Healthy Baked Oatmeal
The most delicious baked oatmeal that's gluten-free and naturally sweetened! Packed with healthy ingredients like oats, coconut oil, and honey, this baked oatmeal is the perfect breakfast!
This post has been something I've wanted to write for quite some time now. I get more questions about how I "stay so skinny when I bake so much" and comments like "If I baked every day I'd be a thousand pounds." I even got a comment the other day saying something like "you have diabetes because you bake so much." HA
Baking brings me so much joy but I'd be lying to you if I told you I ate everything I baked. The truth is, I only try a little bite of most things that I'm testing out. I have to test it to make sure the textures and flavors are right, but I can't allow myself to eat everything I bake. I have to have self control. I have the biggest sweet tooth of all time but I have really tried to stay away from eating sugar every day since it is so addicting.
I look at baking as more of a way to bless others than to indulge in it myself. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with treating yo'self. Trust me, I'm the queen of celebrating every little occasion with cake. It's just all about balance!
I get lots of questions about what my daily eating routine looks like so I thought I'd fill you in on what I eat on most days!
I love eating healthy and feeling healthy. I usually begin my mornings with black coffee and this baked oatmeal or a banana. I go to Pure Barre in the mornings before I begin baking. I have always tried to stay in shape but have been inconsistent in the past. I started back taking Pure Barre a few months ago and I am hooked! I love the way it makes me feel and it just works for me. I've never been a runner or a high-impact kind of person, so Pure Barre is the perfect combination of what my body needs.
For a snack, I pretty much always go for a GoMacro Bar or a Grab The Gold Bar. I'm completely addicted to these bars and always have one or two in my purse for those times when I get hungry on the go. They are gluten free, vegan, soy-free and non-GMO. I also love snacking on hummus+carrots and mixed nuts. Lately I've been mixing my mixed nuts with dried rosemary and it makes for the yummiest snack.
For lunch, I like to change it up but it's usually some sort of salad, chicken, and veggie. I also love turkey roll ups. I try to stay away from bread so I rarely do sandwiches but I do love avocado toast with Ezekiel bread. I'm more of a snacker than one who eats a big lunch.
For dinner, Daniel and I love to get creative in the kitchen and it's such a fun thing for me to do since it's totally opposite from the precise baking that I'm used to. Some of my recent favorite dinners are crockpot carne asada (we make tacos or I'll make a salad with it), chicken parmesan and a greek salad, sautéed lemon garlic chicken with parmesan roasted broccoli, and greek chicken, couscous and a salad. I always try to do a vegetable or salad and I try to stay away from lots of pasta and bread.
I try to drink lots of water throughout the day and always try to do some sort of exercise each day like long walks or Pure Barre. I have to balance out all these desserts!
Now let's talk about this baked oatmeal.
I've never been a huge oatmeal fan but I loveee any oatmeal cookies or bars. When I first tasted this baked oatmeal in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, I was forever changed.
I spent one summer in Jackson Hole my sophomore year in college while I was on a CRU summer project. We stayed at a Christian Bible college and the staff cooked the most delicious meals for us. They made this baked oatmeal every single morning and served it with honey and cinnamon sugar. I had never had baked oatmeal before and I couldn't get enough.
After we left that summer, I couldn't stop thinking about this oatmeal so I emailed the Bible college and asked for the recipe. They were so kind and gladly shared it with me, praise the LORD! I was amazed at how simple the recipe was and I began making it time and time again. It was sweetened with brown sugar and it had vegetable oil in it which made it so delicious but also not something I would want to put in my body every morning. I began playing with the recipe and substituting healthier ingredients like honey and coconut oil. It worked perfectly and tasted just as delicious!!
I make this almost every week and it's something I'm proud to put in my body. Daniel loves it too and it gives us energy throughout our day. It tastes like a delicious oatmeal cookie but it's good for you and keeps you full all morning long.
You can add fresh or frozen blueberries before baking for a bright breakfast. I keep mine covered in the refrigerator all week and heat a serving up each morning. It's truly my favorite!
Happy baking!
Healthy Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted before measured
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk (cows milk, almond milk or coconut milk all work great)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- For serving: Honey, cinnamon, fresh fruit
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8×8 or 9×13 (depending on how thick you want it) baking dish with parchment paper on the bottom and up the sides.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together. Add the oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and stir until combined. Let this mixture sit for 15 minutes so the oats can absorb some of the liquid.
- Pour into lined pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown on top and set.
- Serve warm with honey and fresh fruit. Store covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Notes:
This recipe is great with fresh blueberries baked into it! FOR GLUTEN-FREE, use gluten-free oats.
