Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Anyone love blueberries at much as I do? If so, here’s a new baked oatmeal recipe that you must try!

My sister first made it for my mom when they visited each other about a month ago in Michigan. My sister is a major health nut and left out the brown sugar. I don’t recommend that, but supposedly it was still good according to my mom.

When my mom returned home to Texas, she decided to try the baked blueberry coconut oatmeal again… this time with brown sugar, and guess what? She was hooked!

For the past month, my mom has been making a batch of this oatmeal every week for her breakfast. She’s sent me picture after picture via email showing me how good it was!

So, being good daughter that I am, I finally made the oatmeal for myself to try. Guess what? I LOVE it just as much as she does!

Talk about easy. Simply combine the oats, coconut, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

Then whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla.

Next, sprinkle two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the pan.

Pour your oat mixture evenly over blueberries.

Then pour the milk mixture over oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure milk covers oat mixture.

Sprinkle remaining blueberries on top. (For a quicker prep time, you can mix your wet and dry ingredients plus your blueberries all together in a large bowl. Then pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared baking dish.)

Finally, place the baking dish in 350 degree F oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes and then dig in!

It’s healthy and pretty! If you’ve never tried the coconut and blueberry combination, put it on your things to-do-list because the flavors are outstanding!

Spoon into individual bowls and eat by itself, add a splash or milk or cream, or if you’re like me, add a touch of vanilla yogurt!

Looking for other blueberry recipes? Here’s a few of my favorites:

Banana Blueberry Bread

Blueberry Muffins with Doughnut Topping

Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal (sans the coconut)

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups skim milk
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, brown sugar ,baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla. The coconut oil might get a little lumpy/congealed, but that’s okay. It will melt when baking.
Arrange two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oat mixture evenly over the berries. Pour the milk mixture over the oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure the milk covers the oats evenly. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the oats.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden and oatmeal is set. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Notes

*Note: Alternatively, when preparing this dish, you can combine the dry mixture with the wet mixture along with the blueberries. Then take that entire mixture and pour it into the prepared baking dish all at once.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Fall is officially here! October has arrived and brought some must needed cooler mornings to those of us living in Dallas. Since I have been feeling festive, I thought I would try a new recipe from Tracy’s Culinary Adventures for Pumpkin Oatmeal.

I am a huge fan of all things pumpkin as you can see from the recipes below:

In addition to quick breads and desserts, I’ve seen pasta, ravioli, risotto, and other main courses containing pumpkin, but I’ve yet to try anything that is not a sweet.

Since I am a HUGE fan of oats, I decided to give this pumpkin oatmeal recipe a try. The taste was great! For those of you who like to eat healthy, this is a perfect morning pick-me-up. The oats are simple to make and should keep you feeling full until lunch.

In addition, every time you open up a can of pumpkin puree, you expose yourself to a wealth of nutrients. One cup of pumpkin puree contains just 83 calories and 1 gram of fat. It is loaded with more than 38,000 international units of vitamin A per cup, which helps support cell reproduction, vision health, immune function, bone healthy, healing and fetal development. It also contains a bulk of vitamin K, small amounts of vitamin B, potassium (more so than a banana), antioxidants, and 7 grams of fiber. Read the full article on health benefits of pumpkin puree at Livestrong.com.

You can make this oatmeal as sweet or non-sweet as you want. Feel free to add maple syrup, honey or brown sugar to garnish. I like adding a tablespoon of Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter which has 0 grams of fat and only 30 calories. You can also add dried cranberries or raisins in addition to chopped pecans or walnuts. Enjoy!

Bring pumpkin puree, water, milk and spices to a boil.

Add oats, lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 more minutes.

Stir occasionally, until oats have absorbed liquid, are tender, and the oatmeal has thickened.

If desired, garnish with maple syrup, dried cranberries, pecans.

Pumpkin Oatmeal
Ingredients
1 (14 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 cups water
2 cups milk (or water, if you prefer)
2 Tbsp. raisins (plus extra for serving, if desired)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or substitute with a combo of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg)
2 cups oats (old-fashioned)
Optional: garnish with maple syrup, honey, dried cranberries, pecans or pumpkin butter

Directions
1. Add the pumpkin puree, milk, water, raisins, salt and pumpkin pie spice to a large saucepan. Set over high heat and bring to a boil.
2. Add the oats to the pan and lower the heat to medium. Continue cooking oats for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the grains have absorbed the liquid and are tender.
3. Serve with additional raisins or dried cranberries, pecans, or drizzle with maple syrup, honey or pumpkin butter.

