Does baked oatmeal need to be refrigerated?

Since these baked oats contain egg and dairy from the cream cheese, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Wrap the baking dish or ramekin with a sheet of aluminum foil or cling wrap and store in the fridge until you would like to eat it.

Are baked oats better with apple sauce or banana?

Unsweetened apple sauce creates a fluffier, and softer cake-like texture in baked oats. Banana creates a slightly denser and firmer texture that is similar to the texture of banana bread. Both taste great and it is a matter of preference.

Are baked oats supposed to be mushy?

The texture of the baked oats depends on the ingredients used and baking time. Baking for 15-20 minutes will give you a runny or mushy center but firm edges and exterior. Baking for 25-30 minutes will give you a cake-like texture with a set center.

Carrot Cake Baked Oats

Name: Carrot Cake Baked Oats
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Cooking Oil Spray; 40 grams / ½ cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (use gluten-free if needed – note 1); 20 grams / ≈ ¼ cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I used PEScience Vanilla Select Protein, a whey-casein blend – note 2); 2 grams / ½ TSP Baking Powder; ¼ TSP ground Cinnamon; ¼ TSP Apple Pie Spice (or pumpkin pie spice – or use more cinnamon); 50 grams / 3 TBLS + 1 TSP Unsweetened Apple Sauce; 40 grams / 2 TBLS + 2 TSP Liquid Egg Whites (from a carton, or use 1 whole egg); 50ml / 1.7 fluid ounces Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any plant-based or regular milk); 6 grams / ½ TBSP Brown Sugar Replacement, to taste (I used Swerve Brown Sugar – note 3); 30 grams / ≈ ⅓ cup peeled and grated Carrot; 30 grams / ≈ ¼ cup fresh Raspberries (or use frozen); 8 grams / 4-5 raw unsalted Pecan Halves – chopped; 15 grams / 1 TBSP Cream Cheese (I used Philadelphia Soft Cream Cheese)

Fluffy, soft and incredibly moist, these Carrot Cake Baked Oats are full of all the flavors you love in carrot cake! They’re easy to make and perfect for a nutritious high protein breakfast anytime of the year!

Author: Lavina
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 1 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Cooking Oil Spray
40 grams / ½ cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (use gluten-free if needed – note 1)
20 grams / ≈ ¼ cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I used PEScience Vanilla Select Protein, a whey-casein blend – note 2)
2 grams / ½ TSP Baking Powder
¼ TSP ground Cinnamon
¼ TSP Apple Pie Spice (or pumpkin pie spice – or use more cinnamon)
50 grams / 3 TBLS + 1 TSP Unsweetened Apple Sauce
40 grams / 2 TBLS + 2 TSP Liquid Egg Whites (from a carton, or use 1 whole egg)
50ml / 1.7 fluid ounces Unsweetened Almond Milk (or any plant-based or regular milk)
6 grams / ½ TBSP Brown Sugar Replacement, to taste (I used Swerve Brown Sugar – note 3)
30 grams / ≈ ⅓ cup peeled and grated Carrot
30 grams / ≈ ¼ cup fresh Raspberries (or use frozen)
8 grams / 4-5 raw unsalted Pecan Halves – chopped
15 grams / 1 TBSP Cream Cheese (I used Philadelphia Soft Cream Cheese)

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Instructions

Prep: Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F / Gas Mark 4. Spray a 12 or 14-ounce (12cm) ramekin, oven-safe bowl, or small baking dish with cooking oil spray. Use your fingers or a pastry brush to coat the inside.
Combine the dry ingredients: Use a mini blender (Blend Jet, Nutribullet, or a small food processor) to blend the oats into a fine flour. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the vanilla protein powder, baking powder, ground cinnamon and apple pie spice. Mix well to combine.
Add the wet ingredients: Add the unsweetened apple sauce, liquid egg whites, unsweetened almond milk and granulated brown sugar replacement and mix until combined well.
Add the mix-ins: Gently stir in the grated carrots, most of the raspberries and chopped pecans (reserve a few pieces of each for the topping).
Assemble: Pour most of the batter into the prepared ramekin. Add the cream cheese in the center and cover with the rest of the batter. Top with the reserved raspberries and pecans. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes so that the batter sets and the oats absorb some of the liquid.
Bake: Bake on the 2^nd rack from the top of the oven (note 4) for 25-30 minutes or until the baked oats has risen and the edges have pulled away from the sides. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool for 5-10 minutes.
Serve: Enjoy warm. Or cool completely before wrapping tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil and storing in the fridge. Enjoy within 3-4 days.

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Notes

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Use gluten-free oats if needed. Instant or quick cooking oats will work too, but I prefer using wholegrain rolled oats as the texture is more cake-like in my opinion. Store-bought oat flour can be used for convenience if preferred. It is already fine ground and doesn’t need to be blended first.
Vanilla Protein Powder. If using an unflavored protein powder, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon vanilla extract to yield a similar flavor. If omitting the protein powder, make up the difference by using more blended oats (60 grams total) or oat flour instead and add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract. Either a whey-casein, casein, pure whey, casein or plant-based protein will work for these baked oats. If using a plant-based protein powder, you will need to add 1-2 tablespoons more milk as vegan proteins absorb more liquid than other types of protein powders.
Brown Sugar Replacement. I use Swerve Brown Sugar which is a sugar-free sweetener made from erythritol. Alternatively, use any other type of sugar-free granulated sweetener made from monkfruit, stevia etc. You could also use regular light brown sugar, granulated white sugar or coconut sugar.
Baking time and oven placement. If your oven is small, bake on the center rack for 25-30 minutes for a cake-like texture. If you have a medium or large sized oven, bake on the 2nd rack from the top. It will ensure that the center of these baked oats will be fully cooked within 25-30 minutes. Avoid baking for longer than 30 minutes – it could lead to a dryer than ideal texture.
Meal prep option. Multiply the amounts for the recipe ingredients by the number of servings you would like to make. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl before folding in the mix-ins. Assemble as per instructions in oven-safe bowls or ramekins and bake as indicated. Once completely cool, wrap each ramekin tightly in a sheet of aluminum foil or cling wrap. Store in the fridge and enjoy within 3-4 days.
To freeze. Once completely cool, run a knife along the edges of the ramekin to release the baked oats. Wrap with cling wrap or a small sheet of aluminum foil and place in a freezer-friendly airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave for 1 minute or until warm throughout.
See the ‘Variations’ section above in the post if you would like to customize these baked oats, make them vegan, use a different filling, etc.