Cherry Almond Baked Oatmeal

~Recipe Disclosure~

“By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.”

Can I get a big WHOOP for Wednesdays (shout out to the AGGIES)?  We have officially made it halfway through the week.  And I’m halfway through my oats and dairy series…unless I decide to post on Saturday and in that case Thursday will be my halfway point.  Whoop!

This Cherry Almond Oatmeal I’m sharing with you today is posted in honor of my husband, Ryan, who is an Aggie.  The maroon color of the cherries is for him and his alma mater.  Plus he just loves the cherry pie that his sweet mom, Jacque makes.  So I decided to make him a {sort of} cherry pie-like oatmeal.  He needs the hearty nutrition from this power-packed oats and dairy combo because football training camp just basically took over his life.  I’m a widow to football.  At least for the next 5 months.

We eat a lot of oats around here.  They are filling, good for Ryan’s high cholesterol {blame it on genetics}, and very affordable.  But believe it or not, I’ve never tried baked oatmeal.  Until this week.  This baked oatmeal has made my week, my friends.  The juicy cherries on the top and bottom are so charming, and the salted maple almond butter I whipped up just for this recipe adds a deep nutty flavor as it bakes into the oatmeal.

If you scour Pinterest for baked oatmeal recipes, you will find that they vary greatly in degrees of doneness.  Some of the recipes are very crisp and almost cookie-like, while others resemble more of a custardy bread pudding.  This one falls right in the middle, and since I lean one the more custardy bread pudding side, we topped our warm baked oatmeals with extra milk for a sauce-like phenomenon.  You could certainly dollop a nice spoonful of Greek yogurt on top as well.  Your call – enjoy the recipe!

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Cherry Almond Baked Oatmeal {Gluten-Free}

Sweet summer cherries are studded throughout this hearty baked oatmeal. Homemade Salted Maple Almond Butter is baked through the center, providing a deep, nutty flavor.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Salted Maple Almond Butter:

• 1 cup unsalted roasted almonds
• 1-2 teaspoons neutral-flavored oil walnut, grapeseed, safflower, canola
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt

For the Baked Oatmeal:

• 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups 1% milk plus extra for serving.
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, browned and cooled
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups pitted and diced dark sweet cherries frozen cherries are fine too; just thaw before use!
• 6 heaping teaspoons Salted Maple Almond Butter or store-bought almond butter

Instructions

For the Salted Maple Almond Butter:

• Place the almond in a food processor. Process for 6 minutes, scraping down the sides in 2 minute increments. Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil and process to reach desired creaminess. Add the maple syrup and sea salt and pulse just to combine. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months.

For the Baked Oatmeal:

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Grease the bottom of six 8-oz ramekins with cooking spray.
• Divide 1 1/2 cups of the cherries into the bottoms of ramekins.
• Combine the oats, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Divide among ramekins (1/3 cup per ramekin.
• Combine the cooled brown butter, maple syrup, milk, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl with a whisk. Divide and pour over the oats in the ramekins (about 1/2 cup liquid per ramekin).
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup cherries on top of the mixture in each ramekin and a teaspoon of almond butter in the center.
• Bake for about 30 minutes until just set and golden on top. Serve warm with 1/4 cup milk or vanilla yogurt poured over the top.

Notes

This oatmeal keeps really well throughout the week for breakfast. We simply reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes before adding milk or yogurt to the top. If you don't have ramekins, feel free to assemble this as described above in an 8x8 square pan.

Calories: 327
Fat: 13.3 grams
Total Carb: 41.7
Fiber: 3.6 g
Protein: 11.7 g
Sugar: 18.8 g

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