Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries & Pecans

Preparation Time – 30 minutes

Cooking Time – 40 minutes

Servings – 6-8

Ingredients

• 300g whole rolled oats (gluten-free if required)
• 6 tbsp of agave, maple, rice malt syrup or honey
• 2 “flax egg” – made by soaking 2 tbsp of Linwoods Milled Organic Flaxseed for 15mins in 6 tbsp of nut, seed or rice milk (additional to the 360ml below)
• 360ml nut, seed or rice milk
• 2 Pink Lady apples, grated (skin left on)
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 2 tsp of vanilla bean paste or the seeds from 2 vanilla pods
• 1 – 1 ½ tsp of ground cinnamon
• 2 – 4 pinches sea or pink Himalayan salt
• 160g fresh or frozen blueberries (60g for inside the mix, 100g to sprinkle on top)
• 50g pecans halves, broken in half

Serving Suggestions

• Coconut, almond or Greek yogurt
• Nut or seed butter
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• A drizzle of a sweetener of your choice

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F gas mark 6, 200°C (180°C fan-assisted).
2. Line a 23cm x 23cm square baking tray with parchment paper (unless your dish is nonstick).
3. In a small mixing bowl add 2 tbsp. milled flaxseed together with 6 tbsp. milk (of your choice), stir and let sit for 15 minutes.
4. Combine the oats, grated apple, syrup/honey, milk, vanilla bean paste/seeds, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt in a large mixing bowl and mix until well combined.
5. Fold in the “flax egg” along with 60g of blueberries until everything is thoroughly combined.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, top with the remaining 100g of blueberries and then scatter over the pecan pieces.
7. Using the back of a spoon, gently press the blueberries and pecans into the mixture until they are firmly fixed but not too sunken.
8. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35 minutes then remove and, using the tip of a sharp knife, gently pierce the blueberries (if they haven’t already burst) and press them lightly with the blade of the knife to release the juices (be careful, you don’t want the hot blueberry juice on your skin – or on your walls!).
9. Return to the oven to bake for a further 5 minutes until it’s golden brown and mottled with purple where the blueberry juice has soaked in.
10. Serve straight away with some coconut or almond yogurt, the berries and banana, your favorite nut or seed butter and, if you feel like you want some extra sweetness, drizzle over a little more of your preferred syrup.

Lisa’s tip-  “A cross between a cake, a gooey granola bar and a hot bowl of porridge, this oven-baked oatmeal is filling, wholesome and has just the right amount of sweetness – it’s a great alternative to a stove-top version or a Bircher muesli and perfect for when you have a group of friends over for breakfast or brunch! Once cooked I keep this in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days, popping it back into the oven for 10minutes (or into the microwave for 60 -90 seconds) to heat through before eating. You can also prepare the mix the night before and keep in the fridge (as you would overnight oats) ready to bake the next morning.If you’re taking this “to go” then pop a portion of the baked yumminess into a container to take with you and eat it warm (from the oven or re-heated in the office microwave if you have one) or cold – especially lovely in the warmer months! Don’t be afraid to use other types of fruit and nut in this – almonds, macadamia, pistachios and walnuts all work well as do other berries, sliced stone fruits, rhubarb or pears – let your imagination run wild!!”