Hearty Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is founded on Taste of Home's Fruity Baked Oatmeal. I think, to make this more adaptable, you could easily sub honey or maple syrup or even dates for the cup of brown sugar, and add applesauce instead of butter. This recipe is a good jumping off point and can be adjusted to accommodate in-season fruits, or whatever spices you want. I'm already envisioning a version of this with cranberries and can't wait to make that.

A square of this with some unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a banana really crushes my sweet tooth and keeps me full pretty much all morning. I hope you enjoy this! It's super easy to make, and is convenient if you're on the go in the mornings. You could bake these in a muffin tin for even easier (and neater) on-the-go breakfasts.

Ingredients

3 cups quick-cooking or rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

2 large eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature

1 cup milk of choice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

3/4 cup chopped, peeled, cored pears

1/3 cup chopped fresh or frozen peaches

1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, pecans, and walnuts. Combine eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and butter; add to the dry ingredients. Stir in pears, peaches, and blueberries.

2. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cut into squares, and serve with milk if desired.

* Once cooled, they can also be stored in the fridge for around a week.