CHAI PEAR BAKED OATMEAL

Easy baked oatmeal with warming chai spices and juicy, caramelized pears.

Jump to Recipe

It’s that time of year again, and I can’t say I’m upset about it. Throughout the summer I’m partial to overnight oats eaten cold straight out of the fridge, and while I’m not overly enthused about needing to wear a coat once again, I am enthused about it being chilly enough to satisfy my craving for warm, comforting food again, starting with hot oatmeal. Baked oatmeal is essentially an oatmeal casserole, and this chai pear baked oatmeal is entirely delightful and totally dreamy. It’s the best way to wake up, and to be completely honest, the thought of having this waiting for me in my kitchen is enough to make me quite literally spring up from bed…because the fact that it’s still dark at 6 am is not! 

Aside from being obsessed with this chai pear flavor combination, another thing I love about baked oatmeal is that I can make it once and eat it for several days with no prep work. It’s super easy and only takes about an hour, half of which is hands-off baking time. 

Most of the ingredients are pantry staples. Pears are often outshined by apples, which tend to hog the autumn limelight. But, if you don’t have any pears on hand, I’d highly recommend adding them to your shopping list because their subtle sweetness and mellow tang perfectly complement the warm spice of the chai mix and provide an opportunity to break out of your apple rut. Of course, in a pinch, you can sub in apples for the pears, although you may need to cook them for an extra 5-10 minutes before they are soft enough to break down. 

Let’s go through the ingredients!

Pears - I used Bartlett the first time and Bosc the subsequent times. I prefer the size of the Bosc but you can use either.

Butter - If you don’t eat dairy, try non-dairy butter. You could try a neutral flavored oil instead if preferred.

Brown Sugar - To caramelize the pears I recommend brown sugar, but if you’re avoiding refined sugar, you can either substitute with coconut sugar or just cook the pears without sugar.

Oats - Use rolled/whole oats not quick oats.

Baking Powder - To leaven and create lift.

Salt - Always! 🙂

Chai Spice Mix - There are DIY recipes online, or you could try buying a spice mixture, different from a chai tea mix. My favorite recipe I’ve tried is Minimalist Baker’s 5-Minute Chai Spice Mix, and it’s so easy to make! *I didn't use the black pepper, but you can certainly try it with that addition.

Banana - Doesn’t overpower the flavor but adds some needed moisture and volume.

Maple Syrup - For a touch more sweetness and a bit of extra liquid.

Eggs - I have not tried this recipe omitting the eggs, but I have made my other baked oatmeal recipes subbing flax eggs with excellent results. Feel free to try that to make this vegan!

Milk - Can be dairy or non-dairy. I use almond milk.

Love baked oatmeal? Try these other flavors: Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal or Brownie Baked Oatmeal!

CHAI PEAR BAKED OATMEAL (GF, VG, SD, DF option)

Yield: 1 8x8 pan

What You'll Need:

• 3 Bosc or Bartlett pears, peeled and chopped into ½ inch pieces

• ½ tbsp butter, or vegan butter substitute

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 3 cups rolled oats

• 1¾ tsp baking powder

• ¾ tsp salt

• ½ tbsp + 1½ tsp chai spice mix

• 1 overripe banana

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup milk of preference

  
  

How To Make it

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium pan over medium high heat. When the butter is melted, add the pear pieces to the pan and cook until soft and caramel colored in places, about 20-25 minutes. If they start to burn, turn the heat down to medium.

2. Add the brown sugar to the pears and stir until combined. Continue to cook for a few minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Allow to cool while you prep the oat mixture.

3.   In a large bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, salt, and chai spice mix. Set aside.

4. Partially mash the banana and pears together into a chunky sauce. It doesn’t have to be uniform, but the banana should be totally mashed and most of the pears broken down. Leaving some chunks of cooked pear adds texture.

5. Add the pear mixture, maple syrup, eggs, and milk to the oats, and stir until thoroughly combined.

6. Pour the oatmeal batter into an 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set and golden brown. Cool. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Want more delicious recipes to enjoy? Be sure to join my mailing list for updates, and exclusive cooking offers. Enjoy,

Abby