This might be my most baked recipe of 2023. I make it every few weeks, eat one serving out of the oven, then freeze the rest in individual portions. I eat it for breakfast or lunch all through the week. It makes for a quick, delicious, healthy meal that is completely satisfying and filling. After baking I drizzle on about a tablespoon of pure maple syrup then top with frozen wild blueberries, fresh blackberries and sliced strawberries. You can add freshly cut apples, diced pears, sprinkle on more walnuts, almonds, a scoop of peanut butter or almond butter, honey, hemp seeds....the combinations are endless.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 5 Tbl water
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 Tbl chia seeds
- 2 Tbl hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk (I use almond milk)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened, plain applesauce
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large apple, diced (I use Honeycrisp)
- 1/3 cup dried fruit (I like cherries, but you can you Craisins or raisins), optional but amazing
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I use a mix of walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds), optional but delicious
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Grease a 8X8 baking dish with a little coconut oil.
Make your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and 5 tablespoons of water. Set aside for about 10 minutes while it thickens.
In a large bowl mix together the oats, chia seeds, hemp seeds, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
In a medium bowl mix together the flax egg mixture, applesauce, maple syrup, non-dairy milk and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to combine. Fold in the diced apples and dried fruit and nuts, if using.
Pour the oat mixtures into the prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the top.
Bake for 45 - 50 minutes until cooked through. Let sit in pan for 10 mins before serving.
At this point you can serve the baked oatmeal or let it cool completely to freeze individual portions of it.*
*I love to freeze this oatmeal in squares (I wrap each serving in plastic wrap first and then foil). I pull out frozen portions and reheat in the oven on 350 for 20 minutes. This makes such an easy breakfast or lunch.
