)
- Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
How To Make This Recipe
Step One: In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, cocoa powder, protein powder (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step Two: In a separate bowl, mash the bananas until mostly smooth.
Step Three: Add the soy milk, espresso or strong coffee, maple syrup, cashew/almond butter, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar to the mashed banana and whisk until fully combined.
Step Four: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until combined.
Step Five: Transfer the batter into the baking dish and smooth the top.
Step Six: Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden. Leave to cool completely in the dish.
Step Seven: Warm the nut butter for 10 seconds to soften, then mix in the vanilla and gradually add the yogurt, salt, and optional protein powder until smooth, tasting and adjusting with maple syrup if you prefer it sweeter.
Step Eight: Spread the yogurt mixture over the cooled baked oats and dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Storage
Refrigerator: Baked oats will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, so long enough to get you through the work week. The yogurt topping helps trap in the moisture so they shouldn’t dry out.
Freezer: You can freeze the baked oat base without the yogurt topping for up to 1 month in a freezer bag. Slice into portions, wrap each one well, and put them in a freezer bag. Do not freeze the yogurt topping, it will split and become watery and soggy when thawed (yuck, trust me, don’t do it). You can add a dollop of fresh yogurt to each slice *after* you have thawed the baked oat base to get the same tiramisu experience.
Expert Tips
Let the baked oats cool completely before adding the yogurt topping. This keeps the yogurt thick and creamy instead of runny.
The dash in the live copy is a long dash, so search for ‘cool completely before adding’ to find the sentence rather than typing the dash.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend eating these Tiramisu Baked Oats chilled as you would with a regular tiramisu dessert. If you prefer a warm breakfast, keep the yogurt topping separate and microwave the baked oats base separately, then dollop on some fresh yogurt to serve. It would be really tasty with some fresh raspberries or strawberries on the side too.
More Baked Oats
Video – Watch Me Make This Recipe
Tiramisu Baked Oats
Ingredients
Baked Oats:
- 2 medium-ripe bananas mashed; about 200 g
- 2 ½ cups milk approx. 600ml; I use soy milk, but any milk works.
- 6 ounces espresso or 2 tbsp instant coffee mixed with ½ cup + 2 tbsp hot water
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons smooth nut butter about 50g; cashew or almond butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice; approx. 15ml
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats about 215 g
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder optional; about 25–30g. Or sub for extra rolled oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- â…› teaspoon table salt
Yogurt Layer:
- 3 cups plain yogurt about 690 g; I use soy or coconut yogurt, but any thick Greek-style yogurt works.
- 2 tablespoons smooth nut butter about 30g; cashew or almond butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder optional but recommended for 'mousse' consistency. Approx. 25–30g
- maple syrup to taste optional
- pinch table salt
- unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
Baked Oats:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease an 8 × 8 in or 9 × 9 in square baking dish (approx. 20 × 20 cm or 23 × 23 cm) with medium-high sides.
- In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until smooth.
- Add the milk, espresso (or strong coffee), maple syrup, smooth nut butter, vanilla, and apple cider vinega
- In a large bowl, stir together the old-fashioned rolled oats, unsweetened cocoa powder, protein powder (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and table salt
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface.
- Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
- Leave the oats in the dish to cool completely.
Yogurt Layer:
- In a medium bowl, add the smooth nut butter. Warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften, then mix in the vanilla extract to loosen it.
- Add 1–2 tablespoons of the yogurt and stir until smooth.
- Add the remaining yogurt, salt and optional protein powder. Mix until fully combined. Note – the protein powder is what gives the yogurt a 'mousse' consistency – see notes.
- Taste test – add a dash of maple syrup if you want extra sweetness.
To Finish:
- Once the baked oats are completely cool, spread the yogurt mixture evenly over the top.
- Dust with cocoa powder just before serving.
Video
Notes
Recipe Updated
Recipe updates made 26 Nov 2025 based on your feedback:- Smaller baking dish size for added height of oats
- Increased the coffee
- Added bananas to oats for sweetness
- Added almond butter to yogurt topping for richer mouthfeel
Yogurt Topping
- Use a thick Greek-style yogurt for a more tiramisu-style texture. I like to make my own homemade vegan soy yogurt but as long as it is thick, any variety like dairy, oat, coconut etc will work.
- Protein powder is optional BUT it is what gives the topping that mousse-like consistency. It still works fine without it, but it won’t be fluffy, it will be just like regular yogurt.
- Mix the nut butter in gradually and warm it so it is easier to combine evenly.
Tine says
love the creamy yogurt on top with the cocoa. makes it feel like real tiramisu. i wasn’t expecting it to be this good!!
Liv says
New favorite baked oats recipe!!
Ron says
saw this recipe on IG and I decided to make it last weekend as I plan to serve this on christmas eve. it turned out really great at first try, it was delicious and addictive
c says
What about steel cut oats?
Liz Douglas says
I haven’t tested this with steel-cut oats, sorry! They take longer to soften than rolled oats, so I’d stick with rolled oats for the best texture 😊