I absolutely love oatmeal, in all it’s splendor! I’m not talking about the kind that you get in the grocery store, in the little brown packets and stick it in the microwave. This is REAL oatmeal with ALL the fixins’!
How to make the BEST oatmeal that will keep you satisfied all day and why it’s good for you
Easy peasy, is what I say! Whole grain oats are chock full of lots of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and FIBER; a friend to those of us looking for satieting foods. This recipe has oats, fruits, nuts, seeds, milk as well as sweetness, texture, density and a lightness that is just right.
Rolled or Old Fashioned oats have more nutrition than their faster cooking quick oats counterparts. Oats are touted as a partner in a healthy lifestyle for quite a number of years, and here’s why:
- can help reduce the LDL and total cholesterol in your body.
- Oats can help reduce blood sugar & insulin response
- they quite satieting and hearty
- Oats can contain a large amount of Beta Glucan, a type of water soluble fiber
This oatmeal is perfect to make on a Sunday and slice up for individual servings to have ready all week long. This recipe freezes well so if you are a freezer-meal prepper like myself, you will enjoy this one.
The Basics
This baked oatmeal is so versatile and adaptable that the combinations are almost endless. Fresh blueberries, frozen strawberries, bananas; I use whatever I have and whatever I felt like!
Start off with organic rolled oats. You do not have to use organic ANYTHING, it is a personal choice, that’s it. Rolled oats are minimally processed, take longer to cook and are generally more satisifying than quick oats. Since this recipe is baked in the oven, cooking with a hearty type of oats is necessary to withstand the longer cooking time.
Next choose your liquid; I have chosen to use almond milk but you could easily substitute whole cows milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, oat milk, etc. The possibilities are literally endless for adaptations to this recipe.
Now the fun part; the FIXINS!! I through just about EVERYTHING into this oatmeal. My three girls grew up calling this “everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” oatmeal, because I use whatever I have on hand at the time I am making this. The usual grouping is:
- Shredded unsweetened coconut
- Raw organic pumpkin/sunflower seeds
- Raw almonds/walnuts
- Dried juice sweetened cranberries/dried apricots/dried cherries/dried blueberries, etc.
- Maple syrup as a sweetner (this could easily be left out if you do not want to add any sugar at all)
- Pure vanilla extract (I use a concentrate from Haiti)
- Apple or apple sauce (this not only adds moisture but can also lend itself to the sweetness depending on the type of apple used)
- Grass fed whey protein powder (this gives the oatmeal a little umph and staying power but is not needed if you do not like to use protein powders)
Pull it all together
When making this, I am not a professional chef or baker. In light of this, I put all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and then mix it together by hand until combined. It is really so easy and quick to pull together, I make this at least once a week, and there is never any left over!
If you have never really liked oatmeal, maybe give this recipe a try! You never know, you may start to like oatmeal, especially when you can control exactly what goes into it!
The recipe
- 2-3 c of rolled oats
- 2.5 c milk of choice
- 2 apples (peeled/cored/shredded with box grater)
- 1/2-1c shredded coconut
- 1/4 c maple syrup
- 1 c chopped almonds/walnuts
- 1-2 diced or shredded apples (cored and seeded)
- 1/4 c pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 c sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 c dried cranberries chopped
- 1/8 tsp salt (I just give a couple of shakes)
- 1 tsp cinnamon (can leave out if you do not like cinnamon)
Preheat the oven to 375*. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until well combined. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray/butter/coconut oil, whatever you like to use. Place the mixture from the bowl into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45min. No cover is needed. (Cooking times will vary; it depends on what you add to your oatmeal, your oven, etc.)
If you liked this recipe, click here for another one pot meal that is sure to please!
Check out this blog post on Sourdough Starter!
https://hiddenfarmlife.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=191&action=edit
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I hope that you enjoy this oatmeal as much as my family does! Let us know if you try it and tell us what you think! Leave a comment and check back often as more is added to the blog each week!
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