Steel-cut oats, berries, and nuts, a healthy baked oatmeal that make you rise, shine and smile!
Picture this:
Years ago my husband decided to cook omelets for friends who joined us for the weekend. When he announced, “I’m going to flip this!” I thought: Uh, oh.
I watched the flip and then followed the omelet as it slid down the side of the stove and fold onto the floor.
Sometimes you need a go-to recipe for guests that doesn’t end in theatrics or a mop. Or you want a recipe to serve your mom when you celebrate her on Mother’s Day. This is it. This is also the recipe to make your mornings run easier. I mean, who needs chaos?
Healthy baked oatmeal
What this isn’t is one of those recipes that takes more time than it’s worth. Hearty, satisfying and flavorful. Berry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal is more like overnight oats that are company worthy. It can be made ahead and comes together quickly, making it an easy breakfast to serve overnight guests or to bake on the weekend to eat throughout the week (here’s a LiveBest Meal Prep sheet). It’s good warm with milk or topped with yogurt. Or cold, straight out of the fridge as a late night bite.
Baked oatmeal keeps 3-4 days in the fridge and the flavor improves over time as the cinnamon and cardamom infuse the dish. Cooks around the world use cardamom. The aromatic spice flavors Thai curries, Scandinavian sweets, and Masala Chai.
How to make Berry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal (or whatever fruit you like)
- Heat oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 1-quart or 8 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 cup fruit in bottom.
- Combine oats, nuts, flax seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in the baking dish. Spoon over the fruit in baking dish.
- Combine milk, egg, cottage cheese (or yogurt), honey in a blender. Blend thoroughly. Pour liquid ingredients over oatmeal. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup fruit over milk mixture.
- Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set.
The ingredients
- Whole-grain steel-cut oats, fruit, nuts and spices add texture and flavor. In this recipe, I’m using cardamom. Cooks around the world use cardamom for its warm, spicy-sweet flavor. The aromatic spice flavors Thai curries, Scandinavian sweets, and Masala Chai. If you don’t have cardamom, substitute ginger or a 1/4 teaspoon each of clove and nutmeg.
- I usually use frozen berries, but rather than berries, you can substitute sliced bananas or apples, frozen or canned peaches, cherries, mango or dried apricots, cranberries, or prunes.
- Milk, cottage cheese or yogurt, walnuts, and an egg boost the protein while the oats, fruit, and walnuts add fiber. All together they make a meal rich in mother-approved healthy goodness.
- 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (or plain yogurt)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups berries, divided (I used frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
Whole grains feed our gut
It seems the more whole grains we eat, the happier our gut bacteria are too. Researchers at the University of Nebraska found that eating whole grains even for a short period altered the gut bacteria to reduce systemic inflammation, which may be at the root of many chronic diseases.
Oats are whole grains, but steel-cut oats are thicker than rolled oats, so have heartier texture and nutty flavor. They take longer to cook but are also slower to digest than rolled or quick-cook oats.
Even better is that each spoonful carries fiber. For every seven grams of fiber added to daily eating, the risk for cardiovascular disease and heart disease drops by nine percent. This recipe has about 4 grams fiber per serving. Talk about healthy goodness!
Why I like Berry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal
- It’s not oatmeal, as usual. The spices, fruit and nuts add texture and flavor.
- Cardamom has a warm, spicy-sweet flavor, but if you don’t have cardamom, substitute ginger or a 1/4 teaspoon each clove and nutmeg.
- Rather than berries, bananas, peaches, apples, or dried fruit are good, too.
- Milk, cottage cheese, flax seeds, walnuts and an egg boost the protein to 8 grams per serving and oats, fruit, flax seeds and walnuts add fiber to nearly 4 grams per serving. Together, they make a meal rich in healthy goodness.
- Steel-cut oats add a heartier texture.
- It comes together quickly and can be made ahead, making it an easy breakfast to serve overnight guests. Even better, make it for yourself. It keeps 3-4 days in the fridge.
Â
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay but helps fund the website.
