Start your day with protein-rich, healthy baked oats that taste like brownies. The recipe is quick and easy—no blender or banana mashing required! Fuel your body with rolled oats, cocoa powder, and healthy fats.
This breakfast treat is satisfying, gluten-free, and perfect if you love chocolate! Whether you want more protein in your diet or a delicious breakfast that feels like dessert, these scrumptious oat bars have you covered.
Also, no need to worry about the heavy metals in cocoa powder. I’ll tell you which brand has the lowest levels for baking (and for homemade hot chocolate)!
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Ingredients
- Rolled oats
- Cocoa powder
- Monkfruit (optional)
- Espresso powder (optional)
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk (plant or dairy)
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Maple syrup
- Egg
- Vegetable oil
- Vanilla
- Walnuts
- Chocolate chips
Rolled Oats: The package should say rolled oats, and also look for gluten-free, especially if you're sensitive to gluten or have celiac disease. Avoid steel-cut or instant oats.
Cocoa powder: For the most nutrition, use regular cocoa powder rather than the Dutch process. Also, please don't sub hot chocolate mix, which has added sugar or artificial sweetener.
I always recommend (affiliate link) Ghiradelli cocoa powder because it's low in the heavy metal cadmium and tastes ultra chocolatey!
Monkfruit sweetener: This is usually blended with erythritol for granulation. The Lakanto brand offers several different formulations. Use one that measures spoon for spoon like sugar. Avoid the powdered sugar kind.
Espresso powder: (affiliate link) This will make the chocolate flavor richer, but it's not necessary if you're sensitive to caffeine. I love pairing chocolate and espresso for morning muffins and bakes.
Baking powder: A little gives the oat cake a bit of a lift.
Salt: It brings out the flavor and sweetness of the baked oats. I prefer fine salt for baking because it disappears into the batter.
Milk: The recipe's nutrition facts are calculated using 2% dairy milk, which has eight grams of protein per cup. You can easily swap in plant milk, but your baked oats may have less protein. Soy and pea are higher-protein kinds of plant milk.
Greek yogurt: Plain whole milk yogurts lend a rounder flavor and better texture to the baked oats. Here again, if you substitute plant yogurt, look for a soy yogurt or one fortified with protein like the almond milk Greek from Kite Hill.
Maple syrup: For flavor, sweetness, and a few minerals. Plus, it mixes in very easily. Please choose real maple syrup, not pancake syrup. You can use honey. Agave nectar makes a great swap because it's easy to work with.
Egg: I love the protein and nutrients like vitamin D in eggs, but you can choose to keep it vegan with a flax egg or (affiliate link) egg replacer powder.
Vegetable oil: For the healthiest baked oats, choose a neutral-tasting oil with a low amount of saturated fat, such as canola or sunflower. You can use coconut oil if you love it, but it will have a very distinct taste and loads of saturated fat.
Substituting melted butter may change the texture of oat cake.
Vanilla: Extracts that say "Madagascar" are usually excellent. I often use vanilla from (affiliate link) Simply Organic.
Walnuts: Toast the pieces for a few minutes first if you have time. It adds tremendous flavor.
Chocolate Chips: Regular semi-sweet are fine. Choose Lily's chips if you want to keep your bake vegan.
How to Make
💦 Wash hands thoroughly, lathering with soap and rinsing with warm water for 20 seconds before beginning.
Grease a square baking pan with baking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
1️⃣ In a large bowl, place all the dry ingredients except for the walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or spatula.
2️⃣ In a spouted bowl or (affiliate link) large measuring cup (4 cups), measure out the wet ingredients.
(Note: It is easiest to measure the yogurt by adding large spoonfuls to the milk in the measuring cup. Another hack is to grease the measuring cup so the yogurt slides out easily.)
Mix briskly with a whisk so that the mixture is smooth and slightly foamy.
3️⃣ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Stir until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
You’re not developing gluten in this recipe so beating hard is not important. The batter will be very loose and liquidy.
4️⃣ Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and stir into the batter.
5️⃣ Pour the chocolate-oat mixture into your prepared baking pan. Spread out the ingredients so they are not mounded in the center of the pan.
6️⃣ Slide the pan into the preheated oven and bake about 35 minutes until the center is firm. Bake another five to 10 minutes if the center is not firm or you like your baked oats more stiff rather than soft and pliable.
