Baked Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Pudding for a Complete Morning Treat
Sweet Sundays: Ricki Heller ~ To me, there’s nothing better than breakfast food. Sure, I enjoy my salads at lunchtime and my stews at dinner, but a good breakfast always trumps them all.
I used to believe that the best possible breakfast had to include pancakes (and, when I was much younger, sausage), but these days I’ve expanded my morning repertoire a little. I do still love pancakes, of course, but I’ve also discovered a wide range of breakfast foods that are just as satisfying. And if there were a breakfast recipe that could be prepared in a single pan, cooked while I was off doing something else, tasted equally delicious eaten either hot or cold, and froze well so that leftovers could be saved for another meal down the road–well, then, that would most definitely qualify as a new “ideal”!
As far as perfect breakfast foods go, this all-in-one Baked Blueberry Breakfast Oatmeal Pudding fits the bill nicely. Not too sweet, it’s a luxuriously creamy, rich-tasting pudding that works well both at the breakfast table or as a rustic dessert. The combination of whole grain oats with heart-healthy nuts and blueberries baked almost to bursting provides all you need for a nourishing breakfast that will tide you over until lunchtime …
With this pudding waiting for me, I’m no longer inclined to hit the “snooze” button in the mornings. Could there be any better way to start the day?
Baked Blueberry Breakfast Oatmeal Pudding
This dish was inspired by an apple-walnut pudding first posted on Have Cake, Will Travel. My take on the recipe puts more emphasis on the breakfast ingredients and is lighter in texture. Because this recipe is very forgiving, feel free to play with the balance of fruit, nuts and oats to your own taste.
- 1/2 cup (75 g) lightly toasted hazelnuts (filberts), with skin
- 1/2 cup (75 g) lightly toasted cashews
- 1/2 cup (60 g) old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) agave nectar or maple syrup; or 10 drops stevia liquid
- 2 tsp (10 ml) cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt
- 1-1/4 cups (300 ml) unsweetened, plain or vanilla soy or almond milk
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh or frozen blueberries or other berries (do not thaw first if frozen) or chopped apple or pear
Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease a 4-6 cup (1-1.5 L) casserole dish.
In the bowl of a high-speed blender*, place the nuts, oats, applesauce, vanilla, agave, cinnamon and salt. Pour the milk over all and blend for about a minute, until perfectly smooth and creamy. Pour mixture into the casserole dish, then gently fold in the blueberries (scatter a few extra blueberries over the top if you like, as they won't sink).
Bake in preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, rotating the casserole about halfway through, until the edges begin to puff and crack and the top appears dry. Allow to cool somewhat before serving; may be served warm or cold (the pudding thickens up and becomes more dense as it cools). Store, covered, up to 4 days in the refrigerator. May be frozen.
*To make with a regular blender: Pour in the milk first, then add the remaining ingredients (except blueberries). You may need to blend in batches to achieve an equally smooth consistency.
Makes 4-6 servings
Article, recipe, and photos by Ricki Heller, author of Sweet Freedom, a dessert cookbook free of dairy, wheat, eggs, and refined sugars. Ricki currently blogs new recipes that are ACD and SCD-friendly (dairy-free, low glycemic, gluten-free, and vegan) at her blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs. On her blog, you can also find her two latest e-cookbooks: Desserts without Compromise and Anti Candida Feast Book.
