Apple Spiced Baked Oatmeal

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Is anyone else in total Christmas mode?! We have our Christmas tree up, decorations out, and cozy blankets all over our house (because believe it or not it is COLD in the morning!). What is better on a cozy Sunday morning than a warm and comforting breakfast?! Don’t get me wrong, I love my smoothie bowls, but sometimes I want something a little more comforting and hearty when the mornings are crisp and cool.

This oatmeal bake is SERIOUSLY so easy. I don’t know if I can really emphasize that enough. All of the ingredients I already had in my house, and it took a total of about 30 minutes form start to finish. It is also delicious, so it was definitely a win all around!

This base of this recipe is very simple: oats, egg, and banana. It is slightly sweet and best straight out of the oven. If you are cooking for yourself, leftover oatmeal can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and re-heated for breakfast as desired!

I chose to top my baked oats with a little peanut butter. Other yummy toppings may include chopped nuts, honey, maple syrup, greek yogurt, or other nut butters. If you are looking for a simple and fast breakfast to serve at your upcoming holiday brunch, this would definitely be a good option! I hope you enjoy this tasty and simple recipe! Happy Sunday everyone!

Apple Spiced Baked Oatmeal

  • Servings: 3-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 brown banana, mashed
  • 1 whole large egg
  • 1/8 c brown sugar, unpacked
  • 1 capful (~1/8 tsp) vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch pink Himalayan salt
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 whole Granny Smith apple
  • 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of choice)
  • cooking spray

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium size bowl, smash banana until fairly smooth. Whisk in 1 whole egg, ~1/8 cup (or fill 1/4 cup half way) brown sugar, cinnamon, pink salt, and vanilla.

Dice 1/2 of a large granny smith apple (or apple of choice), and cut the other half into thin slices. Granny smith apples are fairly tart and flavorful, which is why they are a great choice when baking.

Add the oats, diced apple, and almond milk to the banana and egg mixture. Mix until all oats are moistened.

In a lightly greased baking dish or pie pan, spread the oats out evenly. Use the leftover apple slices to create a fun design on top of the oats or just place at random evenly across the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the sides of the oats begin to pull away from the dish and turn golden brown. Let cool for 3-5 minutes and enjoy!

Peachy Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

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So I’m the type of person that welcomes stress into my life. When I’m overwhelmed, I tend to pack on a little more because of course, “I can handle it!” After this weekend, I really think I’m going to try to stop doing this.. and this time I mean it! As I’m in the process of developing my applied project for Master’s program, starting my literature review, and beginning to write my introduction, I decided to travel to Minnesota and participate in the Certificate of Training for Childhood and Adolescent Weight Management. While this conference was fantastic and I am happy I went, all I could think about during my flight home was 1. I am exhausted, 2. I REALLY need to do some yoga and have a good meal or I’m going to explode, and 3. I miss my hub!

This morning I was determined to have a good breakfast and start my day off well, hens these oats were created! While I love my hubby, he’s not the best grocery shopper, so of course I needed to go grocery shopping and didn’t have much to work with. With limited options, I knew I had oats, a bag of frozen peaches, a VERY brown banana, and a few other ingredients that I commonly put into my oatmeal.

My Peachy Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal was a success! It is very easy to throw together and is warm, comforting, and the perfect start to a Sunday. It can also provide about 3-4 servings (depending on how big a scoop you choose!), so you will have breakfast for the next few days as well! I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think! Happy Sunday 🙂

img_5221img_5222Ingredients:

  • 1 brown banana, mashed
  • 1 chia egg (1 Tbsp chia + 2 Tbsp water, let sit for 5 min then agitate)
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk (may sub other milk)
  • 1 capful vanilla extract (about 1/4 tsp)
  • cinnamon (I did not measure, I would say at least 1 tsp)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 heaping Tbsp of brown sugar
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups frozen peaches
  • honey (to drizzle afterwards)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine your banana, chia egg, almond milk, vanilla, and brown sugar. Mix until brown sugar is dissolved. Add in your oats, cinnamon, and pinch of salt and stir until all oats are covered and moistened. In a square baking dish, add a little cooking spray and spread your frozen peaches around evenly. Add your oat mixture on top of the peaches and spread until the peaches are evenly covered.

Bake in the oven for 25-28 minutes or until the oats are set. Once finished, let cool for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm with a drizzle of honey and a little extra dusting of cinnamon. enjoy!

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Vegan Baked Blueberry Oats

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I took some time off from oatmeal. I mean, something hot and steamy in 108 degree weather just wasn’t really appealing to me there for a while.

After feeling like my break up with oatmeal was lasting just a little too long, I decided to make a little batch of baked oats. Why do I LOVE baked oats? They are a perfect make ahead breakfast that can last for a few days and prevent those “I don’t have time to make breakfast” thoughts from creeping into your head……. because it is already made 🙂

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With blueberries coming out of my ears (they were on sale…so I kind of over-did it a bit) some brown bananas, and leftover applesauce from a recipe earlier in the week, my Vegan Baked Blueberry Oats were born! Warm, light, and dusted with cinnamon and honey, these are the perfectly simple, naturally sweetened oats for a light, happy morning start! Of course other fruit would probably taste bomb as well, so see what you have on hand and what works for you (and let me know what you think of course!)!!

