Cranberry Pistachio Baked Oats

Make your morning delicious with these festive Cranberry Pistachio Baked Oats! They’re full of warming spices, raspberries, dried cranberries, pistachios and have a delicious creamy and nutty pistachio butter filling in the center!

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Cranberry Pistachio Baked Oats are a festive breakfast with their red and green theme! They’re easy to make, high in protein thanks to protein powder, and so delicious during the holiday season!

Here’s what we have going on:

• Juicy pops of fresh sweet and tart raspberries
• A spiced brown sugar vanilla oats base.
• Cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon bringing their warming spices A-game! 
• Dried cranberries and crunchy pistachios.
• A delightfully nutty and creamy pistachio butter filling in the center! 

These baked oats scream Christmas is here and I think you are going to love them! However, you can absolutely make them anytime of the year!

There’s no banana or flour in my baked oats recipes except for these Banana Bread Baked Oats. I prefer to use unsweetened apple sauce to create a lovely, moist cake-like texture instead.

If you love baked oats as much as I do, try some of my other flavors! My carrot cake baked oats, pumpkin baked oats or Biscoff baked oats are guaranteed to please!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: Or use homemade or store-bought oat flour so that you can skip blending the oats first. Be sure to use gluten-free certified oats if needed.
• Vanilla Protein Powder: I used PEScience Select Gourmet Vanilla Protein, a whey-casein protein powder blend. Either a whey-casein, casein, pure whey, 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.
• Spices: A warming spices combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom flavor these festive Cranberry Pistachio Baked Oats.
• Baking Powder: Will help our baked oats rise.
• Unsweetened Apple Sauce: Helps bind the ingredients together and gives these baked oats a soft and fluffy cake-like texture. Substitute with half of a small banana (mashed – about 50 grams) or 3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt.
• Liquid Egg Whites: Use the type that comes in cartons for convenience. It can be found in the fridge section of most supermarkets. Alternatively, use 1 whole egg but note that you may need to bake for an extra minute or two.
• Unsweetened Almond Milk: Or any plant-based or regular milk will work.
• Brown Sugar Replacement: I use Swerve Brown Sugar which is a sugar-free and calorie-free sweetener made from erythritol and allulose. Alternatively, use any other type of sugar-free granulated sweetener made from monkfruit, stevia, etc. You could also use regular granulated brown, white or coconut sugar. A natural liquid sweetener like honey, maple syrup, date syrup or agave syrup would also work. Adjust the amount to taste.
• Raspberries: Fresh or frozen will work but note that you may need to bake an extra minute or two if using frozen raspberries.
• Dried Sweetened Cranberries: Or use unsweetened or naturally sweetened dried cranberries that are sweetened with apple juice.
• Pistachios: To top our baked oats and add some crunch. 
• Pistachio Butter: For a delightful creamy and nutty filling in the center of these baked oats! You can also add more on top when serving.

Full ingredient list and amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Cranberry Pistachio Baked Oats

1. Combine the dry ingredients. Blend the oats into a fine flour using a mini blender. (A Nutribullet, Blend Jet, or a small food processor would work well here). Transfer to a medium bowl and mix in the rest of the dry ingredients – the vanilla protein powder, spices and baking powder.

2. Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the wet ingredients – the unsweetened apple sauce, liquid egg whites, almond milk and brown sugar – until combined well.

3. Add the mix-ins. Gently stir in most of the dried cranberries and raspberries (reserve a few pieces of each for the topping).

4. Assemble. Pour most of the batter into a lightly greased ramekin. Add the pistachio butter in the center and cover with the remaining batter. Top with pistachios and the reserved dried cranberries and raspberries.

5. Bake. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C / 356°F / Gas Mark 4 for 25-30 minutes or until the baked oats have risen and the edges have pulled away from the sides. Cool for 5-10 minutes.

6. Enjoy! Top with more pistachio butter if desired and enjoy while nice and warm! 

Storing and reheating: If you prefer to save these cranberry pistachio baked oats for later, cool completely before wrapping tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil or cling wrap. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for about a minute on high and enjoy warm when ready to eat!

Full detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.

Variations

• Add chocolate chips. White, dark, milk chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips would taste great in these cranberry pistachio baked oats.
• Not a fan of pistachios? Swap them for chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.
• Use another type of fresh fruit. Cranberries, strawberries, sliced cherries, blueberries, blackberries, etc. You can also omit the fruit if preferred.
• Make it vegan. Use a plant-based protein powder and a flax egg (¾ tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 1 and ¾ tablespoons water to make a replacement for approximately 40 grams of liquid egg whites). Use 79ml / ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk as plant-based protein powders absorb more liquid than whey or whey-casein protein powders.
• Leave out the protein powder. Use more blended oats (60 grams total), add ¼ vanilla extract and use more sweetener to taste. If you’d like to add extra natural protein, you can stir in some smooth almond butter or peanut butter into the oats base when adding the wet ingredients.
• Use an unflavored protein powder. Add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and add more sweetener to taste to yield a similar flavor.

