Baked oatmeal with blueberries is the perfect healthy breakfast casserole to meal prep now and enjoy all week. Change it up with different seasonal fruits or chocolate chips.
1cupmilk of choicewhole milk or a plant-based milk
1/2cupmaple syrup or honey
2eggs
1teaspoonvanilla extract
2tablespoonsbutteror virgin coconut oil, melted
1cupfrozen blueberries or fresh blueberries (or try a different mix-in, see notes below)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch square baking dish with extra butter or oil. (I use this avocado spray.)
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and sweetener of choice (honey or maple syrup).
Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine. Finally, stir in the melted coconut oil (or butter). You don’t want to stir the melted butter or coconut oil directly into the milk or you will have clumps-that’s why we’re adding it after the ingredients are mixed.
Let the oatmeal rest for 5 minutes for the oats to absorb the liquids.
Gently fold in the blueberries and pour into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top of the oatmeal with your spoon or the back of a measuring cup. The mixture should be compact in the baking dish.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center is firm and edges are browned. The baking time will depend on the type of baking dish used: clear glass, ceramic, or metal.
Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. The longer the oatmeal rests, the more compact and less crumbly it will be. This makes it easier to slice and serve in bars.
How to Serve:
Drizzle maple syrup or honey over the top, add sliced bananas over the top, top with a spoonful of almond butter or peanut butter, serve in a bowl over greek yogurt, or top slices with whipped cream (how to make homemade whipped cream, dairy or dairy-free).
The amount of sweetener used will depend on your personal taste. For a sweeter oatmeal (although not overly sweet), I love 1/2 cup. If you want oatmeal that's not sweet, 1/3 cup may work better for you. Variations:
Protein Oatmeal: Want to up the protein content? Add a serving (or two) of your favorite protein powder (chocolate or vanilla) to the dry ingredients. I love this protein powder: chocolate or vanilla.
Apple Baked Oatmeal: Instead of using blueberries, use 1 cup of chopped apples (no need to peel) instead.
Lemon & Blueberry Oatmeal: Add the zest (grated rind) from 1/2 a fresh lemon to the wet ingredients. The combination of blueberries and lemon adds such a vibrant, fresh flavor. Reduce the cinnamon or skip it if using lemon zest.
Raspberry Oatmeal: Instead of blueberries, add 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries.
Peach Oatmeal: Add chopped peaches to the batter instead of the blueberries.
Carrot Cake Oatmeal: Add 1/2 cup shredded carrots, along with 1/4 cup raisins and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts to the wet mixture.
Add Nuts: Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts to the dry ingredients. Or, use pepitas (pumpkin seeds).
Oatmeal Cups: Instead of using a casserole dish, make oatmeal cups for individual-size servings.