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“Irish Soda” Oatmeal Cake

Oatmeal Cake… for One!

It’s like eating a giant oatmeal cookie, all by yourself!

You might worry that oatmeal cake won’t keep you full like a big bowl of hot oats, but guess what: This cake is so dense and so filling!

baked oatmeal

For Thanksgiving, I posted this recipe: Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal.

Afterwards, I made a mental note to try out other flavor variations. And since St. Patrick’s Day is not Thanksgiving (What? Really?), yesterday was the perfect time to try the following:

Irish oats

With St. Paddy recipes zooming through my mind, thoughts of boatmeal crashed into thoughts of Irish Soda Bread. Thus, the birth of Irish Soda Boatmeal! (Boatmeal = baked oatmeal.)

“Irish Soda” Oatmeal Cake
(Single-Serving!)

  • 1/2 cup oats (50g)
  • sweetener, such as 1 and 1/2T agave or 1 pack stevia (I omitted, but I’ve cautioned y’all before about my lack of sweet tooth.)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (50-60g)
  • 1/4 cup milk, creamer, juice, or water (I used 60g water)
  • heaping 1/16th tsp salt (or less, if you add vegan butter)
  • a bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda (This is just for the “Irish soda” flavor)
  • handful raisins (I used 1T)
  • Optional: 1/4 tsp caraway seeds (I did use them.)
  • Unless you enjoy the taste of fat-free baked goods, you can add 1-2T vegan butter (or oil or even nut butter!). If you use oil, scale liquid back to 3T.

Preheat oven to 385 degrees. Combine dry ingredients, then add wet. Pour into a small baking pan, loaf pan, or 1-cup ramekin. Or you can use two 1/2-cup ramekins for baby oatmeal cakes.

Cook for 20 minutes, or until firm. Finally, set your oven to “high broil” for 3 more minutes, or until desired crispy-ness is reached (or simply just bake longer, but broiling gives it a nice crust).

loaf

I also have a non-baked version of Irish Soda Oats, but I don’t think I’ll have time to post it before St. Patrick’s Day. So if you want it beforehand, just let me know in the comment section and I’ll give you a quick outline of the recipe.

Pancakes, cookies, granola…
Do you ever eat oats in ways other than hot cereal?

If you like baked oatmeal, be sure to check out: Oatmeal Cake Flavors.

Published on March 11, 2011

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been 
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Fox, The 
Huffington Post, and 
ABC's 5 O’Clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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134 Comments

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  1. Nicole says

    OMG! I just finished my oatmeal breakfast just before reading your blog, Katie! Here’s my recipe: The night before fill your bowl with oatmeal. Cover it completely with milk of your choice. I use soy & coconut milk, 1 TBS cocoa powder, lots of cinnamon & raisins, and nuts of your choice, I use walnuts. The next morning I eat my overnight oats cold. yummy!
    Love your recipes!

  2. Lindsey in CO says

    Too bad I JUST ate breakfast or I would be making this!! It looks so yummy 🙂

    Confession: I have hated oatmeal my entire life. Really, hated it with a passion. Then last weekend we went out for breakfast and for some reason I took a bite of my daughter’s oatmeal – it was delicious!! I figured out that the only oatmeal I’ve ever had was instant (read: slimy). Real oats are yummy! Now that I’m a convert, I plan to try all of your recipes 🙂

  3. Stefanie says

    I like oatmeal pancakes. I grind the oats into a flour and add the other traditional leaveners/flavorings. It is a little dense but is good. That oatmeal cake looks good. 🙂

  4. Jennifer JCD says

    Oh my goodness, that sounds and looks delicious!! We’re huge soda bread fans, and even bigger oatmeal fans. Guess what we’re having for breakfast tomorrow? This! Brilliant!

    How to you come up with all these brilliant ideas, Katie? Do they come to you in your dreams or runs or something? So creative and always yummy!

  5. nada says

    Sounds yum!
    And your oatmeal cakes look so good. I was a bit worried that they wouldn’t keep me as full, but you say they do so i must give them a try!

    i just wonder, why irish soda bread? I’m irish you see and what makes irish soda bread is the soda part?!

      • nada says

        How did i completely miss that? I’m so sorry. That makes much more sense!

