Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal
Soft, slightly chewy with crisp edges and perfectly spiced, this morning glory baked oatmeal tastes just like a morning glory muffin, but in oatmeal form! Loaded with carrots, apples and pineapple, this baked oatmeal recipe is not only super flavorful, but extra nutritious too!
I love all different flavors of muffins, but I will have to say that the “morning glory” flavor might just be one of my many favorites. In case you aren’t familiar with morning glory muffins, let me catch you up a bit. Typically, this muffin batter is loaded with lots of different ingredients, including crushed pineapple, carrots, apples, raisins, nuts and sometimes even coconut: literally sooo much flavor! If you haven’t figured out already that I enjoy lots of flavor and texture in my baked goods, then my love for morning glory muffins is proof enough.
Initially, I considered doing a morning glory muffin recipe, but I decided that was too traditional, too normal. So, what did I do? I made morning glory muffins into baked oatmeal instead! Baked oatmeal is such a nutritious breakfast option that is perfect to have on hand for busy mornings. And the fact that this recipe is loaded with fruits and vegetables makes it a great way to sneak extra fiber and nutrients into your diet, which is always a plus, right? 😉
Not only has this recipe been approved by me, but everyone in my family, including my young siblings loved this oatmeal. Although it took several test runs to get this recipe just right, I’m happy to say that I finally have a result approved by my family, and hopefully soon approved by you too! 😀
Ingredients You Need
Rolled Oats~ For this baked oatmeal recipe, use old-fashioned rolled oats. Steel cut oats will be too tough and chewy, while quick oats will result in a very soft texture.
Brown Sugar~ I like brown sugar in this recipe because it bring out the flavor of the cinnamon, however you can use white sugar instead. Although I have not tried it, I believe that using honey or maple syrup as a substitute would work too.
Ground Cinnamon & Salt~ As with many of my recipes, I go a bit heavy on the spices. But I promise, a full tablespoon of cinnamon will be the best thing that ever happened to this oatmeal! And don’t forget the salt to bring out sweetness!
Eggs~ Eggs are imperative to this recipe because they hold the oatmeal together. Do not omit them.
Oil~ You can use canola, vegetable, olive, or coconut oil, or melted butter.
Canned Crushed Pineapple~ Be sure to use canned pineapple in 100% juice to avoid added sugars. Also, it’s important to use crushed pineapple in this recipe (not diced or sliced) because the fruit adds moisture to the oatmeal. I have not tried using fresh pineapple that’s been crushed, but I don’t recommend doing this because it varies so much in sweetness and acidity.
Shredded Carrots~ When I shred carrots for this recipe, I prefer to use the smaller holes on a box grater. However, you could opt to pulse carrot slices in a food processor until they are finely shredded, but not pulverised into a pulp.
Chopped Apple~ Any apple variety works great here. Also, I don’t usually peel my apples, but you can peel them if you prefer. Make sure to dice your apples into small pieces too.
Raisins~ I love raisins in this recipe, but you can use dried cranberries, or completely omit them if you prefer. Golden raisins are delicious too!
Walnuts~ You can also use pecans instead, or you could use shredded coconut. Either (or both!) will work.
The Dance
Baked oatmeal is seriously so easy to make. Honestly, the hardest part of this recipe is shredding the carrots and chopping the apples.
To start, stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl; set aside. Then, drain the canned pineapple and pour it onto a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze some of the excess water out of the pineapple by gently wringing the towel over the kitchen sink. You don’t want to remove all the moisture, just squeeze out enough juice so that the pineapple is slightly dried out before adding it to the bowl. Lastly, add the eggs, oil, shredded carrots, apples, raisins and nuts and stir together to form a thick mixture.
Press the mixture into a glass baking dish and top with extra nuts if desired. Bake until the oatmeal is golden brown and your kitchen smells like apples, cinnamon and toasted nuts….
View the video below for a recipe visual:
Allow to cool a few minutes before slicing and serving warm. The textures in this oatmeal are incredible: crunchy nuts, soft and chewy oats, juicy pineapple and raisins….and the flavor of cinnamon with a hint of pineapple….so so good!
Another plus about this recipe? It freezes really well! You could absolutely make a double batch and freeze half so that you have breakfast throughout the week. Just pull out a square and heat in the microwave for a quick and easy breakfast that is delicious and super nutritious.
As always, serve with a hot cup of tea for best results and enjoy! 🙂
Need more baked oatmeal recipes? Check these out:
Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 20 oz can of crushed pineapple in 100% juice, drained and squeezed of excess moisture (see above post for details)
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots about 2 medium
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup finely diced apple about 1 large
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F and grease an 8×8 glass baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Next add the drained and squeezed pineapple, shredded carrots, oil and eggs. Stir together to form a thick mixture before folding in the chopped apples, raisins and nuts.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and use the back of a measuring cup to pack it firmly into the pan. Top with extra nuts if desired. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool before slicing into squares and serving. Enjoy!
Sounds delicious
Will have to try making this. Sounds good.
This baked oatmeal has an amazing variety of flavor that makes you crave more and more!
So glad you enjoyed this oatmeal recipe, Reginald!
Freezes well so why not double the recipe and have this delicious comfort food for weeks! I love morning glory muffins and now with gluten free oats I can have all the yummy flavor with no gluten!