Baked Oatmeal Bites
Meet your new favorite make-ahead breakfast recipe: Baked Oatmeal Bites.
These perfectly portioned bites are a revelation. Dump all the ingredients into a bowl, stir, bake, and store. I’ve decided that these have to be in my freezer at all times, so I always make a double batch. A handful go into the fridge for the week and the rest go into the freezer for breakfasts through the month. I also throw them in the lunch box or serve them as a snack occasionally.
They also make a fantastic breakfast for you, or for a wee one who’s just starting to nibble on finger foods.
This recipe is endlessly adaptable. Stir in nuts, seeds, coconut, cranberries, wheat germ, spices, or even left over roasted, mashed sweet potato! I use oat milk, which keeps this dairy free, but use whatever milk you like. If you’re not concerned with keeping this recipe dairy-free and you don’t have (or want to use) chia seeds, skip them and substitute a whisked egg.
Baked Oatmeal Bites
Makes 12 "muffins"
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (you can substitute gluten-free oats)
1 cup milk of choice
1 cup plain, unsweetened apple sauce (you can substitute any apple sauce)
1/2 cup wheat germ (optional; skip if making gluten-free)
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut, plus more to top (optional)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted and cooled coconut oil or other neutral oil such as grapeseed
2 tablespoons chia seeds (you can substitute a whisked egg; see post)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional; if you love cinnamon, add up to 1/2 teaspoon total)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a muffin tin with liners; set aside. Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
Scoop the mixture into prepared muffin tin, filling each well 3/4 to the top. Sprinkle each “muffin” with coconut if desired. Bake for 25 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before wrapping for storage. These will last 3 to 5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw and/or warm through in the microwave or oven before serving.
NOTE:
This recipe should only be shared as written with eaters already safely managing tree nuts and coconut. Otherwise, adapt the recipe to skip the coconut and be sure to use a neutral oil other than coconut oil. See post above for notes on other possible substitutions to make these gluten-free or just change up the flavor!