Vegan Baked Blueberry Oats

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 over-ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp chia seeds
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • dash of cinnamon
  • 1/2-3/4 cup blubes
  • 1 Tbsp PB2
  • toppings of choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mash your banana and add applesauce, almond milk, and vanilla. Stir until well incorporated. Add your dry ingredients (oats, baking powder, baking soda, chia seeds ,cinnamon, PB2) and mix until your oats are evenly coated. Add a little canola oil spray to a baking dish (I’ve made in both a round and a rectangular dish and both worked! Just eyeball your ingredients; you don’t want to use too big a dish or they will be spread too evenly with a potential to burn). Spread your oats evenly in your dish and add your blueberries on top. Bake in the oven for ~25 minutes. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before adding your toppings and serving! My favorite toppings: honey, extra cinnamon, and a hefty spoonful of nut butter.

Enjoy!

Easy like Oatmeal

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Good morning!

I use to be an oatmeal every morning type of person, but I was always using oatmeal from a packet. Now I will give myself some credit because I was choosing a “weight controlled version” to avoid loads of excess sugar. After taking some time off of the oatmeal train, I had a packet a few weeks ago and realized that there was an off flavor that I couldn’t quite put my finger on, but it just tasted a little…. artificial? I don’t know if that was quite it, but I just wasn’t feeling the flavor anymore.

I decided a few days ago to test my luck making homemade oatmeal. Now, that sounds like such an easy task right? Well, every time I had tried in the past I hated it. I couldn’t even choke down 1 spoonful. I just haven’t been able to achieve the flavor that I desired, so I started over.

I finally found the perfect combination of sweet, savory, warm, and flavorful. This oatmeal recipe is a perfect blank slate that can be transformed into multiple other recipes based on the toppings you choose.

Actually….. let’s talk about toppings really quick!

Here are some of my favorites:

  • berries
  • bananas
  • nuts (almonds and pecans are my favorite!)
  • chia seeds
  • nut butters
  • greek yogurt
  • granola

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When choosing toppings for your oatmeal, get the biggest bang for your buck! Choose things that you like, but that will also add a little extra nutritional value to your food (yes this is the dietitian coming out of me!). For example, we all know that protein is important for fullness and satiety, so why not add a little extra protein to your oatmeal with a spoonful of greek yogurt, chia seeds, or nuts? Or add a little extra fiber from a few berries, granola, or chia seeds (see why I love chia seeds so much). When it comes to flavorings, chia seeds, berries, mashed banana… they will all add an extra sweetness to your oatmeal without added sugar.

Now back to the recipe…

Enjoy this simple, easy, basic oatmeal recipe and make it your own! Play with toppings, play with flavors, and enjoy your new, improved, homemade oatmeal! Bump up that breakfast!

Easy Oatmeal:

  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/4 banana, smashed
  • 1/2 tsp chia seeds
  • 1/8 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp brown sugar
  • pinch of cinnamon

Put all ingredients into a bowl, mix, and microwave for ~2 1/2 – 3 minutes, mixing about every 30 seconds.

For banana bread oatmeal: top with a few sliced bananas, 1 tbsp unsalted peanut butter, extra sprinkle of cinnamon, and a few chopped pecans if you’d like a little added crunch! (one of my favorites!!!)

Sunday Brunch: Berry Almond Oatmeal Bake!

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I thoroughly enjoy my weekends; one reason is because I love to put time and thought into my favorite meal of the day, breakfast! This morning, I wanted something warm and comforting and have been itching to use the frozen berries that have been sitting in my freezer. I hadn’t had oatmeal in a while, so an oatmeal bake it was! So simple, easy, and allowed me time to get ready for church while it baked away in the oven.

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Oatmeal is great for many reasons; it’s contains fiber which help keep you feeling full and helps lower cholesterol, is hearty, filling, and a blank slate for flavors. I used a mixed berry blend of raspberries, blueberries, black berries, and cherries, but a variety of other fruits would be great substitutions: strawberries, apples, pears (just to name a few!).

You can also play around with the spices or flavorings. I used a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Use what you like best! This can easily be tapered for fall when pumpkin season is in full swing or for an early Christmas brunch with cranberries and nuts.

Hope your Sunday is filled with yummy smells and tastes!

Berry Almond Oatmeal Bake:

  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 chia egg (1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 Tbsp water, let sit for 5 minutes)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1-2 cups frozen berries
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds

Combine your banana, liquids, spices, and “egg” first. Mix until well combined and sugar is partially dissolved. Add your oats last and toss them until they are all moistened by the liquid. Spray a round baking dish or pie pan with a little cooking spray and spread out the oat mixture until it is even. Top with frozen berries of your choice and slivered almonds

Bake on 350 for about 25 minutes. Allow the oatmeal to sit and cool for about 5-10 minutes then serve warm! Serves 3-4 people. Enjoy!

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