Vegan Blended Baked Oats with Darkish Chocolate Chips

These vegan blended baked oats with darkish chocolate chips are based mostly off of a viral recipe, but I promise that they deserve a permanent place in your breakfast routine! Freshly made, the oats have a young, soufflé-like texture that’s irresistable. That includes rolled oats, nut or seed butter, banana, plant milk, and darkish chocolate chips, the recipe is a healthful morning deal with. I give two choices for preparation: oven or air fryer.

An overhead image of a small, round white ramekin, which is filled with cake-like vegan baked oats.

Blended baked oats—normally served in ramekins or different single-serve dishes—grew to become a viral pattern on Tik Tok in round 2021.

I’m right here, three years later, to report that the recipe is as enjoyable and attractive as ever. And despite its previously viral standing, it’s worthy of a longterm spot in your breakfast repertoire.

One of many candy components of working as a dietitian is that I see a good variety of teenagers and twenty-somethings in my observe.

These considerate, incisive, humorous younger people maintain me up-to-date on social media traits, acronyms, and recipes.

One in every of my shoppers informed me in regards to the blended baked oat pattern again when it was first common. It seemed like a cool concept, mixing the oats previous to baking them. But the a part of me that’s fast to dismiss a fad was reluctant to strive them.

I’m not too proud to confess once I’ve been improper a few recipe, and I used to be positively improper about this one!

Now that I’ve made baked oatmeal this fashion, higher late than by no means, I can let you know that it’s a enjoyable methodology with tasty outcomes. As I’ve realized so many occasions over in my life and profession, it’s good to maintain an open thoughts.

What are blended baked oats, precisely?

This isn’t my first time attempting, or writing about, baked oatmeal. The truth is, oatmeal bakes are one among my go-to vegan meal prep breakfasts.

The baked oatmeal variations that I’m accustomed to creating contain mixing rolled oats with some kind of liquid, then baking them within the oven.

A white, rectangular porcelain dish with handles rests on a white surface. It's filled with a freshly baked, whole grain breakfast dish.

The ensuing combination is dense and hearty, with loads of texture from the rolled oats.

A few of my favourite examples are my vegan blueberry banana oat bake, vegan pumpkin chocolate chip baked oatmeal, and maple brown sugar baked oatmeal.

The vegan blended baked oats that I’m sharing immediately are completely different, in a great way. Reasonably than baking the oats entire, you’ll mix them with plant milk, nut or seed butter (I like tahini), some baking powder, and a pinch of cinnamon.

Then, you’ll pour this “batter” into particular person dishes and bake or air fry them until they’re puffy and set.

The result’s one thing that’s way more like cake than baked oats. The truth is, once I made it, I saved pondering to myself that it had an nearly soufflé-like texture.

After the blended baked oats have been out of the oven or air fryer for a couple of minutes, they’ll lose a few of their peak, which is what’s mirrored within the photographs right here.

However they are surely impressively domed and fluffy at first. Even as soon as they’ve been saved, they maintain a beautiful, tender texture.

Key elements

Making blended baked oats is extra of a cooking methodology than a selected recipe. I’ve chosen the elements that talk to me, however there’s room for variation.

I’ll supply some substitutes that I do know can work. As I proceed to make this recipe, which I do know that I’ll, I’ll replace the recipe card with extra choices.

Rolled oats

I really like all kinds of oatmeal: metal minimize, rolled, and fast oats. However the selection that I cook dinner with most frequently might be rolled oats.

Rolled oats are what find yourself in my favourite protein-rich vegan in a single day oats, my savory turmeric chickpea oats, and most of my baked oatmeal recipes.

You should use both rolled oats or fast oats right here. I don’t advocate metal minimize oats for this specific recipe.

If in case you have celiac illness or don’t do effectively with gluten, be sure you use rolled oats which are licensed gluten-free.

Nut or seed butter

Including nut or seed butter to the vegan blended baked oats achieves a number of issues. It serves as an egg replacer, it makes the oats tender and flavorful, and it provides healthful fat to the recipe.

The latter is a win with regards to staying satiated.

I’ve examined the recipe with almond, peanut, cashew, and sunflower seed butter, together with tahini.

All of those nut and seed butters add their very own distinctive taste. As you may think about, the PB model is actually peanutty, and so forth.

My favourite choice thus far is tahini. I feel it creates probably the most silky-textured baked oats. And whereas tahini is understood for being somewhat bitter, that bitterness mellows with baking. Your completed oats could have a light-weight toasted taste, and the chocolate will shine by way of.

Banana

Ripe banana—half for a single portion, an entire one for a double portion—additionally features as an egg replacer.

As well as, it ensures that the oats are fluffy and moist, and it provides somewhat naturally occurring sweetness to the recipe. (The one different supply of sweetness within the recipe is the darkish chocolate chips.)

I do know that I’ve some readers who actually don’t take care of banana, so I’ve two recommended options: pumpkin purée and applesauce. 1 / 4 cup of both of those can work within the recipe.

Thus far, I just like the banana + tahini + darkish chocolate chip combo finest, but it surely’s good to have choices!

