Tag Archives: Baked oatmeal

Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal

As I type this, a bowl of this peanut butter + jam oatmeal sits in front of me for breakfast, as it has for countless days now. Each bite that I take is warm + comforting, especially as I look out the window to the gray morning sky and white ground.

That’s how this oatmeal came to be. A yearning for something warm. I’ve had a smoothie for breakfast almost daily for the last two years, but one cold Saturday morning recently, a smoothie just wasn’t going to do. I thought oatmeal sounded like a good idea, but I wanted it to be extra comforting, extra warm, extra special. Introducing: the breakfast that happily broke my two and a half year smoothie streak.

Let’s talk about it. The peanut butter and jam, it’s not in your face flavor wise, but I’d say that you do have to appreciate those flavors to enjoy this oatmeal. More than anything though, the coming together of the oats, milk, peanut butter and applesauce creates something special. The combination creates the creamiest oats I’ve ever had, no kidding. These creamy oats have a pleasant hint of peanut butter flavor, with a sweet/tartness coming from the jam and some crunchy texture from the toppings. I’d say that no one single flavor sticks out, everything just comes together in all the right ways.

If you plan to make this, here are some more details:

The peanut butter. If you like peanut butter, you will like this oatmeal. If you don’t like peanut butter, you still might like this oatmeal. If you LOVE peanut butter, you might actually want to add more than I suggest. The peanut butter flavor is not overpowering. Use an unsalted peanut butter if possible. If you do use a salted peanut butter, decrease the amount of salt that you add to the oatmeal. I have noted this below the recipe as well.

The jam. I thought that the jam would add sweetness, which it did, but it also adds tartness, an unexpected flavor that I love. Try to use a jam that has lemon juice in it, as that helps to add the right amount of tartness to these oats. I have been loving strawberry and blueberry jam but use what you love.

The applesauce. It acts as the main sweetener, with no other sugar added to these oats. And I will be honest, this is not a sweet dish, but that is how I prefer it. If you like things a little sweeter, you may want to use a sweetened applesauce (I use no sugar added applesauce) or you may want to add some other form of sweetener. Play around, find what you like. 

The oats. Use old fashioned or rolled oats. I thought about trying this with steel cut oats because I do love them, but I am just obsessed with the original version made with rolled oats, so why mess with something that works. Like I said above, these are the creamiest oats I’ve ever had so I don’t plan to change it up.

The milk. I have no doubt that these oats would work and be great with any kind of milk. I always use original unsweetened almond milk, but use what you love. 

Toppings. I really like to serve this with an extra dollop of jam and something crunchy. The extra jam, just because I love it and you just can’t have too much and the crunchy toppings for texture. I have been doing a sprinkle of hemp seeds but so many different things could work here. Another kind of seed, a variety of chopped nuts or a combination of both. Play around with it, find what toppings make you happy.

A few more notes:

This can be made into a single serving recipe, as that’s how I made and enjoyed it the first few times. I will list that recipe below as well. If you do make the four serving version, keep in mind that it does reheat very well. As I am the only one who will eat this in my house, that’s what I do. I just microwave the leftovers with a splash of almond milk for two minutes. Also, as far as what you bake this oatmeal in, there are options. In the recipe below, I state to cook it and then also bake it in an oven proof pot, like a dutch oven, like I did for the batch you see in the photos. I have done that successfully, and it’s nice to use only one dish. I have also successfully used an eight inch enamel cast iron skillet. If you don’t have something that can go from stove top to oven, just cook the oats in a regular pot on the stove and then transfer to any kind of baking dish for the oven. One thing to note is that you may want to lightly grease the dish that you bake it in to prevent sticking. 

I hope that these oats bring you as much happiness, comfort and warmth as they have been bringing me!

