Oatmeal Bake [Vegan & Gluten Free]

Most of you probably know that I'm a huge breakfast fan.  Well, last week when I discovered by go-to breakfast was out of stock (eggs), I decided to get a little creative with an oatmeal bake and I couldn't get enough. I tried out a few different recipes and I love this one that I came up with. My husband said it tastes like berry cobbler!

I used only ingredients that I had on hand. If you find that you're missing something, not to worry, you can easily substitute applesauce for more almond milk or vice versa. You can also forego something like chia seeds or flax meal if you don't have it. If you have an allergy to nuts, you can substitute with coconut milk.  Feel free to get creative with the type of fruit you use too, I think something like peaches and banana would be delicious.

Not only is this oatmeal bake vegan (no eggs), but it's completely gluten free. While it does take awhile in the oven, plan ahead and make it the night before or go for a morning walk while it's baking. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Rolled Oats

2 Tablespoon Chia Seeds

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

 1 Scoop Protein Powder ( I like this one)

1 Cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla)

1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract

1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup

1 Tablespoon Flax Meal

1/4 Cup Apple Sauce

1/3 Cup Slivered Almonds or Chopped Walnuts (I preferred walnuts)

1/2 Cup Frozen Fruit (I like raspberries & Blackberries) 

* Use Organic ingredients whenever possible and make sure that you don't use processed syrup.. yuck

To Make: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with coconut oil. In a bowl mix all dry ingredients (except nuts) before adding in the wet ingredients. Finish by mixing in 1/4 cup nuts and berries.  Once combined, pour mixture into the baking dish and top with remaining nuts and berries. Bake 45 minutes and let cool 10 minutes before serving. 

The middle will be thick and gooey while the outsides will be more of a cake-like texture. If it lasts more than a day, it's great in the refrigerator overnight. Just reheat for a couple secs in the microwave the following day. I'm also going to try this using a muffin tin for a grab and go meal... let me know what you think!