Yield: 6 servings
Recipe from: Tracy’s Culinary Adventures

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Overnight Oats

My favorite meal of the day is by far – breakfast! I think it’s because I LOVE fruit and oatmeal. Plus, I’m nice and hungry when I wake up in the morning.

With that said, you’ve got to try these oatmeal cookie dough overnight oats from a healthy lifestyle blog called Peanut Butter Fingers. With only 300 calories, this breakfast is jam packed with goodness…. whole grains from the oats, calcium from the milk, omega-3s from the ground flaxseed, and a serving of fruit, if you choose.

The name “cookie dough” also seemed to draw me in. The cinnamon, honey, and vanilla-flavored milk give you the illusion of eating something sinful like cookie dough. I think you could add raisins to make this breakfast taste more like a cookie.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Cookie Dough Overnight Oats
Ingredients
3/4 cup old fashioned oats
1 Tbsp. chia seeds (I used wheat germ)
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choice), plus a bit more if necessary
1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients together, stirring to mix well.
2. Let sit overnight (or at least an hour) in an airtight container.
3. Stir oats and add another splash of milk if they’re a little too thick.
4. Top with nuts, fresh fruit, granola or desired toppings.

Yield: 1 serving
Recipe from: Peanut Butter Fingers

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, Banana and White Chocolate

I am a huge fan of oatmeal! I eat oats for breakfast every morning, and depending on my mood, I’ll eat it cold or warm. My favorite cold version of oatmeal, perfect for a warm summer morning in Texas, includes swiss oatmeal or overnight chocolatey oats. When I want pipping hot oatmeal, I opt for original baked oatmeal or a sweeter version: baked blueberry oatmeal.

I found this baked oatmeal with strawberries, bananas, and chocolate on one of the newest and most addicting websites, Pinterest. The picture of the breakfast casserole was so divine-looking, and I couldn’t wait until the weekend so I could make this recipe for brunch! There are a few changes I made to the recipe as seen below:

I substituted white chocolate chips for semi-sweet because I am not much of a chocolate fan for breakfast, thus I thought white chocolate would be less intense.
Please use ground cinnamon for your spice. I used Chinese five spice, as the original recipe called for, but would recommend you use ground cinnamon instead. The Chinese five-spice blend was a little over-powering and too “spicy” for me.
I substituted chopped pecans for walnuts. Either is fine…use whatever you have in your pantry.

Overall, I thought this baked oatmeal was very good. I recommend sprinkling brown sugar on top, and returning the casserole to the oven to broil it and create that extra crunch! You can also drizzle maple syrup over the top for an added sweetness, but I didn’t feel it was necessary.

My husband also really liked this. It’s always nice when he enjoys new recipes, especially “girly” and fruit-centered recipes that don’t involve red meat! Haha.

Enjoy!

Combine oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, half the strawberries, half the nuts, and half the chocolate chips.

Whisk together the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla extract.

Add the oat mixture to the prepared pan.

Top with remaining strawberries, bananas, and nuts.

Pour the milk mixture over fruit and oat mixture.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Sprinkle with brown sugar. Return to oven and broil for 20-30 seconds.

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries, Banana and White Chocolate
Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I used Chinese five-spice…as the original recipe called for, but I don’t recommend it)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces, chopped
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7-inch baking dish with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, orange zest, cinnamon, salt, half the strawberries, half the pecans and half the chocolate. (Save the other half of strawberries, walnuts and chocolate for the top of oatmeal).
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.
4. Add the oat mixture to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, nuts and chocolate on top. Add the banana slices to the top then pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shimmy/shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top is nicely golden brown and the milk mixture has set. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar on top then place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 20-30 seconds. Serve warm with an extra sprinkle of sugar or drizzle in maple syrup.