1-2

7-2

2-2

3-2

9-2

5-2



Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups rolled oats
  2. 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
  3. 1/2 teaspoon salt*
  4. 2 cups water
  5. 2 cups milk of choice (I always use almond)
  6. 1 cup applesauce**
  7. 1/2 cup peanut butter
  8. 1/3 cup fruit jam or preserves (I like strawberry and blueberry)***, plus more for serving
  9. Crunchy toppings (I like hemp seeds and chopped nuts)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place the coconut oil (or butter) in an oven proof pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add the oats and toast, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. They are done when they smell toasted. Transfer the oats to a bowl, add salt and set aside.
  3. Add the water and milk to the pot and bring to a light boil. Once lightly boiling, add the oats, stir, turn the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 7-10 minutes, or until oatmeal has thickened but is still very creamy. Add the applesauce and stir. Add the peanut butter and stir well until everything is combined.
  4. {If you are not using an oven proof pot, transfer the oatmeal to a baking dish now}.
  5. Turn off the heat, spoon the jam on top and lightly swirl it into the oatmeal.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until oatmeal is lightly bubbling and lightly browned on top.
  7. Serve, topped with a dollop of jam and crunchy toppings of choice.
Notes
  1. * The peanut butter that I use is not salted. If you use peanut butter that is salted, you may want to decrease the amount of salt that you add to this recipe.
  2. ** I use no sugar added applesauce. Keep in mind that because applesauce is the primary sweetener in this recipe, the type that you use will affect the sweetness of the oatmeal. The no sugar added applesauce makes the oatmeal just right for me, but if you like things a little sweeter, you might want to use a sweetened applesauce.
  3. *** Try to use a higher quality jam or fruit preserves that is as close to just fruit as possible. I think that the good stuff is worth it and makes a big difference in this recipe.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/
 

Peanut Butter + Jam Baked Oatmeal - single serving
Write a review
Print
Ingredients
  1. 1/2 cup rolled oats
  2. 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil (or butter)
  3. 1/8 teaspoon salt
  4. 1/2 cup water
  5. 1/2 cup milk of choice (I always use almond)
  6. 1/4 cup applesauce
  7. 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  8. Heaping 1 tablespoon fruit jam or preserves (I like strawberry and blueberry), plus more for serving
  9. Crunchy toppings (I like hemp seeds and chopped nuts)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place the coconut oil (or butter) in a small pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add the oats and toast, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. They are done when they smell toasted. Transfer the oats to a bowl, add salt and set aside.
  3. Add the water and milk to the pot and bring to a light boil. Once lightly boiling, add the oats, stir, turn the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until oatmeal has thickened but is still very creamy. Add the applesauce and stir. Add the peanut butter and stir well until everything is combined.
  4. Transfer the oats to a small oven proof bowl or dish.
  5. Spoon the jam on top and lightly swirl it into the oatmeal.
  6. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until oatmeal is lightly bubbling and lightly browned on top.
  7. Serve, topped with a dollop of jam and crunchy toppings of choice.
The Dreaming Foodie https://www.thedreamingfoodie.com/

Fresh Cherry Vanilla Baked Oatmeal

I baked you something warm and comforting.

words

This is a sweet and filling summertime breakfast.

cherries

Baked oatmeal is a go-to comforting recipe. It’s so easy to do and hard to mess up. That’s what I was looking for when I made this.

cherries2

Last week, I attempted a dessert to share with you that went terribly wrong. And I attempted to change up one of my favorite recipes from my mom. It was not a change for the better.

cherries3

Both were edible, but not share-able. We ate both but they left no great impression. That’s why I made this oatmeal.

oats

I needed to make something I knew would be good. I needed something to comfort me. I needed to make something to reassure me, that I can make something good.

beans

This oatmeal did the trick.

ingredients

Cherry + vanilla is one of my all-time favorite combinations. I go crazy for cherry vanilla ice cream. And when I had a cherry vanilla cupcake a few months ago in DC, I couldn’t believe my taste buds. I decided to recreate that cupcake, and my maraschino and vanilla cupcakes are one of the most popular recipes on this site. You just can’t go wrong with cherry and vanilla.

milk

And what better time of the year for cherries. They are gorgeous right now, like little pieces of art. And they taste amazing. I can’t even get over how much I love eating cherries right now.

oatmeal

This oatmeal is simple. Not many ingredients. But it is full of vanilla flavor. It is studded with real vanilla beans, which I think is one of the best flavors, ever. And, I added vanilla extract, to make that vanilla flavor even more amplified. The cherries are mixed right in, at the end, and they become soft and sweet, sort of like in a cherry dessert.

oatmeal1

I think this would be an awesome weekend breakfast, with room for leftovers all week. I hope you enjoy this cherry vanilla baked oatmeal!

Ingredients
3 cups oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (I used coconut)
1 egg
2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped from the stem
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1-2 cups of cherries, depending on your preference, pitted

Preheat the oven to 350*.

In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together well.

In another bowl, combine the milk, egg, vanilla beans seeds, vanilla extract and melted coconut oil. Mix together well.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix until just combined. Gently stir in the cherries.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until firm and slightly golden.

Enjoy!

Notes:
-I enjoyed this oatmeal both warm and cold, with almond milk.
-For directions on how to scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean, see here.

