Green Apple and Walnut Oatmeal

I went apple picking for the first time today. Or the second...maybe. I grew up near an orchard, and we went there once on a class field trip, but I can't remember if we actually got to do any picking, or if we just walked around the rest of the place. Either way, this felt new and different because apple farms on the east coast are special. They're much more treasured than they are back home. It felt like the perfect way to usher in my East Coast Autumn! And those were the best, crispiest, most flavorful apples I've ever enjoyed.

Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

One month! I've officially completed one month as a full-time tutor. Yippee!

Six weeks ago (when I came for training), the idea of eating baked oatmeal every morning was so dreadful. I'm not a fan of changing routines, and stove-top oatmeal was definitely the routine! However, recipes like this (and THIS) make baked oatmeal such a delight.

German Chocolate Baked Oatmeal

I did it! I did it! I've been pondering this recipe for months, and it's finally a reality! Last week, I referenced my list of oatmeal recipes and how many of them were more ambitious, and I was too lazy to attempt them. This was one of those recipes.

Once I figured out the missing piece of the equation (the all-important coconut-pecan frosting), I couldn't wait to try it out. The other day, I finally did it.

Why make a sugary frosting when you can just make coconut pecan butter?!? Genius, right?! The other super awesome part about this is that you can prepare the butter ahead of time so you don't have to spend minute after minute after minute watching your grinder at work on an empty stomach. I prepared mine the night before while I was procrastinating doing other work (hey, I work 10-hour days. Cut me some slack!).

Anyway, I worked super hard to keep this recipe vegan so all my no-honey followers could join in on the awesomeness. :) You're welcome! If you really don't want the banana (warning: you can taste it), try swapping it with a couple tablespoons of maple syrup or agave. Or applesauce. Or...honey. :)

German Chocolate Baked Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 25 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1/2 an overripe banana, or 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 cup milk of choice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2 tbsp coconut pecan butter for topping
• shredded coconut for topping
• pecans for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a single-serving ramekin with non-stick spray.
2. In a small bowl, mash banana. Then, mix in milk and vanilla extract.
3. In another bowl, combine oats, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir.
4. Pour into the prepared ramekin and bake for 18-22 minutes.
5. Allow to cool in ramekin for five minutes or so. Then, take a knife and cut around the edges to loosen it. Flip it onto a plate or serving dish.
6. Top with coconut-pecan butter, shredded coconut, and crushed pecans. Enjoy!

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**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Neapolitan Baked Oatmeal

As I typed out this recipe, I couldn't help but feel depressed. That is because I may be peaking as an oatmeal blogger. I'm not sure if I can ever top this one:

This recipe, you see, is so elaborate, well thought-out, and mouth-wateringly delicious that I'm not even going to bother posting the instructions for a single serving. It's way too much work for one serving, and it's way too delicious to not share (or, if you're like me, eat every morning for a week).

Blueberry Trail Mix Baked Oatmeal

I dislike only posting twice a week. I was pretty happy with those few weeks back in August and early September when I was able to pump out three recipes each week. Now, I seem to be in a tiny rut.

One problem is that I eat the same baked oatmeal every morning. I have come to really enjoy this system as it allows me to sleep in a little later than I would if I had to cook my oatmeal on the stove every single day. Plus, it gives me a nice weekend project to look forward to. My roommates are always interested in what my "oatmeal of the week" will be, so that's motivating as well. Unfortunately, that means I'm not trying out a new recipe every single morning.

The other problem is that I never have the right produce on hand. You can trust that I still have plenty of ideas for recipes; I just don't have the produce to make them. I'm too cheap (or poor) to splurge on good stuff, and I keep coming home from the market with bananas and apples. There's only so much you can do with bananas and apples! This is mostly a planning issue. Still, the few times I have splurged on peaches and other pricier fruits have resulted in failed recipes, which is discouraging.

And finally, a lot of my ideas are incredibly ambitious at the moment (you'll see what I mean when I post my next recipe later this week). I guess that's why they've stayed on the list so long without being attempted. Eventually, one by one, I'll attempt these fabulous ideas and share them with you. However, most of them are destined to be weekend projects, so it will take time to roll all of them out.

Until then, here's a wonderful baked oatmeal recipe I enjoyed last week. I first made it without bananas, thinking it would have enough flavor from the blueberries alone. Unfortunately, it was a little dull and dry, so I tried it again using bananas, and WOW. What a difference it made! (Compare the picture above to the picture below to see what I mean. They're blatantly different!) I'm quickly learning that baked oatmeal is so much better when there's banana involved. Always. (If you don't want to use banana, perhaps you could try applesauce?)

Also, I highly recommend using raw nuts for this recipe. The first time I baked it (without the banana), I also used pre-roasted nuts. After baking the oatmeal, the nuts became quite unpleasant. The brazil nuts were bitter, the cashews were sour, and the walnuts were gritty. Using raw nuts helps because then the nuts are only cooked once (instead of twice). However, the time I made this with banana and pre-roasted nuts worked out fairly well, probably because the bananas provided a little extra moisture (maybe?). Still, I recommend raw nuts.