        Now I definitely have to make that for breakfast! There really is nothing like the taste of Irish soda bread!
        Although, the caraway is a new one to me, i must give it a try!
        x

  6. Veronica says

    I really love oats and enjoy coming up with new ways to eat them, which is just one of the many reasons I’m addicted to your blog! Yes, I love oats in all forms, including “boatmeal,” granola, pancakes & cookies. Or meatloaf. (Sorry! I do buy locally and humanely raised bison, if that eases your mind any.) your soda bread interpretation of boatmeal looks sooo delish! Very creative! I’m sure I would have come with a horrific looking green mess instead, but this is much better. I just saw this recipe, and thought I would forward it to you. I don’t know if cake mix is vegan (prob not) but I thought you could use the idea any way if it appealed to you: http://greenlitebites.com/2011/03/09/simple-green-cupcakes-st-patricks-day-surprise/

  7. Allyson says

    This recipe is truly ironic for me because for the past week I have been craving Irish Soda bread and couldn’t find a decent vegan recipe! Until now that is:) Thanks CCK this recipe looks delicious-I cannot wait to try it!

  8. Michelle says

    i just discovered your blog, and i am so glad i did! your recipes are so clever, and on top of that you seem like such a genuinely nice person! i just wish raw ingredients weren’t so expensive sometimes. blah!

  9. Ashley says

    My new favourite is oatmeal parfaits! I make steel-cut oats in advance and then refrigerate them overnight to harden them up. Then I use a hand blender to mix one serving of the refrigerated oats (.25 c dry) with .33 c pumpkin puree. I then add stevia and either pumpkin pie spice or cocoa powder. I also usually add a pinch of salt and vanilla extract. Then I take that and layer it in a parfait glass with soy yogurt (homemade), PB2 (or nut butter), almonds, and sometimes some fruit. It is so, so delicious!!! Try it now!

  10. Little Bookworm says

    The recipe sounds great Katie, never would have guessed Irish Soda Bread! I love using oats in pancakes and sometimes instead of breadcrumbs in savoury recipes. 🙂

  11. Jess@HealthyExposures says

    This is SO clever!! Love. I’ve actually only ever had a failed attempt at Irish Soda bread, but I still really like the idea of it 😛
    I actually think I’m more apt to use oats in something other than hot cereal, ironically enough. Pancakes, waffles, baking, breakfast bakes…I can’t remember my last bowl of hot oats, though!

  12. Caitlin (EatFeats) says

    I like to blend oatmeal and use the oat flour for cookies or muffins or hot cereal or granola. And now for Irish Soda Bread!!! Sooo pscyhed!

    Oh and Averie’s comment is above mine and I just realized I used oatmeal to make her high raw vegan chocolate chip cookie dough balls! OMG sooo goooood.

  13. jodye @ 'scend food says

    This sounds so so good! Caraway is such an interesting addition to an oatmeal creation, not something I’d ever think of, but I’ll definitely have to give it a try since caraway is so delicious. I’ve been making a lot of little applesauce-oatmeal-chia crackers lately which are very delicious, but for the most part my oats are in oatmeal form.

  14. Alex@Spoonful of Sugar Free says

    Yummy! And since I am wee bit Irish, I should try this 🙂

    I loooooove putting oats in just about everything!!!! Homemade granola bars are my favorite 🙂 And mini oat cakes!

  15. Eleanor@eatinglikeahorse says

    I think I eat oats in other forms more than as porridge! In all the ways you mention… 🙂
    I want to make some oat bread though; that’s my next mission… and I don’t know whether it’s your cooking skill or photography skill that makes your food always look so lovely – I think it must be both!

  16. Dena Harris says

    This just came across my RSS feed and I thought, “I’ve got all those ingredients,” so I ran into the kitchen, baked it, and am eating it as I type this. YUM. I found your blog through Heather Eats Almond Butter. Love your posts. This is the first recipe of yours I’ve made, but I’ve got your easy mushroom straganoff printed out and ready to go.
    Cheers!

  17. Mary @ Bites and Bliss says

    This sounds awesome! And I’m all for the “giant oatmeal cookie all to myself” part. 😉

  18. Alex @ Healing Beauty says

    This looks delicious! I love your blog because you have so many inventive and creative recipes and ideas 🙂

  19. Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner) says

    Okay, so I’ve never had Irish Soda Bread (I’m sorry my lovely Irish friend!!) but anything that looks that good, and tastes like a GIANT OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE sounds right up my street!! 😀

    Oats in ANYTHING. Makes any food better. Cookies are my fave though obviously! 😉

  20. Odette @ theonlyplanetwithchocolate says

    these look like something out of a magazine!! 🙂 i need to try these- i love all of the recipes made for one! it guarantees that leftovers aren’t wasted and they are so CUTE-looking!!

