A breakfast version of a giant oatmeal raisin cookie in the form of easy and healthy(ish) baked oatmeal.
It may only be August 4, but I’m already excited about August 13. For one thing, August 13 is the day before my birthday – my ‘Birthday Eve’, if you will. But more importantly, it’s International Left-Handers Day!
Approximately 10% of the global population are ‘southpaws’, including the UK’s Prince William, The Simpsons neighbor Ned Flanders, and three out of the last five US Presidents. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush are all left-handed, while George W. Bush and Donald Trump are right-handed.
I’ll leave it up to you to decide which hand wins the ‘better President’ contest.
If you’re a right-handed individual, then you may not fully appreciate the day-to-day awkwardness that comes with being part of the left-handed minority. Ever tried using a serrated knife with your left hand? Don’t – it doesn’t work and you’ll end up with wonky pieces of bread that look like they’ve been hacked by an axe murderer.
Scissors simply have to be used with your right hand, unless you buy special (and usually more expensive) left-handed ones. Pens at the bank or post office are always tethered to the right using an annoyingly short chain (one time I nearly yanked a chain out of its socket in frustration). Fold-down desks in lecture theaters are always on the right, ring binders are difficult to use, and it’s impossible to get through a written exam without drenching your hand in ink.
Oh, and then there are the unusable frustration devices otherwise known as can openers.
The simple act of greeting someone can be an unnecessarily awkward experience. Instinctively, I want to shake someone’s left hand – but no, shaking the right hand is ‘normal’.
If we’re doing the kiss-on-the-cheek greeting, then I automatically go for the left cheek, while the other person goes for the right cheek. Best case scenario: it’ll be awkward. At worst, we’ll end up head-butting each other.
So, on International Left-Handers Day, be nice to a leftie. It’s not our fault that we’re always bumping into righties at school and at the dinner table. ‘Tis just a fact of life.
After all that talk about left-handedness, I forgot to mention what this post was actually supposed to be about: baked oatmeal.
This recipe basically makes one giant baked oatmeal version of one of my favorite cookies – oatmeal raisin cookies! The almond butter and blackstrap molasses are what really bring the cookie flavor to this baked oatmeal. So I recommend getting your hands on those ingredients, if you don’t already have them.
But if you really can’t find blackstrap molasses, then see the notes under the recipe for possible substitutions.
While – like most foods – baked oatmeal is tastiest when eaten straight from the oven, leftovers can be stored in the fridge and easily reheated on subsequent mornings. If you just want to reheat one serving of oatmeal, simply put your slice of cold oatmeal in a bowl, pour over a little bit of milk (any variety), and microwave until warm (about 1 – 2 minutes, depending on your wattage).
Last of all, if you’re someone who hates raisins (and are still reading this), then chocolate chips would be an excellent substitute. And I won’t judge if you’d like to top this baked oatmeal with a scoop of ice cream!
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (120g) Greek-style yogurt
- ¼ cup (60mL) maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (35g) almond butter
- 2 tablespoons (30mL) blackstrap molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120mL) milk
- 2 cups (205g) rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup (45g) raisins
- ¼ cup (30g) chopped walnuts
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 6-cup (1.5-litre) capacity baking dish or pie dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with a fork. Whisk in the yogurt, maple syrup, almond butter, blackstrap molasses and vanilla extract. Pour in the milk, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt, and mix until well combined. Stir in the raisins and chopped walnuts.
- Transfer oatmeal batter to the prepared baking dish, and smooth out the batter with a spoon (or spatula).
- Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, or until the oatmeal is golden brown and reasonably firm when touched.
- Let the oatmeal cool in the dish for 5 minutes before serving, if possible. Enjoy the oatmeal either by itself, with yogurt, or with steamed milk and fruit. Alternatively, top the oatmeal with a scoop of ice cream.
When done, the oatmeal should ‘spring back’ when touched – if your finger leaves an indent, it’s not done yet.
For the baking dish, I used a 9.5-inch pie pan. A standard 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan will be fine too.
Blackstrap molasses
If you can't find (or just don't have) blackstrap molasses, then replace the maple syrup with ¼ cup brown sugar, and add an additional ¼ cup of milk.
Gluten Free
To make this recipe gluten-free, use certified GF oats. Please note that not all GF eaters can tolerate oats.
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