Baked Oatmeal

As much as we love our standard bowl full of mush, it is nice to have a change. And when that change borders on dessert, it’s most certainly a welcome one! This baked oatmeal, unlike a true dessert, does not have copious amounts of butter and sugar, but the flavor begs to differ.

The oats are moistened with applesauce and plain yogurt for a healthy note. I use my homemade applesauce. The oatmeal is spiced with a bit of cinnamon and served warm with toasted nuts, dried fruits and a good pouring of warm milk.

With the cool temperatures outside, this is a lovely thing to wake up to. Not to mention if you make it the day before, you can give yourself a few more minutes under the covers before it needs to be reheated.

Baked Oatmeal

Prep: 10 minsCook: 40 minsCool Time: 10 minsTotal: 1 hr Servings: 9 Baked oatmeal is like bread pudding for breakfast! Made with a handful of healthy ingredients, this easy recipe comes together quickly and leaves you satisfied all morning!

Equipment

• 8-inch square baking pan

Ingredients 

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup applesauce
• ½ cup plain or vanilla yogurt, (not Greek-style)
• ½ cup whole milk
• ¼ cup Safflower oil , or ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• 2 extra -arge eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Accompaniments

• Warm milk
• Toasted nuts
• Chopped dried fruits

Instructions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the oats, granulated sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, and salt.
4. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the applesauce, yogurt, milk, oil/butter, eggs, and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir until completely combined. Pour the oatmeal into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and transfer to a baking rack to cool until warm, about 20 minutes. Cut into 6 rectangles or 9 squares. Serve warm with toasted nuts, chopped dried fruit, and warmed milk poured over top. Enjoy!

Notes

Oatmeal can be baked 1 day ahead, covered and chilled. Blot any excess moisture from the surface, cover with foil, then reheat in a 325ºF oven until warmed through, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 426kcal, Carbohydrates: 66g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 320mg, Potassium: 362mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 93IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 142mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.