No fuss, no mess.
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about “eating for your blood type.” I don’t know how medically sound this nutritional theory is, but it brings up an interesting point, and one I’m sure we can all agree on: when it comes to food, we are all wired differently.
Each of us has a unique set of taste buds, cravings, and eating patterns. There’s evidence for this everywhere we look. What makes a filling meal for one may leave another hungry. Some people eat smaller meals with snacks in between, while others can go for long stretches without eating. Some people may need to eat immediately when they wake up, while others need time for their stomach to settle.
Modern culture and the abundance of nutritional information at our fingertips make it easy to judge both ourselves and others for not having “correct” eating habits or eating the “right” foods. As a lover of all things in moderation and of humans in general, I’m not here to judge anyone for their eating habits or their morning cravings.
But I do try to accommodate a wide range of eating patterns in my recipes.
Recently I shared my summer lentil cakes with mango-tomato salsa as great on-the-go breakfast option for people who prefer a savory protein-filled start to their day. But what about the people who crave something a little sweeter? Those whose stomachs aren’t ready for the gravitas of lentils at 8 am? Should they just be content to grab a processed granola bar or shove some corn flakes in a bag?
Absolutely not.
Have you heard of baked oatmeal? It’s delicious.
Basically, it’s a cross between oatmeal and a cake (or oatmeal and a cupcake, if you choose to bake it in muffin tins). You make a batter that contains all the ingredients of oatmeal—a TON of oats, milk, a little sweetener, salt, and whatever add-ins you choose—with the addition of a few eggs as a binding agent. You pour that oatmeal batter into a cake pan and bake it in the oven until it’s set and cooked through, just like a cake. Except it’s not a cake. It’s oatmeal.
I love baked oatmeal 1) because it’s delicious and 2) because it transforms a nutritious, energy-sustaining breakfast into something that is quick and easy to eat on the go. With baked oatmeal, you don’t need to mess around with a thermos or Tupperware, and you don’t have to worry about spills or keeping your breakfast warm. Just throw an oatmeal cup into a plastic bag and you’re good to go. No fuss, no mess, and your breakfast will just as easy and delicious as any processed and packaged breakfast bar you might pick up on your way to work. And a lot more energy-sustaining.
Enjoy!
Banana Walnut Baked Oatmeal Cups
(Serves 12)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped* ¼ cup flaxseed, toasted* 2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats ½ cup brown sugar** 1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 cup 1% milk
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed overripe banana (about 3 medium-sized bananas)
Special equipment: standard 12-cup muffin or cupcake pan
Method
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spread out walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until toasted through and browned in the center. Remove from oven and cool, then chop into medium-sized pieces. Increase oven heat to 400 degrees F.
Meanwhile, spread flaxseeds out in a nonstick saute pan. Toast on medium heat until the flaxseeds smell toasty and start to release their oils, shaking often, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool.
Combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and toasted flaxseeds in a large mixing bowl. Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla and stir in lightly until combined. Do not overbeat. Stir in mashed banana and toasted chopped walnuts.
Lightly grease a muffin tin, then divide the oatmeal batter evenly between the twelve muffin cups. They will be full up to the top, but don’t worry. The batter will dome slightly as it cooks, but it will not rise above the tins like muffins would.
Bake the oatmeal cups for 15 minutes, or until the oatmeal seems set and no longer looks gooey in the middle. Remove from oven and let cool in the tins, then transfer to a plastic container. Store in the refrigerator.
You can eat these cold, at room temperature, or warmed up. I personally think they taste the best slightly warmed. They’re great as they are, but if you like and have the time and dishes available, you can also pour a little milk over them.
*I chose to add walnuts as a shout-out to classic banana bread flavors, and I threw in flax seeds on a whim because I like the extra textural crunch they give to the finished dish. However, if you have an aversion to either, feel free to leave them out!
**Also, I chose banana because I love the natural sweetness it provides, and because of this, I chose to add only ½ cup brown sugar to the recipe. When we tasted the finished oatmeal, both my husband and I felt that it was sweet enough. However, if you like things on the sweeter side, feel free to add an additional ¼ cup sugar.
Originally posted October 14, 2019.