  21. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says

    Do you ever eat oats in ways other than hot cereal? =

    YES!
    I have an entire post devoted to about 30 oats-based recipes…cookies, pancakes, raw desserts, cooked desserts, granola bars, microwave snacks and bars, you name it, yes, I have it, make it, do it. Oats are sooooo versatile.

    I love the looks of this baked oat recipe. Anything called Irish Soda Bread that’s GF and vegan…oh I am all over this!

    I have been making lots of microwave banana oatmeal cakes and variations on that theme lately. I need to try actually firing up my oven and baking 🙂

  22. Angel says

    I eat oats in tons of things – bars, cookies, balls similar to your Fudge Babies, waffles, muffins. I think of them as vanilla cake or pudding with TEXTURE. Happy mouth! I have a couple questions for you. One, do you keep your Chocolate Butter in the fridge? (and how long does it stay fresh?) Two, I was trying to get the Skinny Fudge Babies and Brownie Batter Pudding recipes. You asked if I wanted the soy or non soy version. Probably non- soy, and you may have posted/responded somewhere, but I can’t find it. Can you help? 🙂

  23. Jen says

    I desperately need new breakfast ideas. I’ve been getting SO bored with breakfast lately, and that’s a BIG problem, because I love breakfast. I’m definitely going to make baked oatmeal one day next week! I don’t know why I didn’t come to your blog for breakfast ideas sooner. You always post great breakfasts.

  24. Tara says

    You are gonna get so many linkbacks on st. patty’s day, including one from me! I planned on making irish soda bread and completely forgot, so I made muffins that probably won’t be gone by then. This saved me! Thank you so much! I gotta go buy some caraway for the real flavor.

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Haha I’m kinda getting into this holiday thing, huh? But there are still so many recipes I wanna post, and I don’t have enough time! Irish Soda Bread for One, Irish Soda Oatmeal (not baked), mint chocolate chip ice cream, thin mint parfait…
      Teacher, can I have an extension??? 😉

  25. Hannah says

    I just posted about rye caraway muffins on my blog, and so this baked oatmeal with caraway sounds sounds right up my current flavour alley 😀

  26. joanne says

    mhmm just finished baking these! i cut them into 6 pieces, kind of like muesli bar style and threw one in the freezer. it tastes delicious cold! im going to leave the rest in the freezer overnight. i substituted raisins for prunes and topped with cinnamon. such an easy, simple recipe to make. will definitely be making again 😉
    oh and it also tastes nice with yoghurt on the side

  27. Alexandra (Veggin' Out in the Kitchen) says

    You’re so creative!!! I really want to try this! Although I think I would leave out the baking soda since I don’t like the flavor.

    And I just got done with your cake-batter milkshake!! I added two teaspoons of cocoa powder for chocolate cake batter!! It doesn’t take EXACTLY like cake batter (although I honestly haven’t had cake batter in quite some time), but it was still incredibly delicious!!!! I will definitely be making it again!! 😀

  28. Tami@nutmegnotebook says

    I like the single serving idea of this dish. I have made a full pie plate of baked oatmeal but it makes so much!

    I like to mix my 1/2 cup oatmeal with 3/4 cup non fat Greek yogurt, a little Stevia for sweetness and berries at night and let it set all night in the refrigerator and then in the morning I add a sprinkle of toppings like chopped walnuts, chia seeds, shredded coconut and ground cinnamon! It’s delicious.

  29. J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says

    That looks so good! I’m imagining one with blueberries sinking to the bottom. Mmmm!!

