Apple & Spice Baked Oatmeal

I realized something yesterday. I haven’t posted an oatmeal recipe since I don’t even know when! It’s kind of embarrassing; here I go calling myself an oatmeal lover and don’t even share my oatmeal adventures with you! I guess that I gave you my savory oatmeal recipe last week, but no breakfast recipes in way to long. But that is about to change!

Have you ever heard about baked oatmeal? I had, but I’d never tried it. For an oatmeal lover that is just not justifiable. So I figured I had to give it a try. Baked oatmeal is usually made with eggs, which probably produces a slightly different dish than when made with chia seeds. Nevertheless, this came out a wonderful breakfast. Even though baking the oatmeal takes a bit of time, this dish is easy as can be as it is mostly prepared the night before. All the ingredients but the baking powder and apple are soaked overnight. The next day you just have to add those last two and put it in a baking dish and pop it in the oven. 30 minutes later you have a steaming hot and delicious breakfast. The great thing about it is that you don’t have to eat it all at once; you can save the leftovers in the fridge and enjoy your oatmeal cold as well! That way you have a crazy quick breakfast for the busier mornings!

You can substitute quinoa and steel-cut oats for regular rolled oats if you want to. Rolled oats will give it a creamier texture. Just like with oatmeal, there are so many ways to make this your own, so have fun with it!

A warm, comforting breakfast for 3

1 dl quinoa

1 dl steel-cut or rolled oats

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

½ tsp ground cardamom

1 tbsp whole or ground chia seeds or ground flax seeds

A handful of raisins

5 dl water

2 tsp fresh grated ginger

½ tsp salt

½ - 1 tbsp canola oil

Some vanilla extract or vanilla sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup (or other sweetener of your choice)

1 tsp baking powder

1 large apple

Topping:

Chopped nuts, seeds or coconut

Cinnamon

Brown sugar or maple syrup

The night before:

Rinse the quinoa first in boiling water then in cold water to remove some if its bitterness. Mix all the ingredients but the apple and the baking powder in a bowl. Leave to soak, covered, overnight.

In the morning:

Turn the oven to 175°C/350°F. Grease an ovenproof dish, about 20 cm in diameter if round or 18x18 cm if square. Cut half the apple in cubes and add to the soaked grains together with the baking powder. Pour it into the prepared pan. Slice the other half of the apple thinly and arrange it in a pretty fashion on top. Sprinkle some of your favorite chopped nuts, seeds or coconut over the apples together with some cinnamon and brown sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes of until set but still soft.

Enjoy your oatmeal with some vegan milk. If you don’t finish it all, save it in the fridge, it’s good cold too!