Looking for a healthy make-ahead breakfast? This is it. This berry baked oatmeal is heavy on the fruits - 3-1/2 cups! Vegan and easy to throw together on the weekend to eat during the week. One-bowl recipe.
Baked oatmeal is an easy addition to your weekly meal prep routine. I like to make a batch on Sunday so we have some leftovers for the week ahead.
No, we don't eat breakfast together on Sundays. It rarely happens. Between early morning sports and practices, running dates and early work shifts for my teenager, weekend breakfasts together are few and far between.
But a batch of this berry baked oatmeal takes no time at all. If someone is around when it comes out of the oven, you can be sure that they will grab some.
Once baked, I let the casserole cool and then stash it into the refrigerator. Scoop some into a bowl during the week and warm up in the microwave for a healthy breakfast. This recipe is full of fruit!
I like to add chopped apples in addition to the berries to really pack in the fruit. Pears and bananas also work instead. Or some combination.
My kids have even been known to pack some into a container for a mid-morning snack.
I use frozen berries - because I usually have some on hand and they are inexpensive. But mostly I make it for the leftovers. Leftovers reheat quickly in the microwave.
How to make vegan baked oatmeal in one bowl
This baked oatmeal is vegan.
Often you will see eggs added to baked oats so that they hold together. I use flaxseed meal instead. And I'm not particularly keen on a stiff and firm final result. I like my baked oats to scoop and nestle into a bowl. It gives me an excuse to pour a little non-dairy creamer on top.
in a baking dish, mix almond milk, maple syrup or sugar, vanilla and flax seed 
whisk together and let sit for a few minutes
To make this a one-bowl oatmeal, mix the ground flaxseed (I add the brown sugar and vanilla now too) into the plant-based milk and let it hang out for a few minutes. I use this time to get the rest of my ingredients out and chop the apples.
add oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt mix well to combine stir in chopped apples
Once the flaxseed and milk have had a chance to sit together for a few minutes, I add the dry ingredients - oats, cinnamon, baking powder. Give it a quick whisk so it is all well distributed.
Then stir in the chopped apples and walnuts.
use fresh or frozen berries sprinkle them on top
Fresh or frozen berries work well here. A frozen berry mix is just convenient and usually more economical too. Use your favorite variety. See note below about blackberries.
Sprinkle the berries on top of the oats and apples. Push them down into the mixture a bit to evenly distribute them. Just avoid stirring so you don't break the berries too much.
Sprinkle a little white sugar on top - totally optional - but I think adds a little crunch and extra sweetness (so you don't need to serve it with sugar or maple syrup later). It's surprising how that little bit of extra sugar on top makes - I think because it's right there on top - everything so much sweeter than mixing it into the oats.
A few notes about baked oatmeal
For convenience, I often use frozen berries. Any berry combination works and tastes wonderful. Just know that blackberries, even though they taste great, will make the entire casserole purple. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or cranberries are less likely to transfer colour as much.
The ground flaxseed helps thicken up the oats and is used as a replacement for an egg or two often found in baked oatmeal recipes. Let the flaxseed sit in the plant milk for a few minutes (while the oven warms up and you chopped the apples) so it has a chance to thicken up a bit before adding the remaining ingredients.
This recipe uses 1 tablespoon of ground flax in place of 1 egg. If you want sturdier baked oatmeal - something that will almost cut and sorta hold its shape - use 2 tablespoons.
Leftovers reheat nicely for breakfast the next day. My kids have been known to pack them into their lunches too.
You might also want to try this vegan Cranberry and Apple baked oatmeal.
Apple and Berry Baked Oats {vegan}
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1-1/2 cups of non-dairy milk I used almond
- 4 Tablespoons maple syrup or 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped apples pears work nicely too
- 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup walnuts or almonds, pecans, etc
- 1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
- 2 tsp white sugar sprinkled on top before baking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Spray an 8x8 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Directly in the casserole dish, mix together flaxseed, milk, syrup, and vanilla. Set aside while you dice up the apples.
- To the casserole dish add oats, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, apples, and walnuts. Stir to mix and evenly distribute. Sprinkle frozen berries on top, pushing into the milk and apple mixture, be gentle so the berries don't break into pieces. Sprinkle 2 tsp of white sugar over the top of oatmeal and place casserole in a 350-degree oven.
- Bake until the top is golden brown and firm throughout, about 35 minutes. Serve with extra maple syrup and maybe milk for the top. Leftovers reheat nicely the next day.
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