This delicious baked steel cut oats recipe, prepped the night before, is the perfect nutritious breakfast. Click on the recipe for many more adaptations!
This oatmeal. I could write an ode to this oatmeal.
It is dreamy and divine and desired by my children several times a week (although admittedly, I don’t make it that frequently for them). I tend to reserve it for Saturday mornings or for when company is in town.
Although hearty and nutritious, its creamy, custardy texture hints at the decadence of breakfast and special occasions. Don’t tell my kids it’s easier to prepare than most breakfasts I make them.
I like to serve it from time to time so they are surprised and delighted and tell me I am the best mom. I clearly didn’t want to manipulate the children’s praises.
Besides loving the nutty, chewy flavor and texture of the steel cut oats and the vanilla and almond and blueberry flavors (lots to love about this baked steel cut oatmeal, what can I say), my favorite part is the overnight prep .
The whole dish is quickly stirred (10 minutes on top) and refrigerated overnight. The next morning? Heat and cook, baby.
Not only does this oatmeal taste delicious right out of the oven but it also makes a great leftover that can be reheated or dipped straight from the fridge (no judgment).
Oh, and if blueberries and almonds aren’t your thing, get ready for the best recipe in the world. Replace blueberries with apples. Maybe even bananas! Oh my. Walnuts (lightly toasted) for the almonds or omit the peanuts altogether.
Don’t use almond milk? Why, no problem. Pour out the plain old cow’s milk you have in your fridge.
I can admit now that I’m posting this because I can’t wait for you to report your changes.
I don’t think you or I have any excuse not to make this tonight for the perfect Saturday morning breakfast. I think of you while you eat in the morning when you think of me.
Blueberry and almond baked steel cut oat
Yield: 6 servings
Preparation time: 8 hours 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 9 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- ¾ cup chopped almonds
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
- 2 ⅔ cups almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or butter, melted
- 1 – 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine oats, almonds, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the milk, vanilla, eggs, maple syrup, and coconut oil (or butter) until smooth. It’s okay for the coconut oil/butter mixture to settle and form small lumps. It works right in a hot oven, promise.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the oatmeal mixture and stir to combine.
- Lightly grease a 9X9-inch baking pan (you can use a similar-sized baking pan of any shape – 9X9-inch or larger, but smaller than 9X13-inch).
- Drop the blueberries into the bottom of the dish. Stir in the oatmeal mixture and pour over the blueberries (if you use frozen blueberries, the oatmeal will almost certainly take on a more bluish hue than fresh). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (8-12 hours).
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, open the baking pan and bake for 55-60 minutes until the mixture is set and the oats are soft but still slightly chewy.Move to combine if desired or just scoop in portions as is.
- Serve with extra milk (to stir through the oatmeal), if desired.
Note
Adaptable: this recipe is very adaptable. Add the blueberries and use an apple or banana. Add the walnuts to the almonds (and consider toasting the nuts lightly beforehand). Remove all the fruit and nuts and just cook the oats in the creamy, vanilla-like mixture. Seriously, the possibilities are endless.
Sweeteners: You can try using sweeteners other than maple syrup (maybe brown sugar or agave nectar?).
Milk: You can also use regular milk for almonds if you prefer.
