Lemon Poppy Seed Baked Oatmeal

Happy Monday, friends!

I’ve been having so much fun in the kitchen lately, so I’m happy to announce that I’ve got lots of recipes in the works for you! Today I wanted to give you a delicious breakfast recipe – Lemon Poppyseed Baked Oatmeal!

This has become one of my go-to recipes when meal prepping for the week. I love making it on Sunday, chopping it up into serving sizes, storing it in the fridge, and then reheating a serving for breakfast each morning! It’s filling, like most oatmeal is, but isn’t too heavy on the stomach. It would also be a great dish to bring to a brunch gathering and share! 

Ingredients

This recipe doesn’t include any crazy ingredients. Most of this is basically what you would expect to need for a Lemon Poppyseed Baked Oatmeal!

Rolled Oats – because this is oatmeal, after all. I do not recommend quick oats for this recipe. 

Poppyseeds – a crucial ingredient for that lemon poppyseed bliss! These don’t add a ton of flavor, but they add a nice texture, they look pretty, and they’re loaded with micronutrient goodness! 

Maple Syrup – we are using maple syrup to sweeten this recipe! If not vegan, I suspect honey would work as well – though I have never tried it myself

Plant Milk – I have made this recipe with oat milk and almond milk, both have worked great! Any unsweetened plant milk should work for this. 

Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice – This is where most of your flavor comes from! The lemon flavor is light and somewhat sour, but is complimented well by the sweetness of the other ingredients.

Applesauce – the applesauce provides the moisture that we need in this recipe, and the light apple flavor compliments the dish nicely. Try to find applesauce without any added sugars!

Almonds – optional, but highly recommended! They add a nice crunch to your oatmeal bake, and add some health benefits as well. They also make it a little more filling so you’re ready for your day!

Blueberries – totally optional, but this bake goes very well with a couple of blueberries sprinkled on top. 

Baking Powder, Salt, and Vanilla – typical baking supplies to bring everything together! 

How to make Lemon Poppyseed Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is pretty straight forward. 

1. Combine dry ingredients (except almonds).
2. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mix to combine.
4. Mix in additional almonds, if using.
5. Spread in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until set.
7. Nom nom nom!

Tips and Tricks

• If using the almonds, I suggest roughly chopping them. As you can see from my images, I definitely leave some big chunks of almonds left behind, but I do give them a quick chop. If you prefer to leave them whole or to chop them smaller, you totally can – I just think the texture is best this way!
• I tried this recipe a couple of times without the lemon zest, and it just didn’t have the same *pop*! You can adjust the amount of zest based on how strong of a lemon flavor you want, but after multiple recipe tests I landed on 2 tsp. 
• Lemon juice is yummiest if it’s fresh, but bottled works too! Since you already have to buy a lemon for the zest though, you might as well use fresh juice from it as well. 
• Does the jar of poppyseeds in the spice section seem a little pricey? Try buying poppyseeds and other spices in the bulk section to get a good deal!
• Although it may seem odd, my husband and I also enjoy eating this cold as a snack. When I make this for meal prep I typically chop it into serving sizes and store them in the fridge – we will occasionally grab one of the pre-portioned “bars” and eat it like a granola bar! Quick and easy. 

Now, get to cooking! Breakfast awaits!

Lemon Poppyseed Baked Oatmeal

Recipe by Delaney MarieCourse: Breakfast, Brunch

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Total time

40

minutes

This Lemon Poppyseed Baked Oatmeal is light and refreshing, yet just filling enough to start your day off right! It’s just the right combination of sweet with a little bit of sour, and the optional almonds add a nice crunch. Super easy to whip up for a brunch, or to reheat in small batches for breakfasts throughout the week. Vegan, WFPB, refined sugar free, and oil free!

Ingredients

• Dry Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 2 Tbsp poppyseeds

• 1/2 tsp salt

• Wet Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup 100% maple syrup

• 2 1/4 cup plant milk*

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 2 tsp lemon zest

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce*

• Mix-Ins:

• 1 cup almonds, roughly chopped (optional)

• Toppings:

• Handful of blueberries (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• Line the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients together. Mix well, then set aside.
• In another bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Whisk together until combined.
• Add the wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well.
• Stir in optional almonds, if using.
• Dump the mixture into your prepared baking dish. Spread mixture as evenly as possible and press down lightly with a rubber spatula so that it is all cohesive.
• Place in preheated oven and allow to cook for 30 minutes, or until set.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Serve and enjoy! Top with a few blueberries, if desired.
• To reheat, place baked oatmeal on microwave safe plate/bowl and microwave for a few seconds, until warmed.

Notes

• * Plant Milk: I have used both oat milk and almond milk in this recipe, though I suspect that any plant milk of your choosing should work.
• *Applesauce: Try to use applesauce with no added sugars! Ideally you want an applesauce that is basically made with just apples.

Happy brunch, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so we can share our mutual excitement of yummy breakfast foods.

Stay well!

<3 Laney