Vegan Blended Baked Oats with Dark Chocolate Chips

These vegan blended baked oats with darkish chocolate chips are based mostly off of a viral recipe, but I promise that they deserve a permanent place in your breakfast routine! Freshly made, the oats have a young, soufflé-like texture that’s irresistable. That includes rolled oats, nut or seed butter, banana, plant milk, and darkish chocolate chips, the recipe is a healthful morning deal with. I give two choices for preparation: oven or air fryer.

Blended baked oats—often served in ramekins or different single-serve dishes—turned a viral pattern on Tik Tok in round 2021.

I’m right here, three years later, to report that the recipe is as enjoyable and attractive as ever. And regardless of its previously viral standing, it’s worthy of a longterm spot in your breakfast repertoire.

One of many candy elements of working as a dietitian is that I see a good variety of teenagers and twenty-somethings in my follow.

These considerate, incisive, humorous younger people maintain me up-to-date on social media traits, acronyms, and recipes.

One in every of my shoppers instructed me in regards to the blended baked oat pattern again when it was first common. It gave the impression of a cool thought, mixing the oats previous to baking them. But the a part of me that’s fast to dismiss a fad was reluctant to strive them.

I’m not too proud to confess after I’ve been mistaken a few recipe, and I used to be positively mistaken about this one!

Now that I’ve made baked oatmeal this manner, higher late than by no means, I can inform you that it’s a enjoyable technique with tasty outcomes. As I’ve realized so many occasions over in my life and profession, it’s good to maintain an open thoughts.

What are blended baked oats, precisely?

This isn’t my first time attempting, or writing about, baked oatmeal. In actual fact, oatmeal bakes are one in all my go-to vegan meal prep breakfasts.

The baked oatmeal variations that I’m accustomed to creating contain mixing rolled oats with some type of liquid, then baking them within the oven.

The ensuing combination is dense and hearty, with loads of texture from the rolled oats.

A few of my favourite examples are my vegan blueberry banana oat bake, vegan pumpkin chocolate chip baked oatmeal, and maple brown sugar baked oatmeal.

The vegan blended baked oats that I’m sharing at this time are completely different, in a great way. Somewhat than baking the oats entire, you’ll mix them with plant milk, nut or seed butter (I like tahini), some baking powder, and a pinch of cinnamon.

Then, you’ll pour this “batter” into particular person dishes and bake or air fry them until they’re puffy and set.

The result’s one thing that’s far more like cake than baked oats. In actual fact, after I made it, I stored considering to myself that it had an nearly soufflé-like texture.

After the blended baked oats have been out of the oven or air fryer for a couple of minutes, they’ll lose a few of their top, which is what’s mirrored within the images right here.

However they are surely impressively domed and fluffy at first. Even as soon as they’ve been saved, they keep a stunning, tender texture.

Key substances

Making blended baked oats is extra of a cooking technique than a selected recipe. I’ve chosen the substances that talk to me, however there’s room for variation.

I’ll supply some substitutes that I do know can work. As I proceed to make this recipe, which I do know that I’ll, I’ll replace the recipe card with extra choices.

Rolled oats

I really like all varieties of oatmeal: metal minimize, rolled, and fast oats. However the selection that I cook dinner with most frequently might be rolled oats.

Rolled oats are what find yourself in my favourite protein-rich vegan in a single day oats, my savory turmeric chickpea oats, and most of my baked oatmeal recipes.

You should utilize both rolled oats or fast oats right here. I don’t advocate metal minimize oats for this specific recipe.

When you have celiac illness or don’t do effectively with gluten, make sure to use rolled oats which are licensed gluten-free.

Nut or seed butter

Including nut or seed butter to the vegan blended baked oats achieves just a few issues. It serves as an egg replacer, it makes the oats tender and flavorful, and it provides healthful fat to the recipe.

The latter is a win in terms of staying satiated.

I’ve examined the recipe with almond, peanut, cashew, and sunflower seed butter, together with tahini.

All of those nut and seed butters add their very own distinctive taste. As you possibly can think about, the PB model is de facto peanutty, and so forth.

My favourite choice to date is tahini. I feel it creates essentially the most silky-textured baked oats. And whereas tahini is understood for being just a little bitter, that bitterness mellows with baking. Your completed oats could have a lightweight toasted taste, and the chocolate will shine by way of.

Banana

Ripe banana—half for a single portion, a complete one for a double portion—additionally features as an egg replacer.

As well as, it ensures that the oats are fluffy and moist, and it provides just a little naturally occurring sweetness to the recipe. (The one different supply of sweetness within the recipe is the darkish chocolate chips.)

I do know that I’ve some readers who actually don’t look after banana, so I’ve two prompt options: pumpkin purée and applesauce. 1 / 4 cup of both of those can work within the recipe.

Thus far, I just like the banana + tahini + darkish chocolate chip combo finest, however it’s good to have choices!

