Preheat the oven to 350℉. Lightly spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, eggs, milk, applesauce, sugar, vanilla, baking powder and salt until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool for around 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store any leftover baked oatmeal in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezing: To freeze, place squares of the cooled baked oatmeal in a large freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds, or until warm.
Double the recipe: Use a 9x13 inch pan when doubling the recipe. It will be a little thicker than this one, so you will need to add an extra 10 minutes to the baking time.
Add ins: You can swap out the chocolate chips for the same amount of nuts, fresh fruit or dried fruit. If you wanted an extra crunch, try adding in ½ cup nuts to the original batter.