Prep this healthy, plant-based, dessert-like breakfast and enjoy all week long.
I’m going to let you in on a little secret: I’m probably one of the only people out there who isn’t a big oatmeal fan. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t think to myself, “Gosh, I can’t wait to go make a big bowl of oatmeal.” That doesn’t excite me. If making oatmeal doesn’t excite you either, I’m going to show you a new way to enjoy it: baked. When you bake oatmeal, it becomes cake-like, with a crunchy top and a soft, creamy inside. And, it’s easy to pre-portion and cut into squares to enjoy all week.
This oatmeal also uses miso, which is a paste made from fermented soybeans and has a slightly salty-sweet nutty flavor. There are many different types of miso, but I recommend using white miso, because it has a subtle sweetness that mixes really well with the tahini.
Now let’s chat about tahini, my favorite ingredient in the history of mankind. Tahini is a spread made from ground sesame seeds, and it’s deeply rooted in my Armenian heritage. While we traditionally use tahini in savory dishes like hummus, I incorporate it into several of my sweet dishes, too, for a unique taste that you truly won’t believe until you actually try it.
This recipe is fantastic to meal prep on Sunday and enjoy for breakfast all week long. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- Avocado oil for greasing the pan
- 1⁄2 cup mashed banana (the riper the better), plus banana slices for topping
- 2 flax eggs (1 tablespoon flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water for each “egg”)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons white miso
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups non-dairy milk of your choice
- 2 1⁄2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 3⁄4 cup dairy-free dark chocolate chips
- 3⁄4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or nuts or seeds of your choice, such as pepitas, sunflower seeds, or hemp seeds (optional)
- Warmed non-dairy milk or yogurt for topping
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with the oil. You can also line the baking dish with parchment paper if you choose. I recommend greasing the inside of the dish first so the parchment sticks.
In a large bowl, combine the banana and flax eggs and mash it all up using a fork. Add the maple syrup, miso, tahini, cinnamon, and salt and whisk together until well combined. Add the milk, followed by the oats and half of the chocolate chips, then stir to combine.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top with the banana slices, nuts, and the remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The edges, too, should be golden brown, and the center should have some springiness (like a cake).
Remove the pan from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let cool for about 5 minutes before slicing into squares.
Serve warm, topped with the warmed milk. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Reprinted with permission from Love to Eat: 75 Easy, Craveworthy Recipes for Healthy, Intuitive Eating. Copyright © 2022 by Nicole Keshishian Modic. Photography Copyright © 2022 by Eva Kolenko. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
