Recipe and photos by Helen Widman

How to make quick and tasty baked oats for every occasion

We’ve all grown up with oatmeal–and have probably resented it for its simplicity–but how about baked oats? Baked oats can be made in a variety of flavors with different ingredients, with anything from blueberry muffin flavor for breakfast to double chocolate baked oats for dessert. Let’s dress up some basic, bland oats into something a little more fun and flavorful with these chocolate chip baked oats!

Chocolate chip baked oats are simple and easy to make and take less than 20 minutes in total to bake.

INGREDIENTS FOR ONE SERVING:

½ cup of oats

1/3 cup of milk of choice

1 tablespoon of maple syrup

1 half of a banana

1 tablespoon of almond butter

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking powder

Any amount of chocolate chips

HOW TO:

1. Blend ingredients in a blender until smooth.

2. Stir in your preferred amount of chocolate chips.

3. Pour into a small baking dish, or oven safe dish, and garnish with more chocolate chips if desired.

4. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. If the middle isn’t cooked all the way through, feel free to add more time until baked to your liking.

Chocolate chip baked oats are a delicious way to switch up your basic oats into something more flavorful.

Want even more ways to spice up your baked oats? Try these variations!

1. Add protein powder while blending to make “pro-oats.” Great for a post workout breakfast!

2. Add cocoa powder while blending for rich, chocolate-y oats.

3. Substitute honey for maple syrup or two tablespoons of applesauce for banana.

4. Add toppings! Throw on a square of chocolate or an Oreo before baking, or for a healthier option, exchange blueberries for chocolate chips, add on fruit as a garnish or top with a spoonful of your choice of nut butter.