    Yes, I use oats more for other things and rarely eat it as a cereal, lol. There’s an oatmeal “dry skin face mask” I want to try. The recipe is:

    1/2 cup oats
    1/2 cup milk of choice

    Blend and paste on face. Let sit for 30 minutes, wash off. Supposed to moisturize really well! Saw it in one of Martha’s mags in the doc’s office. 🙂

  30. Heather @ kissmybroccoli says

    Oh, Katie! This looks delicious! I still have yet to try boatmeal! I need to get on that pronto! It’s funny, because I was looking back on some of your posts just yesterday and drooling over your pumpkin boatmeal! 😉

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Oh no! 🙁 🙁 I failed you! I feel so bad! (No seriously.) Usually, I have a mini-loaf of it alongside one of my whipped cream bowls or a smoothie in a bowl… and it makes me so full.
      Ooo and now I just got another idea… next time I think I’ll have one with your protein ice cream. I haven’t made that all winter!
      Anyways, I’m so sorry again :(. I hope it tasted good at least! Love you!!!!!!

  31. Mali K (The Mali K Whey) says

    Katie, this is a genius recipe! I made it this morning and have honestly not tasted such a delicious breakfast in ages! I like it even better than the cookie-dough flavour (which I made yesterday). It’s the caraway seeds that do it. I also didn’t add any sweetener, and used pear sauce instead of apple sauce. I used a tbsp of melted butter for the fat. Absolutely yummy – like a cross between a cake and a cookie! I didn’t even add anything on top – just ate it straight-up! Perfect. I will definitely be making this again!

  32. Jess says

    I am a HUGE fan of oatmeal so I just had to make these right away when I saw them. They are baking in the oven right this moment! Going to be a delicious breakfast 🙂

  33. derple says

    The Nutrition Info hyperlink takes you to another page where you have to follow another link to get to the info. Could you directly link the nutrition info page on this one? Just a suggestion. (:

  34. Chris says

    Gee whiz! Now I have one MORE thing to try!

    I make baked blueberry oatmeal…..and then blueberry sauce to make the temptation of eating it all in one day even worse! Don’t oats go with everything?!? I find myself using them where others would use breadcrumbs…..ground to “whatever is required” for the recipe.

    AND I made gluten-free Irish Soda Bread…and had to slice it all up and freeze it! Again, the temptation of eating it all in one day was too much!

    I need five life-times to be able to get to all the saved recipes….. 🙁

  35. Sara says

    Best recipe ever! I added 1 tb walnuts for extra omega-3s and cinnamon because I add cinnamon to anything with oats so so so good!!!

    I love oatmeal as a bedtime snack instead of breakfast….little weird but it’s such a warm cozy treat at night

  36. Kat says

    Hi Katie!
    I just finished eating this oatmeal cake…it is FANTASTIC!!! I quadrupled the recipe, so I would have some for later meals. I eat gluten-free, and this helped me not miss my St. Paddy’s Day soda bread! Thanks for the great recipe, and the GREAT website! I can’t wait to try more of your creations!

  37. Ellie says

    I love oatmeal so much that I will eat it up to 3 times a day 🙂 For snack I will eat it raw out of the cylinder and breakfast I will make apple cinnamon hot oatmeal. If I eat it for lunch, I will add soy peanut butter, and preserves to plain oatmeal and it tastes like pb and j 🙂

  38. Amanda says

    Amazing! I used cinnamon raisin peanut butter instead of oil, dates instead of raisins, brown sugar for the sweetener, and did add the caraway seeds. I was unsure of how the caraway seeds were going to fit in with the oatmeal, but the flavor of the oatmeal was amazing with them. They added a whole new dimension to the dish. Love this recipe!!!!!!!!

  39. Heather says

    This was my St. Patty’s Day Dessert, and it was SO yummy!! Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes!! Look forward to more to come! 🙂

  40. Emily says

    This is one of your best breakfast recipes, in my opinion! I’ve made it almost every day this week! If I’m craving sugar, I add a tablespoon of your Better than Nutella and I replace raisins with chocolate chips. Thank you Katie!

  41. Evan Kay says

    My wife and I love these recipes, especially the baked oatmeal; I’m always looking for new ways to dress this up.

    Quick question: what type of oats do you use? Steel-cut, quick-cooking, basic rolled? lf I use a different kind, it will change the consistency and cook time. Any hints?

  42. Marisa says

    So eating this right now….I added half a granny smith apple and some cinnamon…sooooo good!!!