Darkish chocolate chips

Your favourite vegan chocolate chips are welcome right here, as is finely chopped darkish chocolate. I like to make use of mini chips once I make the recipe.

Vegan milk chocolate, which is normally made with oat milk, can also be an choice and more and more simple to search out. Whereas I take pleasure in it for snacking or dessert, I discover it somewhat too candy for the blended baked oats.

In the event you’re not within the temper for chocolate at breakfast, then it’s high-quality to interchange the chips with chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts. Shelled pumpkin seeds are additionally a pleasant choice.

If you would like the crunch of nuts with somewhat added sweetness, I feel that my crispy baked candied walnuts or crispy baked vegan candied pecans can be an incredible addition.

Plant milk

You gained’t want a number of plant milk to make the recipe (1/4 cup / 60ml per serving). Soy milk is my plant milk of alternative, however you may also use oat, almond, cashew, or mild coconut milk.

How one can make vegan blended baked oats

A number of issues to remember in regards to the recipe:

As written, it makes two servings, however I’ve efficiently halved the recipe to make a single serving, and you are able to do the identical if you happen to like.
The blended baked oats can be at their most impressively fluffy and excessive proper after baking. They’ll collapse somewhat as they cool, however they’ll nonetheless be scrumptious.
You’ll be able to put together reheat the oats in both the oven or your air fryer—I’m giving directions for each strategies!
For the reason that recipe takes 15-25 minutes to cook dinner, plus prep/mixing time, it’s a weekend breakfast for me. Nevertheless it’s actually not troublesome to arrange.

Step 1: Get arrange

First, preheat your oven or air fryer. I don’t all the time pre-heat my air fryer earlier than utilizing it, however I do once I’m changing a baking recipe.

Then, calmly oil two small ramekins. I take advantage of ones which are 3-inch / 7.5cm in diameter and 1 1/2-inch / 4cm excessive.

In the event you don’t have smaller baking vessels like these, you possibly can bake the 2 servings collectively in one thing somewhat greater. You may additionally divide the recipe into 4 muffin cups (two muffin parts per individual).

Step 2: Mix

In the event you occur to have a personal-sized blender, or a high-speed blender that additionally has a personal-sized mixing attachment, that’s splendid for this recipe. It may be tough to mix smaller portions in a big blender.

Relying on the form of the blender you’ve got, nonetheless, it is probably not a trouble. In the event you strive mixing the oats and have hassle, even with a tamper, you may strive doubling the recipe and sharing it with others. Or, use it as an excuse to meal prep and get 4 parts out of the recipe.

In any case, add your banana, oats, plant milk, somewhat floor flaxseed, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and your nut or seed butter to the blender.

A personal-sized blender has been filled with banana slices, tahini, and rolled oats. — A private-sized or smaller blender works particularly effectively for this recipe.

The oats ought to mix up simply inside 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: Stir in half of the darkish chocolate chips (or chopped nuts)

Whereas the batter remains to be within the blender, use a small spatula to stir in half of the darkish chocolate chips, in order that they’re evenly blended by way of the batter.

Step 4: Pour the batter into ramekins and prime with remaining chocolate chips

As soon as that’s finished, pour the batter into your two ready ramekins, dividing it up evenly.

Two white, round ramekins are pictured on a small, silver tray. They're filled with a creamy batter and dark chocolate chips. — Two spherical ramekins can be good vessels to your two parts of blended baked (or air-fried) oats.

Lastly, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of chocolate chips over the tops of your divided and portioned oats.

Step 5: Bake or air fry

If baking, you’ll want to present the oats 22-25 minutes within the oven. After baking, the tops can be golden, domed, and set.

Two white ramekins are filled with vegan blended baked oats. They rest on a white surface. — The completed baked oats could have golden, domed tops. At first, they must be fairly puffy, nearly like mini-souffles. They’ll settle somewhat as they cool.

In the event you’re air frying, the oats will want 15-18 minutes to be able to obtain that very same impact. I’ve an air-fryer with a 4L basket, which is roomy, however not roomy sufficient to suit each ramekins comfortably.

I maintain one of many baked oat parts within the fridge whereas the opposite air fries, after which I make the second portion instantly after.

Step 6: Serve, with or with out some enjoyable accompaniments

The vegan blended baked oats are actually scrumptious sufficient to serve on their very own; because of the chocolate chips, there’s loads of taste, and also you gained’t want a garnish.

Nevertheless, somewhat additional nut or seed butter may be good for drizzling, if you happen to like.

So far as accompaniments go, a glass of soy milk for plant protein, a vegan yogurt with berries, further banana, a cup of some kind of smoothie that you just like, or some crunchy nuts are all good concepts.

Storage & reheating

Once more, I’m a fan of this recipe when it’s freshly baked. However if you happen to’re making a number of parts and want to retailer them, that’s additionally nice. Future breakfast cake for future you!

Cowl the ramekins with reusable silicone covers or Saran wrap, then switch them to the fridge. You’ll be able to maintain them there for as much as three days.

Air fry or re-heat within the oven (at 300°F / 150°C) for 5 minutes, or till properly heat, earlier than having fun with them once more.