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Cranberry Pistachio Baked Oats

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Make your morning delicious with these festive Cranberry Pistachio Baked Oats! They’re full of warming spices, raspberries, dried cranberries, pistachios and have a delicious creamy and nutty pistachio butter filling in the center!

• Author: Lavina
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 25
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 1 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• Cooking Oil Spray, to grease the ramekin
• 40 grams / ½ cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (use gluten-free oats if needed – note 1)
• 25 grams / ≈ ¼ cup Vanilla Protein Powder (I used PEScience Select Protein, a whey-casein blend – note 2)
• ½ TSP ground Cinnamon
• ⅛ TSP ground Nutmeg
• ⅛ TSP ground Ginger
• ⅛ TSP ground Cardamom
• 2 grams / ½ TSP Baking Powder
• 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)
• 6 grams / ½ TBSP Dried Sweetened Cranberries (or use unsweetened or naturally sweetened)
• 30 grams / ≈ ¼ cup fresh or frozen Raspberries
• 10 grams / 2 TSP Pistachio Butter
• 5 grams / ½ TBSP unsalted shelled Pistachios
• To Serve (optional topping): More pistachio butter

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Instructions

1. Prep: Lightly spray a 12 or 14-ounce (12cm – about 1-½ cups) ramekin oven-safe bowl or small baking dish with cooking oil spray. Use your fingers or a pastry brush to coat the inside.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: Use a mini blender (such as Nutribullet, Blend Jet or a small food processor) to blend the oats into a fine oat flour. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the vanilla protein powder, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom and baking powder. Mix well to combine.
3. Add the wet ingredients: Add the unsweetened apple sauce, liquid egg whites, unsweetened almond milk and brown sugar replacement. Mix until combined well.
4. Add the mix-ins: Stir in most of the dried cranberries and raspberries (reserve a few pieces of each for the topping).
5. Assemble and preheat oven: Pour most of the batter into the prepared ramekin. Add the pistachio butter in the center and cover with the remaining batter. Place in the fridge for 5-10 minutes or let it sit for 10-15 minutes on the counter. This will allow the oats to absorb some of the liquid and the batter to set. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F / Gas Mark 4. Remove the assembled baked oats from fridge and top with pistachios and the reserved dried cranberries and raspberries.
6. Bake: Bake on the 2nd rack from the top of the oven (note 4) for 25-30 minutes or until the baked oats have risen and the edges have pulled away from the side of the ramekin. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
7. Serve: Top with more pistachio butter if desired and enjoy while warm! Or cool completely before wrapping tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil or cling wrap and storing in the fridge. Consume within 3-4 days.

Equipment

12 oz. Mini Cocotte with Handles

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PEScience Gourmet Vanilla Select Protein

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Swerve Brown Sugar

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Notes

1. Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Use store-bought or homemade oat flour instead for convenience if preferred.
2. Vanilla Protein Powder. I used PEScience Snickerdoodle Select Gourmet Vanilla Protein, which is a whey-casein protein powder blend. Either a whey-casein, casein, pure whey, 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. If using an unflavored protein powder, add ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract and add more sweetener to taste to yield a similar flavor. If omitting the protein powder, add ¼ vanilla extract and use more sweetener to taste. If you’d like to add extra natural protein, you can stir in some smooth almond butter or peanut butter into the oats base when adding the wet ingredients.
3. Brown Sugar Replacement. I use Swerve Brown Sugar which is a sugar-free and calorie-free sweetener made from erythritol. Alternatively, use any other type of sugar-free granulated sweetener made from monkfruit, stevia, allulose, etc.  You could also use regular granulated brown, white or coconut sugar. A natural liquid sweetener like honey, maple syrup, date syrup or agave syrup would also work. Adjust the amount to taste.
4. 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 to large sized oven, bake on the 2nd rack from the top as indicated in the recipe instructions. It will ensure that the  baked oats will be fully cooked within 25-27 minutes. Do not bake for longer than 30 minutes – this could result in a dryer texture. If you prefer your baked oats to have a gooey center but firm exterior, bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Meal prep. Multiply the recipe ingredients amounts by the number of servings you would like to make. Tip: Use the ‘2x’ or ‘3x’ button at the top of the recipe card if you want to make 2 or 3 servings respectively. Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then stir in the wet ingredients before folding in the mix-ins. Assemble as indicated in ramekins, baking dishes or oven-safe bowls and bake. 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. When ready to eat, reheat on high in the microwave for 1 minute or until warm throughout.
6. To freeze. Once completely cool, run a knife along the edges to release the baked oats from the ramekin. 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 until warm throughout.
7. Nutritional information. Nutritional information provided is for the baked oats and does not include the optional pistachio butter for topping.
8. See the ‘Variations’ section above in the post if you would like to customize these baked oats.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 429
• Sugar: 13.1g
• Sodium: 641.5mg
• Fat: 12.6g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10.6g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 45.3g
• Fiber: 10.4g
• Protein: 33.6g
• Cholesterol: 36.3mg

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