How Oatmeal Won My Heart (Plus a Celebratory Giveaway!)

Oatmeal and I do not get along. I love oats, but I despise oatmeal. I love the crunch of granola, but I am repulsed by the snotty texture of oatmeal.

Yet, oatmeal is a healthy, satisfying, and economical breakfast option. What’s a girl to do?

Enter –  baked oatmeal!

I was hesitant. I was reluctant. And then, baked oatmeal won my heart.

I love that baked oatmeal has a different texture than stovetop oatmeal. The texture, not the flavor, is what always did me in. The texture of this baked oatmeal recipe is of soft chunks of oatmeal (not runny goop!).

Some baked oatmeal recipes call for ingredients you’d use in a cake – eggs, baking powder, baking soda, etc. I haven’t seen the need for these ingredients. Instead, I follow a similar recipe to stovetop oatmeal except I bake it in the oven.

I know what you’re thinking – how in the world can I find 30 minutes in the morning just to make breakfast?! Trust me – you can do this!

In my morning routine, I pre-heat the oven immediately after I wake up (or after I finish working out, depending on the day). While the oven is preheating, I throw all the ingredients into the oven safe bowl.

As soon as the oven is pre-heated, I place the oatmeal in the oven and set a timer. This is important. I can easily loose track of time in the morning – a timer is essential. By the time I have showered, dressed, and started putting on make up and drying my hair, the timer is beeping. I pull breakfast out of the oven and finish getting ready while it cools and fills my home with the scent of delicious spices.

So, yes. The whole recipe takes 30 minutes. However, only 5 of those minutes do you actually need to be doing something in the kitchen. The rest of that time, the oatmeal takes care of itself.

Before I share this new recipe, I have a celebratory giveaway to announce!

Craving Sustenance recently gained more than 100 likes on Facebook! To celebrate all of my awesome readers and supporters, I’m giving away a freshly baked batch of my favorite ginger cookies. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you probably remember the epic Battle of the Ginger Cookies. The winner of this giveaway will receive the ginger cookie that survived the epic battle.

Win these Ginger Cookies by commenting on this post!

To enter in the giveaway, just leave a comment on this post. I will randomly choose a winner from those who have commented and announce it in next week’s post.

You may want to like Craving Sustenance on Facebook if you haven’t yet. I post pictures and discussions that don’t always make it into the blog. Ditto for Twitter.

Now, you have a comment to make and oatmeal to bake!

Baked Oatmeal

2014-10-08 10:52:53

Serves 1

This is the recipe that made me fall in love with Oatmeal. Baking the oatmeal produces soft chunks that are comforting and delicious.

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Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

30 min

Prep Time

10 min

Cook Time

20 min

Total Time

30 min

590 calories

104 g

10 g

15 g

15 g

3 g

366 g

370 g

52 g

0 g

11 g

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

366g

Servings

1

Amount Per Serving

Calories 590

Calories from Fat 130

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 15g

24%

Saturated Fat 3g

16%

Trans Fat 0g

Polyunsaturated Fat 7g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 10mg

3%

Sodium 370mg

15%

Total Carbohydrates 104g

35%

Dietary Fiber 17g

70%

Sugars 52g

Protein 15g

Vitamin A

7%

Vitamin C

18%

Calcium

42%

Iron

28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Does this look wrong?

Ingredients

1. 1 banana
2. 1/2 cup rolled oats
3. 1/4 cup milk
4. 1-2 tablespoons agave nectar (optional)
5. 2 tablespoons ground flax
6. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
7. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8. 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
9. 2 pinches cloves
10. 1/8 teaspoon salt

Optional Toppings

1. 1/4 cup milk
2. raisins or other dried fruit
3. almonds, walnuts, or pecans
4. maple syrup, agave nectar or honey

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees fahrenheit.
2. In an oven-safe bowl, smash the banana using a fork until it is smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients.
3. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, or until it is cool enough to eat. Add desired toppings and enjoy!

Notes

1. Milk: I have used Vanilla Soy Milk, Unsweetened Almond Milk, and Unsweetened Coconut Milk in this, and they are all delicious.
2. Sweetness: The ripeness of the banana and your sweet tooth will determine the amount of sweetener you need in your oatmeal. When in doubt, leave out the sweetener - you can always add some agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup as a topping if needed.

By Jill Wigert

beta

calories

590

fat

15g

protein

15g

carbs

104g

more

Craving Sustenance https://www.cravingsustenance.com/

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