We have oatmilk ice creams, yogurts, and creamers, so why not pudding? This homemade baked oat pudding is not too sweet, but creamy and quite rich in taste. It works well as a perfectly sweet breakfast, as a rustic dessert, or even as a fulfilling snack. The wholesome ingredients make for a satisfying dish that will easily tide you over until lunch or dinner.
Baked Oat Pudding that’s Perfect for a Plant-Based Breakfast
This baked oat pudding was originally shared with us by my friend Ricki Heller. Her recipes were always vegan, gluten-free, and low glycemic, and this one is no exception. She even includes a no added sugar option. And as she mentions, you can make swaps in the recipe, based on what you have on hand. We’ve just updated this post, and also have some suggestions on variations.
- Nuts: The combination of cashews and hazelnuts is quite creamy and flavorful. But you can use cashews and almonds, all cashews, macadamia nuts, or other creamy nuts.
- Sweetener: Your choice of sweetener really is fine. Ricki makes this oat pudding “just sweet enough,” but you can add a little more, if desired. Go ahead and taste test it after blending, and decide if you want to adjust the amount before baking.
- Fruit: As she mentions, you can use other berries or other chopped fruit. You can even omit the add-ins, or add dairy-free chocolate chips! There are no rules.
- Spice: This is a cinnamon-heavy oat pudding. If preferred, you can mix it up with other spices, like a pumpkin spice blend. But reduce the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon if you are sensitive to spice.
Special Diet Notes: Baked Oat Pudding
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 1¼ cups unsweetened plain or vanilla milk beverage
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup lightly toasted hazelnuts
- ½ cup lightly toasted cashews
- ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats (use certified gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup OR 10 drops stevia liquid
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup fresh or frozen unthawed blueberries (can sub other berries or chopped apple or pear)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 4 to 6 cup casserole dish.
- In a food processor or high-power blender, process the milk beverage, applesauce, nuts, oats, sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the mixture into your prepared casserole dish. Fold in the blueberries, but scatter a few on top if you like (they won't sink).
- Bake the oat pudding for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating the casserole about halfway through, until the edges begin to puff and crack and the top appears dry.
- Let the oat pudding cool a little before serving. It can be served warm or cold, but it will thicken and become more dense as it cools.
- Store the oat pudding, covered, for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. It may be frozen.