Baked Oatmeal

I am having a love affair with baked oatmeal...

Oatmeal is full of all sorts of good for you things...like fiber and antioxidants...and it helps lower cholesterol and it can boost your immune system too!

For the past few weeks I have been making a batch on the weekend to have for breakfast throughout the week. I like to come up with a different flavor each week...

The first week I made apple cinnamon and walnuts oatmeal. It was good...but the apples didn't really cook down as much as I was hoping.
They just sort of dehydrated and really held onto their shape. I used Golden Delicious apples, which I already had in the fridge, but in the future I may use a different variety, and maybe cook them first with a little cinnamon and sugar before adding to the oatmeal.

apple cinnamon walnut baked oatmeal

Last week I made a chocolate, peanut butter and banana baked oatmeal. This one...while still tasty...just not as good. I think the bananas gave it a little bit of a gummy texture, and even though these aren't meant to be very sweet, I think this one could have benefited from a little extra agave.  No picture here...(chocolate baked oatmeal is not photogenic)

Then...yesterday I made the most ridiculously delicious one yet...

cranberry orange baked oatmeal!  

YUM!! 

The inspiration for this baked oatmeal was the most ridiculously delicious cookie ever...which I created this past Christmas. The cookie is pomegranate infused craisins, orange zest, white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts. 

most ridiculously delicious cookie ever (not vegan)

So...for the baked oatmeal I used the same pomegranate infused craisins, orange zest, and pecans (cheaper than macadamia nuts, and I already had some).

..no white chocolate chips in this version.

cranberry orange and pecan baked oatmeal

This tasted so amazing!  All the flavors went together perfectly...I really like the orange/cranberry combination, and the pecans added the perfect crunch. 

The best part was sprinkle of brown sugar I put on top.  It didn't dissolve all the way when I first baked the oatmeal, but when I reheated it this morning, the sugar crystals melted into a sort of glaze on the top and added little extra delicious sweet spots.

Here is my basic baked oatmeal recipe:

Baked Oatmeal

• 3 cups old fashioned oats
• 2t baking powder
• 2t vanilla
• 1 c almond or soy milk
• 3/4 c ground flax
• 1/2 - 3/4 c agave nectar (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it)
• salt
• whatever other yummy things you would like to add

1. Mix the oats, baking powder, salt. 
2. Combine the milk with the ground flax, let sit for about 2 minutes.  The mixture will get thick and gelatinous and can be used in vegan baking in place of eggs.
3. Add the milk/flax, vanilla, and agave.
4. Add any other mix-ins you would like.  (This is where I added the craisins, pecans, and the zest and juice of three oranges.) 
5. Mix everything together and bake for 25 min at 350F.
   
   
   This sort of bakes like a cake...you know it is done when the toothpick comes out clean!