The Best Soaked and Baked Oatmeal Recipe (Gluten Free)

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There are cheers all around when this soaked baked oatmeal makes an appearance on our breakfast table! It’s a sweet change of pace from our typical savory egg breakfast. But since it’s still packed with protein-rich eggs and good fats, I feel good about serving this nutrient-dense breakfast to my family to start their day.

When visiting some of our closest friends several years ago, they served us baked oatmeal for brunch one Saturday morning. Everyone loved it!

I’ve never been crazy about serving our crew carb-heavy standard oatmeal, but this seemed to offer a much more balanced option. So, I set out to recreate and perfect my own soaked baked oatmeal recipe.

The Importance of a Nutrient-Dense Breakfast

For breakfast specifically, it is a priority for us to ensure that proteins and high-quality fats are included for satiety and to avoid the mid-morning blood sugar crash. 

No one likes hangry kids (or parents) before lunch and we have found that packing breakfast full of protein and fat prevents this. Furthermore, a hearty breakfast makes mid-morning snacking completely unnecessary.

Have you ever wondered, “Why are tasty, nutrient-dense breakfasts that kids love so hard to come by?” We get this question all the time! That’s why this soaked baked oatmeal recipe has been in our regular rotation for years.

My strategy with breakfast is that I prepare a big batch of something at the beginning of the week that will last for at least a couple of days. Then I alternate that with something basic like hard-boiled or scrambled eggs. 

Having breakfast prepared beforehand helps significantly on those busy mornings. I have found that our kids appreciate switching things up and not having the same thing multiple days in a row for breakfast, and I appreciate that it makes breakfast go much more smoothly. This recipe quickly became one of our favorite breakfasts!

Why soaked?

Like other grains, oats are seeds and are not meant to be digested. They contain a compound called phytic acid as a defense mechanism to protect itself. In our bodies, the phytic acid blocks digestive enzymes and binds to minerals like iron, zinc, and calcium making them difficult for the body to absorb. The soaking process helps your oats to break down the phytic acid making them more digestible and nutrient rich.

How to soak oats?

Oats should soak in an acidic medium for at least eight hours, or overnight, and can be soaked for up to twenty-four hours. The soaking mixture for your oats could be buttermilk, whole milk yogurt, kefir, or whey. If you avoid dairy, water with a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice will work. The oats should be completely soaked but not drowning in liquid.

What about sourcing?

Sourcing is important when it comes to oats. Almost 100% of oats on the market have tested positive for glyphosate. Organic is important when it comes to oats. If you cannot find a good source locally, we buy One Degree Organic Foods sprouted, organic, and gluten free oats from Costco.

Grains or No Grains?

This is a personal decision based on your own body, needs, and health status. When we were going through seasons of intense healing, I avoided grains altogether. You can read about that story in my post, Recovering from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea. There is nothing nutritionally in grains (vitamins, minerals, fiber) that you cannot get more easily and in greater amounts from other sources like animal products, vegetables, and fruits. My take is, that if your body is able to tolerate grains and they are sourced well and prepared properly, they are fine to eat in moderation alongside other nutrient-dense foods.

What to Mix into your Baked Oatmeal?

The options are endless here! We love picking all the fresh fruit we can (berries, cherries, rhubarb) from our garden or other local farms when they are in season and freezing them. This is a perfect use of those frozen berries. Some of our favorite favorite toppings are:

• Fresh blueberries and rhubarb
• Cinnamon, apples or pears, chopped nuts
• Ground cherries
• Bananas with unsweetened coconut flakes
• Cherries with dark chocolate

What kind of sweetener and how much?

We try to avoid adding too much extra sweeteners to our food so a little bit of sweetness goes a long way. That being said, we have found that ¼ cup of honey or maple syrup—our favorite natural sweetener options—makes this baked oatmeal plenty sweet for our tastes. 

If you are used to things a bit sweeter, you may want to add a bit more. As an alternative, a little drizzle of maple syrup or honey on top can give this dish just the right amount of added sweetness to make it a special treat. 

How to serve

This baked oatmeal is delicious plain. But most members of our family prefer it served with a splash of milk and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup on top—this can make it an extra special treat! 

Baked oatmeal is also delicious served with a splash of whole milk. For non-dairy options, you could also try coconut milk, soy milk, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or any other alternative milk on your baked oatmeal.

Baked oatmeal also reheats very well and makes great leftovers. We love making a big batch at the beginning of the week and having it a few times.

Soaked and Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Ingredients:

– 2.5-3 cups oats
– 1.5 cups milk, yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir (for soaking). Alternatively, you could use water plus 1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
– ½ cup coconut oil, melted
– 4 eggs
– ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
– ½ tsp sea salt
– 1 tsp cinnamon
– 2 cups mix in’s (berries, rhubarb, chopped nuts, bananas, apples, coconut flakes, etc)

Directions:

1. 12-24 hours before making, place oats in a bowl on the counter and mix with either the milk or fermented dairy or water plus acid. The oats should be fully soaked but not drowning in liquid. 

2. After soaking, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until everything is incorporated.

3. Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish

4. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30-35 minutes.

Serve and enjoy! The baked oatmeal is delicious on its own, but we think a splash of milk and a drizzle of honey or maple sugar make it extra tasty!

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Check out more of our favorite breakfast recipes!

• Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Scones with Banana (Gluten Free)
• Healthy Sausage Patties (Easy Freezer Meal Bulk Recipe!)
• Easy Buckwheat Muffins (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)
• Simple Gluten Free Butternut Squash Muffins

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