Mixed berry and yoghurt baked oats

Baked oats recipe

If you like the idea of a crumble for breakfast, this baked oats recipe is perfect for the dessert-for-brekkie type – you know, someone who’d never dream of ordering poached eggs when there’s pancakes on the menu. If you’re a morning person, this dish makes an easy weekday treat; and if you’re not, it’s a delicious weekend brunch option, too.

This recipe bakes standard breakfast fare – oats, yoghurt, berries, milk – into something a lot more exciting than your average porridge or muesli. It’s a simple matter of mixing the ingredients together and baking. Oats and berries are suspended in a yoghurt custard and served warm, drizzled with maple syrup. And with the Greek yoghurt, rolled oats and eggs, it’s also full of protein so you’ll feel full till lunchtime. Sweetened with just a tiny amount of sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup, these healthy baked oats can feed the whole family.

Why you should bake with rolled oats

Rolled oats are one of the most versatile, nutritious and affordable foods in the breakfast aisle. They’re a whole-grain made from oat groats that have been dehusked, steamed, then rolled into flakes. They’re then lightly toasted before being packaged up for your oat-eating pleasure, and are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants.

Oats are an obvious choice for breakfast, but they make satisfying baked goods, too – think baked oat slice, cookies and muffins. Add them to a crumble topping for extra crunch, or blend oats into a flour and use it to replace wheat flour in many recipes (you may need to add a little more liquid if you’re doing this). Oat flour is also a topnotch soup thickener or addition to bulk out meatballs, hamburger patties or meatloaf.

How to make baked oats

This easy baked oats recipe is ideal for early winter mornings. Preheat the oven to 180ºC and grease a square, ovenproof dish with butter or a little coconut oil. Next, place the yoghurt, milk, eggs, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla in a bowl and whisk together. Add the oats and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Pour the mixture into your greased oven dish. Drop the berries evenly over the surface of the oat mixture and press them in gently – they don’t need to be completely submerged.

Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 mins. Check at the 40-minute mark – you don’t want to overcook the dish or it could become dry. When the top is golden and just firm, it’s ready. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before placing on the table with maple syrup and yoghurt for everyone to dollop and drizzle as they please.

Our baked oats recipe is studded with berries, but the possibilities are endless. Try variations such as grated apple, cinnamon and walnut; chocolate chip and hazelnut; or cocoa and banana.

Now get cooking

After another baked oats idea? Why not try this chocolate and peanut butter baked oats recipe that uses oats blended into powder to create a truly decadent cake-style breakfast for one? Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Blend 1/2 banana, 1/2 cup (45g) rolled oats, 1 tbs maple syrup, 1 tbs peanut butter, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 cup oat milk (or milk of your choice) until smooth. Pour into a baking dish and sprinkle with 1 tbs dark chocolate chips. Bake for 25 mins or until puffed up and the top springs back when gently pressed.

More oat ideas? A little evening prep will score you banana bread overnight oats in the morning. Another oat-based breakfast option are these blender pancakes, which are also served with yoghurt and maple syrup. Make your own nutritious muesli bars for lunch boxes and afternoon snacks with mixed berry baked oat bars. Try these oat choc cookies – they’re stuffed with oats, pepitas and chia seeds and made treat-worthy with chunks of dark chocolate.