  43. Carlos says

    Hello every one great site.too much temptations. I have a question, what does the letter T stands for on most recepies. Thanks

  44. Mia says

    Afraid my parents won’t let me do the vegan lifestyle. So I settled fOr vegetarian. And I too jog in the morning(note I said jog. I can’t really run lol) but do u run everyday? Because I’ve been jogging for around 3 weeks straightish and I’ve got runner knee now… But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I was going to ask you if I could use muesli instead of oats. I have trader joes fat free blueberry muesli and I’m cookig my boat as we speak. I’ll tell ya if it worked out. Most of it is oats anyway. It’s not really a cereal I enjoyed cold. I’ve always cooked it like oatmeal do I figured Id give it a go:)

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Nope, definitely not every day. More like every other day to sometimes 5 days a week.

      I used to eat dry museli a lot when I was in high school. I loved a certain brand, but when we moved away from China I stopped eating it because I couldn’t find it in the US :(. I guess I should look for another brand… that old one was so good!

  45. Anonymous says

    I made this just now, and while it tastes super delicious, mine fell apart. I baked it in a ramekin, didn’t grease the ramekin though, and when I went to flip it out, only half came out. I must have done something since everyone else’s seemed to work : (. I used rolled oats. Maybe I didn’t bake it long enough? As far as I know I followed the recipe as written. I don’t *think* I forgot anything. I would LOVE to figure out what I did, these would make a GREAT post workout snack.

      • Anonymous says

        Let it cool? Are you kidding? It smelled SO good I pulled it out of the oven, tried to bash it out of the ungreased (oops) ramekin and dug in. HAHAHA! Okay, trial number two will happen soon with a greased ramekin and time to cool. I wasn’t too upset since it tasted super yum, but I’d love to have the proper portable version to take to the gym :D. Thanks for your awesome recipes! (and help with my simple mindedness)

  46. curious says

    loved it! i absolutely hate the texture of traditionally cooked oatmeal, so this (and the other recipes) will be put to good use in my kitchen! 🙂

  47. lizzy says

    katie,
    i have just recently turned vegan last thursday! its easy but also at the same time difficult for me…i LOVE your oatmeal breakfests 🙂 i am a senior at high school and at first when i told my friends i was going vegan most of them said its a stupid idea and to” have fun drinking water cuz that pretty much all i can eat” so i made everyone your secret peanut butter cookies and they LOVED them!:D now most of them love the fact that im vegan! the hardest parts for me are probably in the evening since my parents arent vegan its hard to make myself a fulling dinner that will hold me off till tomorrow morning. any meals you suggest that are easy to make? and also do you take any protein pills or daily supplements?
    p.s.
    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR RECIPIES ALREADY! you should come out with a cook book i would buy it in a heart beat:)

  48. Erin Cooper says

    Ohhhhhhh man… Am currently eating this and it is to DIE for! I made mine with raisins, cinnamon and pumpkin butter; delish!! Thank you for the recipe. Love your blog!

  49. Anonymous says

    Irish Soda Bread has neither Caraway seeds or sugar. Occasionally it has raisins, but more often not.

    Americans think they know Ireland and Irish cuisine.

  50. Mary Soucy says

    I made this recipe for breakfast — OMG!! I used maple syrup, golden raisins and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Everything else was as stated. Tomorrow, I will add 2 tbsp broken walnuts to the mix. I have a hard time to swallow my bowl of oatmeal [childhood trauma :)], but baking it and then broiling a nice crispy crust, gives it a whole new texture and flavor. Thank you, thank you!!

  51. Jemma says

    I am IN LOVE with this site! Amazing. Had the one minute chocolate cake last night, irish soda boatmeal this morning. Just fantastic.

  52. Paige says

    I’m eating this right now (made w/o the sweetener) and it’s delicious!! Katie, I love all your recipes. Thank you.

  53. pam says

    Good Morning Katie-Choco covered!!!
    Than you for your fresh ideas that are healthy, fun and sound so yummy!
    I’m looking for a healthy replacement to my old “Jiffy”mix oatmeal muffins.
    We are really watching and limiting sugar-please help-TU
    I’m developing a taste for eating oatmeal but always in a hurry in the am
    Thank you for all YOU do.
    Pam

  54. Mary says

    Hello Chocolate Covered Katie! I just want to tell you that I just discovered you and your wonderful, fantastic recipes. I don’t know what to make first. Your photos are just perfect, close up and beautiful. I think you are a great cook and a wonderful story teller. Your site is fun and our recipes are killer. I am always watching my weight and am quite calorie conscious, so thank you again!!! I am signed up for your emails. Love it all.

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