Healthy baked oatmeal

Mix up rolled oats for a guilt-free breakfast

I don't know that anything can top my mom's baked oatmeal — it's in a league of its own. It also has a good amount of butter and sugar in it. So for baked oatmeal with a healthy twist, I tried a new recipe (altering it a bit) with yummy results. Will it replace Mom's? Not likely. But a guilt-free option is great to have in your arsenal.

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HEALTHY BAKED OATMEAL

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 egg, beaten
1/8 cup oil
1/2 cup milk 
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce or mashed banana
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla 
warm milk, cinnamon, extra brown sugar (for serving)

WHAT YOU'LL DO
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a square baking pan. In a large bowl, mix egg, oil, and sugar until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and serve with warm milk and toppings of your choice. 

*Note: This will make about 4 to 6 servings, depending how hungry your party is. Leftovers keep well in the fridge the following week — just reheat with milk in the microwave.

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I love that this comes together in one bowl (yay minimal clean up!). I also love that there are easy ways to add extra flavor: Use cinnamon applesauce or vanilla almond or soy milk in place of dairy milk. Try adding mix-ins to the oatmeal before you bake it (apples, berries, nuts). This really is a great base to experiment with. So go and get your healthy oatmeal on! That way you can indulge next week.