Yield: 6 servings
Recipe adapted from: Inspired Taste

Overnight Chocolatey Oats

I know oats aren’t the most appetizing dish, but in my opinion, they are the most tasty breakfast item. Ever since I discovered Corner Bakery‘s Swiss Oatmeal (about 5 years ago), I’ve been making my version for breakfast at least 5 times a week. I love the smooth, sweet, chilled texture of swiss oatmeal with my favorite fruits….blueberries, apples, bananas, dried blueberries, craisins, pecans, Colorado honey, skim milk, and vanilla yogurt. Swiss oatmeal is usually my Sunday dinner as well.

For those that live in Texas, you know it can be hot, and we had the hottest and driest summer on record since 1980! Therefore, when I make breakfast, especially after a long run, I really enjoy a nice chilled bowl of swiss oatmeal. I am one of those people that cannot skip breakfast…I don’t think I have EVER missed it in my entire life! I really don’t understand how some people skip this most essential meal of the day! My question for those that skip breakfast is: You just went 9-12 hours without eating, how are you not starving?

This week, I discovered Peanut Butter Finger’s recipe for Overnight Chocolatey Oats. I love PB Finger’s blog because she is like me…loves running, smoothies, and oatmeal… and has oats for breakfast nearly every morning.

Her overnight chocolatey oats are super easy, healthy, and good. With only 5 ingredients, you can make it in minutes. If you are impatient like me, you can make the oats and eat them immediately rather than letting them sit overnight. The only difference is the texture…the oats thicken as they refrigerate. Instead of my Swiss Oatmeal, I made this chocolate version of chilled oats every morning for breakfast this week. It is perfect after a run, and extremely filling, especially if you use Greek yogurt as opposed to plain (it packs twice the amount of protein).

Enjoy!

Overnight Chocolatey Oats
Ingredients
1 cup Greek yogurt (I used non-fat vanilla)
1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup almond milk (I used skim milk)
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp brown sugar
bananas, optional

Directions
Combine all ingredients together and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. Enjoy the next morning, with sliced bananas (optional).

Yield: 1 serving
Peanut Butter Fingers

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

Looking for a new breakfast dish? Well, I found the perfect one in Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen called Baked Oatmeal! I bookmarked this recipe back in April when I visited my sister at Oklahoma State University to run a 10k, and I’ve been meaning to make it ever since… I don’t know why I waited for so long!

I’ve made this baked oatmeal twice, once using blueberries, natural cane sugar and pecans. The second time I made it with raspberries, maple syrup, and walnuts. Both were amazing; it’s probably the best baked oatmeal I’ve had in my entire life! It tastes like a cross between a berry crisp/crumble and blueberry/berry pie!

You can use maple or natural cane sugar. Both add a subtle sweetness to the baked The sweetness from the natural cane sugar adds a subtle flavor, while the combination of blueberries and/or raspberries and bananas cannot be beat. I think what really gives this oatmeal its flavor, is the 1 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. The cinnamon is warm and reminds me of fall, but is not overly powerful. The pecans or walnut finish off the oatmeal and gives it the “crunch” you’d be looking for.

Drizzle your oatmeal with extra maple syrup for an even sweeter taste…but I think the juicy blueberries and/or raspberries add enough moisture and sweetness that you may not even want syrup.

*Note…You can make this over the weekend and enjoy it for breakfast for the next few mornings. Yum!

Mix together the oats, half of the nuts, cinnamon, natural cane sugar, salt, and baking powder.

Meanwhile, combine the egg, milk, half of the melted butter, and vanilla.

Slice bananas and layer onto the bottom of a greased baking dish.

Top with two-thirds of the berries.

Sprinkle the oat mixture on top.

Next, pour the milk mixture over the oats.

Finally, top with the remaining blueberries and nuts.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees F or until top is nicely golden and set.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal
Ingredients
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup walnut pieces, chopped (can substitute pecans)
1/3 cup natural cane sugar or maple syrup, plus more for serving
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
scant 1/2 tsp fine-grain sea salt
2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 large egg
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups blueberries, raspberries or mixed berries

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.
4. Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

Yield: 6 generously, or 12 as part of a larger brunch spread
Recipe from: Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson

Baked Oatmeal

I absolutely love oatmeal and this recipe reminds me of the Swiss Museli I’ve ordered from the Wynn-Encore in Las Vegas and the Crescent hotel in Dallas. Baked oatmeal is a mix between a granola bar and the traditional creamy oatmeal. This recipe is sweet yet extremely healthy all at the same time. I topped my baked oatmeal with diced bananas and it was just a perfect breakfast. For my husband I leave out the raisins. This serves 4-5 so you can have leftovers for the rest of the week. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light. Enjoy!

