mixed berry and banana baked oatmeal
A couple of weeks ago, we were invited for a delicious brunch over at my friend Genevieve, the food blogger behind The Fit Mrs. I was so excited to taste some of Genevieve’s delicious healthy cooking, which includes fresh fruits and vegetables and lots of nutritious dishes. One of the highlights of her brunch was her baked berry oats that takes less than 20 minutes to make from start to finish. I had more than two servings and couldn’t wait for her to publish the recipe so that I could start baking my own variety at home.
Oatmeal has become my favorite way to start the day. I love this coconut porridge, but also love to switch between baked oats and other varieties. I always combine fruits and oats, which ensures that I get my daily dose of vitamins right from the start of my day. Oats are high in fiber and keep you feeling full for longer, thus aiding in weight loss and weight management. As long as you don’t add sugar and use healthy substitutes to sweeten your oatmeal, you could be eating a nutritious bowl of goodness for breakfast every day.
Genevieve uses a mix of berries in her baked oats recipe, but suggests experimenting with different kinds of fruits as oats go well with most of them. As I had so many berries in my fridge, I decided to use them, adding some sliced bananas and some chopped pecans, simply because I wanted the oatmeal to be a bit more crunchy. The bananas bring sweetness to the oatmeal without requiring any sugar or honey, as well as create a gooey texture like no other. I also added a spoonful of almond butter, giving the dish a nutty flavor that goes magnificently well with the berries.
Any combination of berries works well in this recipe. I chose to include strawberries, raspberries and blackberries as that is what I had in my fridge. I placed all the berries in a saucepan and let them sweat with a bit of water, just like Genevieve suggested, before adding them to the bottom of a Pyrex. I topped the fruits with the oats, which I had soaked in water and mixed with almond butter, pecan and eggs beforehand. I baked the Pyrex in the oven for 15 minutes until golden on top and served myself a slice for dessert that night, keeping the rest in the fridge to reheat for breakfast the next day. And what a great start to the day that was!
- 1 ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 ¼ cups water, milk, almond milk or coconut milk
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 ripe banana, sliced
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- Honey, date syrup or sugar (optional, if you want it more sweet)
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Combine the rolled oats with 1 ¼ cup water in a mixing bowl. Let stand while you prepare the berries.
- In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with 1 tablespoon water. Cook on medium heat until the berries release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a round Pyrex.
- Top the berry mixture with the banana slices. Mix the almond butter, egg and chopped pecans with the rolled oats, adding the honey (date syrup or sugar) if using. Cover the fruits with the oats mixture, patting it down with the back of a spatula.
- Bake for 30 minutes until slightly golden on top. Serve warm.
How did your mixed berry and banana baked oatmeal come out? Share photos of your recipe on Instagram with the hashtag #savormania