Basic Baked Oatmeal

I love oats and eat them almost every day. When I want to treat myself to something special I make baked oatmeal. It's like having cake for breakfast! Watch how easy it is to prepare in this video https://youtu.be/e0N4LARqnbQ​. I call this "basic" because there are many ways to change it up. I've provided some options but feel free to come up with your own version!

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons ground flax seed

6 Tablespoons water

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/4 cup sweetener (sugar, honey, maple syrup)

1 1/2 cups milk (I use soy milk)

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare an 8"X8" or 9"X9" baking dish either by lightly greasing it or by lining it with strips of parchment paper; leaving the ends to overlap the sides of the dish. In the bottom of a large mixing bowl combine the flax seed meal and water and let sit for about 5 minutes. Add the milk, applesauce, sweetener, and baking powder. Whisk or stir to combine thoroughly. Stir in the oats until they are completely moistened. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and smooth the top to make it even. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Serve with additional milk poured over or with a drizzle of melted peanut butter or maple syrup.

Makes 6 servings: 233 calories per serving.

Variations:

Apple Cinnamon - Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to wet mixture. Stir in 1 cup chopped apple with the oats. Add some chopped walnuts or pecans if desired.

Banana Blueberry - Replace the applesauce with one mashed banana. Stir in 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries just before you put it in the dish. Add some chopped walnuts if desired.

Chocolate Cherry - Add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the wet ingredients. Stir 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen cherries into the batter.

Carrot Cake - Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder to the wet ingredients. Stir in one cup of grated carrots, 1/4 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional).