Zucchini & Blueberry Baked Oatmeal with Vanilla & Cardamom
In the spirit of keeping nourishing breakfasts for my little one on hand during the week this baked oatmeal takes the cake! It’s loaded with farm fresh zucchini and blueberries and some local oats and rye flakes (from camas country mill) What I love most about this baked oatmeal is that it’s easy to slice up and reheat all week long or even served chilled with some yogurt. My girl loves the flavor of cardamom (I think it’s because I drank cardamom lattes all throughout my pregnancy!) but if your kiddos aren’t a fan of that spice you can replace it with cinnamon. This is another one of those recipes that you need to plan ahead for as the oats and rye flakes soak overnight. This step is important in making the grains more digestible and nutritious. I’ve posted a lot about soaking grains recently but if you really want to learn about it you can find all the information in the book Nourishing Traditions. Anyhow, aside from the soaking step–which is basically all hands off time– this baked oatmeal is a breeze to whip up and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we have. I’m actually really excited to try this with fall fruits and veggies too. I’m thinking of a carrot & turmeric version and an apple & cinnamon one. Stay tuned!
If you and your little ones like this let us know! Pepper is currently on day 4 of this for breakfast with a drizzle of nut butter and a side of yogurt. I like her style and I usually follow suit. The drizzle of nut butter and yogurt is a must!!
Happy baking everyone.
XO
Zucchini & Blueberry Baked Oatmeal with Vanilla & Cardamom
Prep Time: overnight Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: 8 servings
For soaking- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup rye flakes (or substitute with more oats)
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (see note)
- 4 cups room temperature water
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, lightly melted
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup grated zucchini
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen sprinkle with a bit of flour to keep them from sinking)
- 1/4 cup sprouted sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (optional)
Preparation
- Add your oats and rye flakes to a large bowl with the vinegar and water. Cover with a dish towel and leave out at room temperature (or even slightly warmer) overnight. Anywhere from 12-24 hours.
- In the morning preheat to oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 10- inch casserole dish or cast iron skillet. Drain the oats and rye flakes through a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly. Shake the sieve and rinse again. Let the mixture drain well by shaking the sieve a bit and setting it to the side for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl mix together the melted butter, milk, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir in the cardamom, salt, & baking soda. Add the oats and rye flakes and mix well. Fold in the grated zucchini and blueberries. Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with seeds (if using) and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Or until lightly browned and cooked through.
- Allow the oatmeal to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving. This tastes best with yogurt and extra berries!
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
*The vinegar helps to break down the phytic acid in the grains. Please use this recipe as a guide and adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary. Cooking times will very from kitchen to kitchen.
This looks amazing, and what a perfect breakfast for right now. I’m trying!
Made this recipe this morning exactly as written and it was AMAZING! Everyone in the house loved it! Will be adding to the weekly rotation!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear!! xo
Super tasty! I didn’t have rye flakes so I added some chia seeds in their place and it still turned out! The flavors are super good, and it wasn’t very sweet which I prefer. Perfect for cool mornings.