My partner Fálki and I eat a lot of oatmeal. It’s a healthy choice for breakfast, although I know I tend to add more maple syrup than I probably should. C’est la vie.
I change things up by sometimes making Scottish oats or Irish oats, but usually I stick with rolled oats. Or maybe I’ll add strawberries or blueberries. Or some coconut-based yogurt.
Still, it gets boring.
Then one day I happened upon a recipe for vegan baked oatmeal in a Facebook group that revolves around eating a kidney-friendly, plant-based diet. I made it the next morning, and it was so good!
While I adapted the original recipe in the course of making it five times (so far), I think the last change I made is the best: pockets of peanut butter. After the oatmeal is in the baking pan and before it goes into the oven, I add some dollops of peanut butter to the top, and cut and swirl it around a bit, leaving pockets of peanut butter that provide a huge flavor burst! Sure, there is more fat in the oatmeal because of that, but I think it’s worth it. If you don’t, feel free to leave it out!
I love this recipe because it is, first and foremost, delicious! It’s also pretty easy, and it makes two meals for us, which is always a pleasure. Finally, this vegan baked oatmeal truly is a health-conscious approach to oatmeal — no added sodium, fat, or sugar, outside what is found naturally in the ingredients.
World’s Best Vegan Baked Oatmeal, aka Peanut Butter Pocket Cake
This vegan baked oatmeal is full of flavor without added sugar. It’s easy to make and you don’t need any fancy ingredients. (Well, maybe flax eggs are fancy. You be the judge.)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/3 cups cashew (or your favorite non-dairy) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter) – no added ingredients, just the nuts
- 2 flax eggs (1 Tbsp flax + 3 Tbsp water + let sit 15 minutes = 1 flax egg)
- Dollops of peanut butter to make the pockets (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 375° F.
- Start the flax eggs, so they have time to congeal (5 to 15 minutes).
- In a large bowl combine the oats, cinnamon, and baking powder.
- Add the cashew milk, vanilla, and applesauce to the oats mixture. Let sit for 15 minutes to soften the oats.
- Add the flax eggs and the peanut butter. Stir until well combined with few to no lumps.
- Pour into a lightly oiled 12″ cast iron skillet. I use the walnut oil spray that I have on hand to season my bamboo cutting boards.
- If you are adding the nut butter pockets, dollop a few globs of the nut butter around the top of the mixture in the pan, then cut through each glob to swirl and spread it out a bit.
- Bake uncovered until the top of the oatmeal is golden and the mixture is set, about 35 minutes.
- Remove the oatmeal from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Slice however you like, or spoon it out, to serve, and add your favorite oatmeal toppings at the table.