Darkish chocolate chips

Your favourite vegan chocolate chips are welcome right here, as is finely chopped darkish chocolate. I like to make use of mini chips after I make the recipe.

Vegan milk chocolate, which is often made with oat milk, can also be an choice and more and more straightforward to search out. Whereas I get pleasure from it for snacking or dessert, I discover it just a little too candy for the blended baked oats.

If you happen to’re not within the temper for chocolate at breakfast, then it’s superb to exchange the chips with chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts. Shelled pumpkin seeds are additionally a pleasant choice.

In order for you the crunch of nuts with just a little added sweetness, I feel that my crispy baked candied walnuts or crispy baked vegan candied pecans could be an important addition.

Plant milk

You gained’t want a number of plant milk to make the recipe (1/4 cup / 60ml per serving). Soy milk is my plant milk of alternative, however you may as well use oat, almond, cashew, or mild coconut milk.

Learn how to make vegan blended baked oats

Just a few issues to remember in regards to the recipe:

As written, it makes two servings, however I’ve efficiently halved the recipe to make a single serving, and you are able to do the identical in case you like.

The blended baked oats will likely be at their most impressively fluffy and excessive proper after baking. They’ll collapse just a little as they cool, however they’ll nonetheless be scrumptious.

You may put together reheat the oats in both the oven or your air fryer—I’m giving directions for each strategies!

For the reason that recipe takes 15-25 minutes to cook dinner, plus prep/mixing time, it’s a weekend breakfast for me. However it’s actually not tough to organize.

Step 1: Get arrange

First, preheat your oven or air fryer. I don’t at all times pre-heat my air fryer earlier than utilizing it, however I do after I’m changing a baking recipe.

Then, calmly oil two small ramekins. I exploit ones which are 3-inch / 7.5cm in diameter and 1 1/2-inch / 4cm excessive.

If you happen to don’t have smaller baking vessels like these, you could possibly bake the 2 servings collectively in one thing just a little larger. You possibly can additionally divide the recipe into 4 muffin cups (two muffin parts per individual).

Step 2: Mix

If you happen to occur to have a personal-sized blender, or a high-speed blender that additionally has a personal-sized mixing attachment, that’s best for this recipe. It may be difficult to mix smaller portions in a big blender.

Relying on the form of the blender you may have, nevertheless, it is probably not a problem. If you happen to strive mixing the oats and have hassle, even with a tamper, you possibly can strive doubling the recipe and sharing it with others. Or, use it as an excuse to meal prep and get 4 parts out of the recipe.

In any case, add your banana, oats, plant milk, just a little floor flaxseed, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and your nut or seed butter to the blender.

The oats ought to mix up simply inside 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Stir in half of the darkish chocolate chips (or chopped nuts)

Whereas the batter continues to be within the blender, use a small spatula to stir in half of the darkish chocolate chips, in order that they’re evenly blended by way of the batter.

Step 4: Pour the batter into ramekins and prime with remaining chocolate chips

As soon as that’s performed, pour the batter into your two ready ramekins, dividing it up evenly.

Lastly, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of chocolate chips over the tops of your divided and portioned oats.

Step 5: Bake or air fry

If baking, you’ll want to provide the oats 22-25 minutes within the oven. After baking, the tops will likely be golden, domed, and set.

If you happen to’re air frying, the oats will want 15-18 minutes so as to obtain that very same impact. I’ve an air-fryer with a 4L basket, which is roomy, however not roomy sufficient to suit each ramekins comfortably.

I maintain one of many baked oat parts within the fridge whereas the opposite air fries, after which I make the second portion instantly after.

Step 6: Serve, with or with out some enjoyable accompaniments

The vegan blended baked oats are actually scrumptious sufficient to serve on their very own; due to the chocolate chips, there’s loads of taste, and also you gained’t want a garnish.

Nonetheless, just a little further nut or seed butter could be good for drizzling, in case you like.

So far as accompaniments go, a glass of soy milk for plant protein, a vegan yogurt with berries, further banana, a cup of some type of smoothie that you simply like, or some crunchy nuts are all good concepts.

Storage & reheating

Once more, I’m keen on this recipe when it’s freshly baked. However in case you’re making just a few parts and want to retailer them, that’s additionally nice. Future breakfast cake for future you!

Cowl the ramekins with reusable silicone covers or Saran wrap, then switch them to the fridge. You may maintain them there for as much as three days.

Air fry or re-heat within the oven (at 300°F / 150°C) for 5 minutes, or till properly heat, earlier than having fun with them once more.

With time, I default an increasing number of to tried-and-true recipes, meals that evoke nostalgia, and traditional preparation strategies.

But I’ve to remind myself {that a} willingness to strive new issues is what drove a lot of my improvement after I was studying to cook dinner vegan meals.

I’m glad that I awakened one Saturday morning with the will to strive one thing enjoyable, and completely different, and I made vegan blended baked oats. They’re a pleasant little deal with, and I hope you’ll get pleasure from them, too.

xo