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.

Whisk together the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg in a medium bowl.

Pour milk mixture into oat mixture and combine.

Pour mixture into an 8-inch pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Serve warm and if desired, top with bananas, extra pecans, extra raisins, and/or honey.

Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins (you can substitute dried craisins)
2-3 tbsp chopped walnuts (you can substitute almonds or pecans)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 large egg, beaten
Cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Combine the milk, applesauce, butter, and egg in a separate bowl.
4. Add milk mixture to oat mixture; stir well.
5. Pour oat mixture into an 8-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes: 5 – 2/3 cup servings

Nutrition: 281 calories | 7.6 g fat | 7 g protein | 48.8 g carbohydrate | 3.4 g fiber

Banana Oatmeal with Various Fruit Toppings

I usually eat Swiss Oatmeal or Kashi cereal for breakfast, so regular oatmeal was a nice change. It is super easy to make and I added a mashed banana to give it a bit of a kick. Topped with fresh blueberries, sliced bananas, and slivered almonds made this a complete and healthy breakfast. Enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal with Fresh Blueberries and Almonds
Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
1 banana, 1/2 mashed in the oatmeal and 1/2 sliced on top
Fresh Blueberries
Slivered Almonds

Directions
1. Cook the oats, milk, and water together on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the mashed banana for the last minute and stir constantly.
3. Top with fresh blueberries, slivered almonds, and sliced bananas.

Banana Oatmeal with Cinnamon Apples, Raspberries, Strawberries, and Sliced Almonds
This time I made Banana Oatmeal and topped it with warm cinnamon apples, raspberries, strawberries, and sliced almonds.

Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 banana, mashed
Fresh Raspberries
Fresh Strawberries
1/4 Apple, sliced
1 tsp cinnamon
Slivered Almonds

Directions
1. Cook the oats, milk, and water together on medium heat for about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the mashed banana for the last minute and stir constantly.
3. Slice apples and sprinkle with cinnamon. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then chop into bite-size pieces.
3. Top oatmeal with fresh raspberries, strawberries, chopped cinnamon apples, and sliced almonds.

My Favorite Swiss Oatmeal

One thing my husband and I had in common before we even met, was our love of Corner Bakery’s Swiss Oatmeal. After we met, we would eat swiss oatmeal for breakfast before church on a weekly basis. While my husband was on a business trip, I discovered this recipe that tastes exactly like swiss oatmeal from Corner Bakery, and perhaps even better since I can customize it with my favorite fruits! What I love about this recipe is that it is so healthy, loaded with fruit, and is low in fat and calories. I fix this for breakfast almost every morning, and my husband and I haven’t been back to Corner Bakery in while now.

Feel free to change the types and amounts of fruits you put into the oatmeal to make it your own favorite! My husband actually will only eat his with bananas. He hates apples and dried fruit. So like I said, feel free to make this your “own” recipe. Enjoy!

Here are the ingredients you need!

First, add the oatmeal.

Next, add the yogurt, milk, honey.

Now add the chopped banana.

Finally, add the dried fruit and chopped apple.

Swiss Oatmeal
Ingredients
1/4 cup oatmeal (I use Quaker Old Fashion Oats)
1/4 cup nonfat yogurt or Greek yogurt
1/4 cup nonfat/skim milk
squirt of honey
1/2 of a chopped banana
1/4-1/2 of a chopped apple, depending on its size (I use either Pink Lady, Honey Crisp, or Gala apples)
1 tbsp of dried fruit (I use dried cranberries and dried blueberries)
handful of fresh blueberries (optional)
sliced almonds (optional)

Directions
Mix the oatmeal, yogurt, milk and honey and let sit for a few minutes to let the oatmeal soak in. Meanwhile, chop the banana and apple, and gather your dried fruit. Mix the fruit in with the wet ingredients and dish up!

Serves: 1

I serve this immediately, but for a thicker consistency, cool in refrigerator a few hours before. Can keep in refrigerator for up to two days.