Blueberry Trail Mix Baked Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 25 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1/2 an overripe banana
• 1/3 cup milk of choice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup trail mix (raw nuts preferred)
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a single-serving ramekin with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mash banana. Then, add milk and vanilla extract.
3. In another small bowl, mix together dry ingredients: oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Once combined, add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir.
4. Add trail mix (I broke up some of the nuts first) and blueberries and fold in carefully.
5. Pour into the prepared ramekin and bake for 18-22 minutes.

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For a big batch!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 overripe bananas
• 3/4 cup milk of choice
• 1/2 cup water (or more milk)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup trail mix (raw nuts preferred)
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a 8x8 pan with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mash bananas. Then, add milk, water, and vanilla extract.
3. In another medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients: oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Once combined, add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir.
4. Add trail mix (I broke up some of the nuts first) and blueberries and fold in carefully.
5. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Yep. My Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal was a hit, so I decided to try it out on the stove as well. :) Everything's better on the stove, right? Right??

This recipe is perfect because autumn is definitely setting in. I know this because each day when my alarm goes off at 5:35, it's a little darker outside. :( And each morning, it's a little chillier on our walk to work. Autumn is admittedly my favorite season, but I'm not a huge fan of those two particular characteristics.

Banana Oat-Quinoa Porridge

I've only made breakfast quinoa once or twice. It was delicious, but it always bothered me how one serving is only 1/4 a cup (as opposed to 1/2 cup of oats, which feels giant in comparison).

I found a solution: an oat-quinoa hybrid! I had no idea what to expect, but I really enjoyed it. The texture and taste were oddly reminiscent of rice pudding.

Peanut Butter Cookie Baked Oatmeal

I am a terrible conversationalist. When I have stories to tell, I find myself lost in conversation with someone, but when it comes to small talk, there's no hope for me. In these types of situations, if no one says anything for a couple of minutes, I clear my throat and say:

"What are your three favorite types of cookies? Go!"

Initially, people give me an odd look. Or they ask why. Or they say, "I don't know." Eventually, however, they get sucked in to the infinite awesomeness of my go-to game. Within twenty minutes, I have them listing their favorite color combinations, U.S. cities to visit, car models, NFL teams, and ethnic cuisines.

This game has gotten fairly easy for me. After playing it once a month or so, my "think time" has shrunk significantly. I can name my favorite pies, colors, and desserts without much thought.

My favorite types of cookies? Snickerdoodle, peanut butter, and chocolate chip. :)

PB&J Baked Oatmeal

I love peanut butter and jelly so much, it hurts. [/cliche]

During the first week of school last week, I ended up filling out a couple different get-to-know-you surveys that asked for my favorite food. I first wrote down "oatmeal," but then I scratched it out and wrote "grilled PB&J sandwich." As it turns out, that's a foreign concept to a lot of people. What a shame.

This is one of those recipes that immediately made me consider my Top 10 list. This HAD to be on it. It's so good. As much as I prefer stove-top oatmeal, I'm starting to realize that peanut butter just works better in baked form.

Please try this soon. :)

PB&J Baked Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 25 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 a very ripe banana
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 1-2 tbsp peanut butter
• 2-3 tsp jelly/jam

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a single-serving ramekin with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, mash up a ripe banana. Add almond milk, vanilla extract, and peanut butter. Stir.
4. Add dry ingredients to mix ingredients and stir until combined.
5. If you'd like to add any extra ingredients (coconut oil, dried fruit, nuts, sunflower seeds), do so now.
6. Pour into the prepared ramekin. Then, take the jelly/jam and carefully swirl it into the oatmeal. (You could simply stir it in during the 3rd or 4th step, but it's much more aesthetically pleasing this way!)
7. Bake for 18-22 minutes.

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For a big batch! (4 servings)

Ingredients

• 2 cups regular rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 2 very ripe banana
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup almond milk
• 2/3 cup water (or more almond milk)
• 1-2 tbsp jelly/jam

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, mix oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
3. In another bowl, mash up bananas. Add almond milk, vanilla extract, and peanut butter. Stir.
4. Add dry ingredients to mix ingredients and stir until combined.
5. If you'd like to add any extra ingredients (coconut oil, dried fruit, nuts, sunflower seeds), do so now.
6. Pour into the prepared pan. Then, take the jelly/jam and carefully swirl it into the oatmeal. (You could simply stir it in during the 3rd or 4th step, but it's much more aesthetically pleasing this way!)
7. Bake for 26-30 minutes.

Variation: If you want the banana to play a more prominent role ("PB&J and Banana Baked Oatmeal"), consider leaving some chunks/slices instead of mashing all of it. You could also use an entire banana, and slice the second half.

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Grapefruit Blueberry Oatmeal

I've posted a lot of blueberry recipes lately, and I'm not apologizing for it!

But before I get into that...do you know what today is? It's September 1st. Today is the one-year anniversary of my first day of vegetarianism. As I explained in my "About Me" page, I originally just planned to try one month without meat. About halfway through the month of September, I already knew (at least subconsciously) that I would not be going back. I was in love with it.