Monday, May 27, 2013

Very Healthy Baked Oatmeal;Packed with Fruit!

I'm NOT very good at following recipes. So if you've ever made baked oatmeal and my method looks insane, I apologize. I just sort of wing it. It came out absolutely perfect though (100% luck), so give it a try!

The Base:

  • 1 Cup Milk (You can use soy, regular, or almond; I love almond in this!)
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract (I love obnoxious amounts, if you don't think you will then dial it back to two teaspoons)
  • 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  • Honey, to taste (You can leave this out if you prefer only a little sweetness-I normally add two tablespoons because I love sweet oatmeal) 
  • 1 VERY ripe mashed banana (I leave it a little chunky to get globs of banana goodness)
  • 1 Cup Oats (Quick oats work best for this because they bake faster)
  • Pinch of Cinnamon
  • Pinch of Nutmeg
  • Pinch of Salt (very small pinch...don't go crazy)
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
  2. Whisk together milk and egg until frothy in a large bowl. Add vanilla and brown sugar, and whisk well. 
  3. Fold in Banana, Oats, and spices. 
  4. In a baking pan (preferably one that is a couple inches deep-you want gooey oatmeal in the center and if it's too thin it'll bake through too much!) line the bottom with parchment paper (this is a really good idea, it comes right off if you do this-or if you don't have any, foil works too). Spray with cooking spray. 
  5. Drop the batter onto the pan and shake to spread evenly. 
The Fruit Topping:
  • Your favorite fruits! (I used apples and blueberries and it was wonderful!)
  1. Cut the fruit up into desired pieces and sprinkle/arrange it on the top of the oatmeal.
  2. If you're not worried about the extra sugar, sprinkle a little white granulated sugar on top of the fruit and oatmeal (it doesn't take much). This gives it a nice, crunchy, sweet element on the very top!
  3. Put in the oven and bake for about fifteen minutes (largely dependent on the type of baking pan used). The edges will be golden brown but the middle will still be gooey (Which is okay! Think about a bowl of oatmeal, and that should be the consistency in the middle!) 
  4. Remove, cool, and enjoy! 
Note:  This goes great with  maple syrup. Also, if you know you prefer gooier oatmeal, you can add more liquids (I think milk is best) and it will end up being runnier and more like a bowl of oatmeal. 



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