Baked Oatmeal with Creamy Yogurt and Fresh Summer Berries
One of my absolute favorite breakfast recipes is baked oatmeal. You probably have most (if not all) of the ingredients that you need to make this delicious breakfast in your pantry right now! It’s easy to mix up, hard to mess up, and everyone, even picky eaters, seem to love it!
I had never heard of this dish until I spent several years living up in Ohio’s Amish County where, needless to say, there were not a lot of vegetarian dishes on the menu very often. Brunch potlucks and Saturday morning community breakfasts were always overloaded with bacon and eggs - biscuits and sausage gravy, and casseroles filled with ham but the bright spot in my little plant-based world was always the baked oatmeal! The great part about this dish is that it’s hearty enough to be satisfying and simple enough to make either a vegetarian or vegan option. A crowd-pleaser for sure!
What you are going to need to buy:
Quick Cooking Oats (3 cups )
Brown Sugar - (you can also use coconut sugar) (1 cup)
Baking Powder (2 teaspoons)
Vanilla (1 Tbsp)
Pinch of Salt
Powdered Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove - (you can also use pumpkin pie spice) (1 teaspoon each)
2 Eggs - (Or the vegan equivalent such as Just Egg, which is what we used)
Milk - (Substitute your plant based favorite - we like Oat Milk, for this recipe, for obvious reasons! The Vanilla Oat Milk from Rise Brewing is great for baking. (Almond and Cashew also work well) (1 cup)
Butter, melted - (or vegetable oil, vegan spread) (1/2 cup) - (We like Earth Balance)
Yogurt, for topping! (We used this non-dairy option from the Forager Project)
Honey - (or Maple Syrup/Agave)
Fresh Fruit
What you are going to need to do:
Okay, here is my disclaimer for this recipe: I know that I always say that I don’t do measurements and 99.9% of the time that is true…but baking is another whole animal. If I’m honest, I don’t do it often. I’m not great at it. (Which may be why I like this recipe, because it’s hard to screw up) Having said that…I did go ahead and offer measured suggestions for this recipe. Happy Baking!
The Baking.
Preheat over to 350.
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients, oats, sugar, (yes, the sugar is considered “dry” for this recipe), baking powder, salt and spices.
In another bowl beat, by hand, lightly, the eggs and vanilla and then add the milk and the butter or oil. If you’re using the Just Egg, BONUS: no need to beat, just lightly mix to incorporate.
Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet until well incorporated.
Spoon into a nine inch pan that has been sprayed with baking spray and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Now, the timing on this one can be tricky. Every oven is different. Glass pan vs metal pan, etc. I like to check on mine at the 30 minute mark because you really don’t want to over-bake this dish. The center should be set, but if your toothpick comes out just a little sticky (not runny) you should be okay. In this instance we want the center to set but we are NOT looking for the toothpick to come out too “clean” or dry. The dish will continue to set up a little on the counter after you take it out of the oven.
Let rest 2-3 minutes before serving.
The Toppings.
Many of the Ohio Amish serve this dish, in a bowl, and pour milk over it. (Also, the way that a lot of them eat shortcake) but that’s not really my style. I like the creaminess of yogurt! I also like to mix in just a little honey (or maple/agave syrup for the vegan version) to slightly sweeten the yogurt and loosen it up just a little.
Top with your sweetened yogurt and fresh berries. Red, white, and blue seemed appropriate for Memorial Day, coming up at the end of the month, but use whatever fruit your family likes. In the fall this dish topped with stewed apples is a total game changer. We also love fresh peaches in the summertime!