Peach + Cranberry Baked Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal, again.

oats

This is the 63rd post on this little blog and the third time I made baked oatmeal for you. That’s one baked oatmeal every 21 days. Except that my first two baked oatmeal recipes were posted just 10 days apart.

berries

I was going to take a break from making baked oatmeal until this past weekend. I ate it at a restaurant. And after the first bite, I knew I’d be making it for you soon.

peaches

This combo of peaches + cranberries was inspired by what I ate at Cafe 101. I’ve had the idea of peach baked oatmeal in the back of my mind for a while, but have been waiting for fresh peaches. Cafe 101’s baked oatmeal was so good though, and I’m pretty certain the peaches weren’t fresh, so I decided to go for it. What made my decision even easier was the can of Three Springs Fruit Farm peaches I had in my cupboard. With that, I had no doubt that canned peaches would suffice.

finished1

Even though this is the third time I made you baked oatmeal, this is the first time it doesn’t contain nuts. Or golden raisins. But it does have dried cranberries. Those are close to raisins. I really wanted to use fresh cranberries, but could not find them! I don’t think I realized fresh cranberries were a seasonal purchase. Definitely wrong about that.

finished4

And! I baked this in my cast iron skillet. Yes, I am obsessed. It’s the best.

finished3

This oatmeal is delicious. Not overly sweet, but for me, just the right amount. The cranberries get plump and the juicy peaches break right apart after they are baked. Sweet cinnamon and vanilla compliment the fruit perfectly.

finished

Ingredients
2 cups oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1  1/2 cups milk (I used almond)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted + cooled
5 canned peach halves, diced

Preheat oven to 350*. Grease a cast iron skillet or a baking pan with butter or coconut oil.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and dried cranberries.

In another bowl, mix together the milk, egg, vanilla extract and melted butter or coconut oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix well. Fold in the diced peaches.

Transfer batter to the greased skillet or pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until oatmeal is set and slightly golden brown.

Enjoy!

Roasted Banana Baked Oatmeal

I did it again.

NanandPecan

I, again, roasted bananas. And, again, I baked some oatmeal.

pecans

Like I told you before, I am ON oatmeal right now. And as much as I love my oats+nut butter+apple combination,  baked oats are such a nice change. The roasted bananas? Well I bought a huge bag of ripe bananas. What better way to use them?

raisins

This dish is satisfying, comforting and nourishing. You just feel better after eating it. It’s a great start to a day.

bowl

I can’t get over the plump raisin and crunchy pecan combination.

finishedoats

The banana flavor is spot on. Roasting bananas makes them taste amazing, and in the oatmeal, adds the perfect sweetness.

Method:

Preheat oven to 400*.  Grease a 9-inch baking dish. I brushed mine with melted coconut oil.

Start with:

2 bananas

Cut bananas in half, lengthwise, and place on a baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until soft and skin is black. Set aside and let cool completely. Reduce oven heat to 375*.

Next:

2 c. oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2/3 c. golden raisins
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Then:

1 egg, lightly beaten
1.5 c. milk (I used almond)
1/3 c. honey
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. melted + cooled coconut oil
2 roasted bananas, from above, mashed

Add wet ingredients to a bowl. Mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well to combine. Place in  greased 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until firm on top and golden around the edges.

*Notes:
-I used 2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil but melted butter would work fine.
-I served mine in bowls, with almond milk and extra cinnamon. So good!

Enjoy!

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

For the longest time, I was not an oatmeal lover.

Oatmeal

I just couldn’t do it. Nothing sounded more bland to me than a bowl of oats cooked in water. Even topped with some fruit, it just didn’t do it for me.

Lately, I’ve been all about the oats. Cooked in some almond milk and topped with nut butter, honey and a chopped apple. Yes, please.

But now?

Now, I have a problem.

Oatmeal Ingredients

I am absolutely OBSESSED with this stuff.

The soft oats, the plump raisins, the crunchy pecans in a warm pool of almond milk? With a sprinkling of cinnamon? I can’t even.

I quickly devoured that entire bowl right after the photos were taken. I already had a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. Two bowls of oats in two hours? Oops.

OatmealFinished

Looks like I’ll be making this every week. That’s not such a bad problem, right?

I’m so excited to share this with you!

Method

Preheat oven to 375*.

Start with:

2 c. oats (I used old fashioned)
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Next:

1 1/2 c. milk (I used almond milk)
1/2 c. pureed pumpkin
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix wet ingredients. Then, add to dry ingredients. Mix together until just combined. Place in a baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes.

*I served mine in a bowl with almond milk and extra cinnamon. So good!

Enjoy!

Adapted from Mint.