The natural sweetness of blueberries bursting with hints of vanilla and chewy almond slivers is the perfect way to start your morning.

A new spin on The Wandering Hearth’s popular Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal.

Just the Recipe | 8 Single Servings

Ingredients

3 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

3/4 + 1/4 Cup Slivered or Sliced Almonds

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Kosher or Sea Salt

1 1/2-2 Cups Blueberries

5 Tbs. Butter

3 Cups Milk

2 Large Eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Lemon Zested (optional)

Oven Temp: 350° | Dish: 9 x 13 Pan

Steps

Preheat the oven.
Grease the pan with non-stick spray.
Mix dry ingredients:
- Stir together the oats, 3/4 C. of almonds, brown sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
- Rinse the blueberries. Toss with the dry ingredients well.
Prep the wet ingredients:
- Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly.
- In a large measuring cup, measure the milk.
- Whisk the eggs and add the to the milk.
- Add the vanilla to the wet mixture and whisk together.
Add the dry ingredients to the dish.
Right before adding the wet ingredients, add the butter to the milk/egg/vanilla mixture and stir. Immediately pour over the dry ingredients. Zest a lemon over the top of the mixture. Using a fork, gently stir the wet ingredients in to make sure all oats are covered and the zest (if using) mixes in somewhat evenly. Try to push around the blueberries if they are clumping together.
Top with the 1/4 cup of almonds. (Or more, I just grabbed a handful and sprinkled them evenly over top of the whole dish.)
Bake for 40 minutes. The edges should be set and the top lightly browned. Lightly shake the pan to make sure the center has set, it should be firm (a little jiggle is ok) and not wet.

Serve with syrup and milk.

Meal Block Plan | 8 Breakfasts

Cool and cover; store in fridge.
Slice into 8 even pieces.
To reheat, add a serving of oatmeal and 2-3 tablespoons of milk to a bowl, cover and microwave for 75-90 seconds.
Top with syrup, if desired. Enjoy!
You can freeze slices individually (Cool in fridge overnight. Then, slice and wrap slices individually in plastic wrap or foil. Add to a freezer bag, label, and freeze). Defrost slices overnight in the fridge, then microwave as above.

Kitchen Acumen Tips:

I used 2 tsp of vanilla and the flavor came through perfectly. It pairs nicely with the almond and helps that flavor have some more depth. If you aren’t a huge vanilla fan you could cut back to 1 tsp.
The lemon zest helps bring out the flavor of the blueberries, but it is totally optional.
If you find the blueberries clump together, try tossing them with 2 TBS of flour before adding to the dry ingredients (discard the extra flour). I just toss them really well with the oats so they get covered in the oat dust and this helps prevent them from sinking/clumping. You can also strategically distribute them with the fork used to mix all the ingredients instead of tossing them with flour.
Cook time may vary if you add some more or a little less fruit, so learn how to tell if the oatmeal is set. Shake the pan and look at the center. Does it look liquidy? Or is it pretty well congealed? The last place the eggs will set is the very center.
Substitution for dairy-free:
- Feel free to substitute for almond milk, oat milk, or another non-dairy alternative. Coconut milk may work quite nicely in this though I haven’t tried it.
- If you need this to be dairy free entirely, use coconut oil (or ghee) instead of butter.
Substitution with Quick Oats
- Quick oats are typically rolled oats they have been chopped up so they absorb liquid and, go figure, cook more quickly. To use Quick Oats in this recipe, make the following modifications for 3 Cups Quick Oats:
  - Reduce to 1 Cup Milk
  - Increase to 2 tsp Baking Powder
  - Use a 9 inch square baking pan (or reduce cooking time if using a 9 x 13).