Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal
Oatmeal is one of our favorite comfort foods. It is delicious savory or sweet, thick or thin, sweet or unsweetened, and can be used in a myriad of different recipes to add fiber, texture, and heft. Is it a health food? Yes. The number of benefits afforded by incorporated oats in your diet would require a lengthy post, indeed.
A daily bowl of oatmeal provides over half of the daily value for those hard-to-find omega-3 fatty acids. Eating a serving of whole grains, such as oats, at least 6 times each week is an especially good idea for postmenopausal women with high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies also show that the beta-glucan in oats has beneficial effects in diabetes as well. Type 2 diabetes patients given foods high in this type of oat fiber or given oatmeal or oat bran rich foods experienced much lower rises in blood sugar compared to those who were given white rice or bread. Starting out your day with a blood sugar stabilizing food such as oats may make it easier to keep blood sugar levels under control the rest of the day, especially when the rest of your day is also supported with nourishing fiber-rich foods.†
Health benefits aside, we just like a warm, hearty bowl of cooked oats. We are fans of overnight soaked steel cut oats, stove-top cooked porridge with oats, bulgar and flax seed, and cold soaked old fashioned rolled oats with fruits, yogurts, and nuts. The only oats we do not like are overly processed envelopes of so-called “instant oats.” These finely chopped rolled oats make for a thick, unpleasant and gummy paste and are usually full of artificial flavors and sweeteners. Pass.
We are sharing not one, but two delicious recipes for Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal courtesy of Lauren Smith, The Oatmeal Artist (see bio, below).
This wholesome and filling dish is wonderful for breakfast or dessert, warm or cold. Lauren’s first version of her recipe uses a banana base and no added sugar. While she considered it a success and her followers enjoyed it, she perfected her recipe with the second version, which incorporates smooth and creamy avocado, as well as maple syrup.
So which is better?
Version 1 does have the distinct flavor of banana, whereas Version 2 is a purer cocoa flavor and is favored by its creator, who said it was her updated improved version. To serve either version for breakfast, keep the sweetener to a minimum. To serve either for dessert, increase the sweetener if desired.
Ingredients
Version 1 - Chocolate Banana
- ⅓ cup milk - whole, low, non-dairy, etc
- ½ medidum bananas - ripe, mashed (or use 1/3 cup applesauce)
- ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder (low sodium)
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Version 2 - Chocolate Avocado
- ⅓ ripe avocado - mashed (or use 1/3 cup pureed zucchini for less fat)
- ⅓ cup milk - whole, low, non-dairy, etc
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons Vermont maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder (low sodium)
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 handful chocolate chips (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a single-serving ramekin with non-stick spray.
Version 1
- Mix together first three ingredients in a large bowl.
- Add in dry ingredients: oats, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
- Stir well, and then transfer to the ramekin.
- Top with salt, then bake for 18-25 minutes. Longer time will give you a more traditional brownie texture, but 18 minutes will give you a fudgy, doughy brownie.
Version 2
- Mix together avocado, milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, cocoa powder, and salt by either pureeing in a mini food processor or mashing thoroughly with a fork (lengthy process, but gets the job done).
- Stir in baking powder and oats. Once combined, stir in chocolate chips if using.
- Transfer to the ramekin, top with coarse salt, and bake for 22-25 minutes.
Spa Index Kitchen Notes
Nutrition
Lauren Smith is The Oatmeal Artist. Lauren is a devotee of the Slow Food approach to eating. Her recipes incorporate oats, her favorite breakfast food, and she enjoys a plant based dietary lifestyle which assist her in addressing IBS symptoms. Lauren’s recipes demonstrate the time she takes to “…create, savor, and socialize around fresh, quality food in a way that nurtures the community and environment.”
†whfoods.org
I’ve tried both, and just seems a bit too heavy for me. Wanted to love it, but I think some of your other breakfast recipes are little less “heavy.” Some want that, though, so if a dense oatmeal is your jam, then you’ll like this.