Blueberry-Coconut-Walnut Baked Oatmeal

This blueberry-coconut-walnut baked oatmeal receives herbal sweetness from banana and dates with bursts of juicy blueberries and a nutty crunch from walnuts. This hearty dish is ideal for meal prep or sharing at brunch, supplying a nutritious start to your day. Serve it warm with a dollop of yogurt.

This Blueberry-Coconut-Walnut Baked Oatmeal is the ultimate breakfast. clearly sweetened with mashed ripe banana and dates, it’s bursting with juicy blueberries and crunchy walnuts. It’s like dessert meets breakfast—but packed with vitamins to electricity your day. Oats are packed with fiber to keep you feeling full and energized, whilst walnuts provide omega-3 fatty acids. best for meal prep, this baked oatmeal is as versatile because it gets. Bake it over the weekend and pop the leftover slices to warm in the microwave to enjoy all through the week. keep reading for our top baking recommendations to make this breakfast a staple part of your weekly lineup!

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Recommendations from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

those are the important thing suggestions we found out whilst developing and testing this recipe in our test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes extremely good and is good for you too!

• The dates will combination greater easily if they’re softened in warm water earlier than they hit the food processor. despite the fact that we call for pitted dates, it’s an amazing concept to check for pits or pit fragments before you blend them.
• make sure to use a ripe, smooth banana here to maximise the wonder. an appropriate banana need to sense soft when you squeeze it (however not be totally mushy), and the pores and skin have to have plenty of brown spots for the duration of.
• We recommend the use of a82ee8a4ee179e54beacaecce0423cb2 rolled oats for the pleasant texture. brief or on the spot oats are too thin and do now not provide the equal consistency whilst baked.
• To toast shredded coconut, cook dinner in a small dry skillet over medium-low warmness, stirring frequently, till golden, about 5 minutes.

Nutrition Notes

• Oats are a good supply of fiber, specially a form of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. consuming sufficient fiber can result in feeling full for longer durations of time, better digestive health, advanced blood sugar and levels of cholesterol and can help aid weight-control efforts.
• Blueberries are loaded with 07b031025f5f96dfa8443f843db463b6 compounds referred to as polyphenols. an excessive amount of irritation inside the body can cause persistent illnesses like most cancers, diabetes and coronary heart ailment, so incorporating 07b031025f5f96dfa8443f843db463b6 meals like blueberries into your food regimen may additionally help lower your risk.
• Walnuts include omega-3 fatty acids, that can assist improve memory and overall cognitive fitness. these 07b031025f5f96dfa8443f843db463b6 nuts additionally help heart health due to the fact they’re low in sodium and saturated fats.
• Unsweetened coconut milk adds moisture to these oats, but that’s not all it brings. Coconut milk includes lauric acid, which has been shown to assist lower inflammation, even though more studies is needed. it’s also an awesome supply of potassium, a nutrient that enables manipulate blood pressure.

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. gently coat an 8-inch-rectangular baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Soak dates: place ½ cup dates in a medium heatproof bowl; upload sufficient hot water to fully cowl by ½ inch. let stand at room temperature till the dates are barely softened, about 20 minutes.

3.Prepare blueberry sauce: in the meantime, combine 2 cups blueberries, 1 tablespoon water and ½ teaspoon vanilla in a small saucepan; deliver to a boil over medium warmness. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently, till the blueberries are usually damaged down and the sauce is barely thickened, 6 to 8 mins. dispose of from heat and set aside.

4.Process dates: Drain the dates and switch to a food processor; pulse until finely chopped and sticky, about 10 pulses. With the processor jogging, slowly pour the remaining 7 tablespoons warm water thru the chute, a few tablespoons at a time, till a semi-clean paste paperwork, about 1 minute, preventing to scrape down aspects as needed. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the date paste in a medium bowl.

5.Blend wet ingredients: add ½ cup coconut milk, 1 banana, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons coconut extract and the last 2 teaspoons vanilla to the meals processor with the final date mixture; manner until smooth, approximately 1 minute.

6.Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine 2¼ cups oats, 1 cup walnuts, ½ cup coconut, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.

7.Combine mixtures: upload the date-banana mixture; stir till combined. gently fold inside the ultimate 1 cup blueberries.

8.Layer the oatmeal: Spoon half of of the oat mixture (approximately 3 cups) into the organized pan; spread in an even layer to fully cover the lowest. spread the blueberry sauce flippantly over the oat combination, top with closing oat combination, spreading evenly over the sauce.

9.Add topping: add the closing ½ cup walnuts and ¼ cup coconut to the reserved date paste; stir until well combined. Sprinkle evenly over the oat mixture.

10.Bake: Bake till just set in the center and the top is golden brown, 30 to 35 mins. allow cool in the baking dish on a twine rack for 10 minutes before serving.