High Five Fiber Challenge
This is a fiber-rich recipe. If you want to step up fiber in your food, I created a free, 5-day challenge you can join by clicking this link. You’ll get tips and tools, resources and recipes to create your own roadmap to meet your fiber goals and make high fiber meals. Don’t ya? Won’t ya? Seriously, it’s only 5 days 😉 Find it right here.
MORE healthy breakfast recipes
- baked peach oatmeal
- yogurt cranberry tart
- oatmeal with chai walnuts
- gyros breakfast burrito
- mushroom spinach strata
- make-ahead egg and cheese sandwich
- overnight oats
- egg and cheese pasta
P.S. Want more healthy living tips & recipes? Sign up for my newsletter right here.Â
Pin it for later!
Cook along with me and my dad in our YouTube video!
PrintBerry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal
Berry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal. Oats, berries, and nuts baked in a spiced custard makes you rise, shine and smile!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (or plain yogurt)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups berries, divided (I used frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries)
Instructions
- Prep: Heat oven to 325°F. Lightly spray a 1-quart or 8 x 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 cup fruit in bottom.
- Oatmeal: Combine oats, nuts, flax seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in the baking dish. Spoon over the fruit in baking dish. Combine milk, egg, cottage cheese (or yogurt), honey in a blender. Blend thoroughly. Pour liquid ingredients over oatmeal. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup fruit over milk mixture. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and set.
- Serve: warm or at room temperature. If serving later, cover and refrigerate. Warm in 325° oven for 20-30 minutes (or microwave) before serving. Top with milk or yogurt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3/4 cup
- Calories: 330
Comments
Pingback: 50 Vegetarian + Vegan Brunch Recipes for Mother's Day - To Live & Diet in LA
Have not tried yet, but sounds good. Could you use Quaker oats instead? Have never had steel cut oats.
Hi Christy, yes, you can use use oats. Check them during baking, they may bake little more quickly, but should work well. I like rolled oats or steel cut because they digest a little more slowly. Thanks! Judy
Pingback: 4 Healthy Ways to Spice Up Your Oatmeal - Manitoba Flax Seed Milling Company
Pingback: Healing Food Series: Berries - Key Ingredients
Hi
I would love to try this dish because it sounds delicious but I am vegan and would have to replace the egg, milk and yogurt.
I believe nut milk would be ok any suggestions on the egg and yogurt??
Hi Tee, thanks for the note. A plant-based milk and yogurt should work as substitutes. Or replace yogurt and egg with soft tofu and maybe some nut butter. I suggest blending these together in the blender and then pour over the oats. Sound doable?
Pingback: Episode 20: Double Date: "Weird Foods" and Apiaries with Judy and Ken Barbe - Nutrition Nuptials
Looks good, but how many carbs are in a serving?
Hi Mary,
these are the carbs that helps with digestion and energy, so I encourage them. There are about 38 grams per serving. If you’re diabetic, pay attention to the portion size. You can reduce or eliminate the honey if you’d like.
Pingback: Episode 20: Double Date: “Weird Foods” and Apiaries with Judy and Ken Barbe – Food + Movement
Pingback: Fiber; it’s a Superhero! – Tillamook County Wellness
I made it and liked the cardamom flavor, but what I liked best was how it filled me up. My husband has diabetes so we measured our servings and I still didn’t get hungry.
Thanks for the note, Sandy. The fiber does help you feel full longer. It’s one of my favorite breakfast recipes. Glad you liked it!
Judy
Recipe says to put fruit on the bottom first; but you put them on top of the oatmeal in the video.
Which is better?
Would defrost the frozen berries first? (strawberries, blueberries, etc.)
Hi Nancy, thanks for the question. Usually I add frozen berries to the bottom of the pan, but like in the video, they can be added on top. I’ve used fresh berries and frozen. Thankfully, this is a versatile recipe! Judy
Any recommendations for replacing walnuts in the this recipe and still get the same amount of fiber? Thanks
Hi Tracey,
I’ve substituted pecans for the walnuts, but also consider pumpkin seeds, hazelnuts. or almonds. Thanks for stopping by!
Judy