Baked Oatmeal with Berries

I love oatmeal, and I try to eat it for breakfast often these days because I’m nursing and it improves my milk production. Some medical authorities claim that this just isn’t possible, but there’s testimony upon testimony out there from nursing moms who say otherwise, and I agree with them. That said, oatmeal every day of the week gets boring after a while, no matter how you spin it. Some days I dress it up with banana and chopped walnuts. Some days I add raisins or chunks of apple and a sprinkle of cinnamon to the pan as it’s cooking. And I always stir in a tablespoon of ground flaxseed for the omega-3 benefits. Regardless, I was getting pretty tired of oatmeal after eating it for six months straight.

Then I found a recipe for baked oatmeal living right under my nose in my copy of Heidi Swanson‘s Super Natural Every Day. I’ve had baked oatmeal before; my mother-in-law makes a really delicious version, but it includes flour and quite a lot of sugar. It’s more of a dessert, really. Heidi, being a natural foods purist, presents a baked oatmeal that’s dressed down rather than dressed up, but in a way that highlights the fabulous textures and flavors of whole rolled oats, nuts and berries. This is a baked oatmeal you don’t have to feel guilty about.

You can use any berries, or even chopped apple, diced peaches, or pears. I used the rest of that quart of Michigan blueberries leftover from the muffins I made last weekend.

Heidi’s recipe calls for a layer of sliced bananas in the bottom of the baking dish, which sounds divine, but I was out of bananas, so I just went ahead without them and didn’t feel like I was missing a thing. I also reduced the amount of butter by not drizzling any on top (it just seemed unnecessary and again, I didn’t miss it), and I added 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed to the oat mixture.

It bakes up moist and tender, and is really perfect straight from the oven. Eli wasn’t a fan (he’s not a fan of oatmeal in any form besides a cookie), so I ate the rest throughout the week, warmed up with a little milk poured over it. Because it’s high in good stuff like fiber and low in sugar, portions don’t need to be skimpy.

Admittedly, it’s not really sweet but the berries add their own sweetness, and I honestly felt like there was just the right amount of sugar. It didn’t overpower the oats and fruit. If you find it’s not sweet enough for you, just drizzle a little honey or warm maple syrup on top.

This is a recipe I see myself making on Sunday mornings and enjoying throughout the week for a long time to come.

Baked Oatmeal with Berries
adapted from Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not the quick-cooking kind)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (I used walnuts, but I’m envisioning peaches and pecans in this next summer)
1/3 cup natural cane, turbinado, or demarara sugar (I used turbinado) or maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or kosher salt
2 cups milk (I used 1%, but any milk will do)
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries (or any fruit)

Preheat the oven to 375°. Oil or butter a square baking pan (either 8″ or 9″ is fine).  In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flaxseed, half the nuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla. Layer about half the fruit in the bottom of the pan, and top with the oat mixture. Pour the milk mixture slowly and evenly over the top, making sure all the oats are soaked. Tap the bottom of the dish gently on the counter a few times to help the milk sink down into the oats. Layer the other half of the berries on top, then scatter with the rest of the chopped nuts. Bake for 35-45 minutes in the top half of the oven, until the oats are set and look firm, not liquidy or jiggly. Remove to a cooling rack. Allow to cool a bit, and then slice into squares. Serve with warm milk, maple syrup, or honey if you prefer.

Serves 6.

Click here for the printable recipe.