Baked Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal

I don't bake my oatmeal very frequently. The time spent staring at the ramekin sunbathing in the oven is too much for me to bare. I prefer the faster, more intimate process of preparing my porridge on the stove top.

However, as I considered what to do with the lovely tub of blueberries I bought on Friday, I decided to replicate the flavors of a blueberry muffin. And, let's be honest, a baked version would seem much more authentic.

Ahh, blueberry muffins--cue the nostalgia! My family rarely had "special" breakfasts. We stuck to our sugary cold cereals, even on the weekends. However, occasionally I would wake up on a Saturday morning to the smell of cinnamony french toast, scrambled eggs, or (my favorite) my mother's incredible caramel pull-apart rolls. Yet, one of the "special" breakfasts I looked forward to the most was Betty Crocker blueberry muffins.

I'll admit it: the thought of these muffins makes my mouth water a little bit. That seemingly innocent package of processed powder had me hooked--I wouldn't even consider tasting a homemade blueberry muffin! For the majority of my life, I considered those tiny, fake, sugary blueberries to be better than the real thing.

Before you throw something at me... I have since seen the light! Still, I can't help but crave those Betty Crocker blueberry muffins slathered in butter, just like I inhaled them in my childhood. This baked bowl of oatmeal is a healthier, happier ode to Betty Crocker's concoction. It has no added sugar, so it leaves my digestive system happy and smiling!

Would you believe me if I said this may be my new favorite porridge recipe? Because it's a definite possibility.

Baked Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal

Required Ingredients

1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

1/2 cup almond milk (or another type of milk)

1/2 an overripe banana

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

handful of fresh or frozen blueberries*

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray a single-serve ramekin.
2. In a small mixing bowl, stir together oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. (I also used a spoonful of milled flax.) 
3. In another bowl, mash half a banana (you could also use 1/4 cup of applesauce, but I used a banana and I honestly didn't taste it!). Then, add milk of choice and vanilla extract. Stir.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and combine. Finally, add blueberries and fold them in gently.
5. Pour the mixture into a ramekin and bake for 23-26 minutes. I actually baked it for 25 minutes, and then set it on broil and gave it another minute or two so it would be extra bubbly on top.

*If you don't have any fresh blueberries, you could also swirl in a couple spoonfuls of blueberry jam/preserves instead!

The unfortunate part about baked oatmeal is that you can't eat straight out of the ramekin...unless you want to risk burning your fingers! I always think it's so tempting to just dig my spoon into the finished product, kind of like cracking through that first bite of creme brulee (ahh, bliss!).

So, to serve, I slid a butter knife around the edges of the oatmeal and moved it to a new bowl. Then, I carefully swirled in a spoonful of coconut oil (you could also use butter or Earth Balance). You could serve this with a variety of toppings, such as honey or brown sugar or sliced almonds, but I kept it simple and just splashed on some almond milk.

Ready to serve!

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  Thanks!