7️⃣ Let the Brownie Baked Oats cool for 10 minutes on a rack before cutting to serve or store.
❄️Storage
These chocolatey oat slabs will keep covered in the refrigerator for four to five days. This is an easy weekend recipe that will keep you supplied with a healthy breakfast treat all week long!
🧊For longer storage, freeze for up to three months. Wrap each slice in wax paper and then cover in foil. The wax paper makes them easy to thaw in the microwave and take with you when you need a quick morning meal.
👩🏾🍳Cooking tips and variations
This recipe can be made in a (affiliate link) blender for a cakier texture. If you prefer chunky baked oatmeal, stick with the bowl method in the recipe below rather than the blender method.
Vegan baked oatmeal: Substitute a flax egg or use (affiliate link) egg replacer in the recipe. The egg adds protein and micronutrients like choline and vitamin D.
Sea salt: For a more gourmet version, sprinkle the top with flaky sea salt and dark chocolate bits before baking. This variation is higher in sodium, of course!
Fruity oats: Chopped dates taste beautiful with chocolate. Add them to the batter with the walnuts and chocolate chips. Other good choices are any type of raisins or craisins.
You can substitute fruit for the chocolate chips or omit the chips. Your brownie oats will taste slightly less decadent!
Beginner baking: This recipe is not fiddly or fussy. Your baked oats are going to turn out almost every time. The only issue may be somewhat messy cutting after baking if they are bendy.
♨️Bake for the shortest time in the recipe if you like soft, moist baked oatmeal. For firmer bars, bake for five to 10 minutes longer.
How Healthy Are Brownie Oats?
Each hearty bar has about 310 calories and 10 grams of protein. They have benefits for your muscles, bones, gut, mood, and heart.
💪🏽Their protein feeds your muscles and each bar is a good to excellent source of iron. Iron and protein help with energy.
🦴 Having 150 mg of calcium per piece makes them a good source of this mineral that supports bone health.
Nutrient know-how:
- An excellent source has at least 20% of a person’s daily requirement.
- A good source supplies 10% of the daily requirement.
Oats
This gluten-free grain is a boon to gut health with beta-glucans, a soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol, plus insoluble fiber.
A half-cup serving of oats has about 27 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of protein and some healthy fats. They're also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, like iron. A half-cup of oats contains:
- 152 calories
- 4 grams of fiber
- 1.7 mg iron
- 20.8 mg calcium
- 55.8 mg magnesium
- 164 mg phosphorous
- 145 mg potassium
- 1.5 mg zinc
- 0.1564 mg copper
- 0.184 mg thiamin (vitamin B1)
- 13 mcg folate (vitamin B9)
- 40.4 mg choline
🥛Greek yogurt and milk
The nutrition deets in the recipe are for 2% dairy milk and full-fat Greek yogurt. Feel free to use plant-based dairy instead. Plant choices with the most protein are soy milk and pea milk.
Alternatively, consider ultra-filtered milk, which can boast up to 13 grams. (Fairlife and Mootopia are two brands to look for in the store.)
When swapping in yogurt, choose soy yogurt like Silk or one with added protein. Kite Hill's Greek-style almond milk yogurt is enriched with soy protein isolate so it has 17 grams per cup.
Cocoa Powder
Although the cocoa powder is rich in flavonols that support cardiovascular health, cocoa can contain heavy metals like cadmium., According to Consumer Labs, Ghiradelli cocoa powder has lower levels and is a good choice for baking.
Healthy Fats
Walnuts and vegetable oil are rich in healthy fat that tamps down inflammation and may support overall wellness.
These rich and tasty Brownie Baked Oats provide an excellent start to the day and will keep you satisfied until lunch.
FAQs ❓❓
Yes. The chocolate in these bars gives you a little lift. Chocolate, especially cocoa powder, may interact with the brain's dopamine system and boost endorphins and serotonin, a feel-good neurotransmitter in the brain.
Yes. I regard the small amount of caffeine as a perk since this is breakfast food, and caffeine benefits energy and cognition. However, this is not your best breakfast if you are sensitive to caffeine!
If you want it sweet but with fewer sugars, cut the maple syrup in half and add two more tablespoons of monk fruit. If you prefer a less dessert-y taste, leave out the monk fruit and use less maple syrup.
You could also omit the chocolate chips, although they provide spectacular bursts of melted chocolate when the bars are warmed.
Other breakfast recipes with oats and/or chocolate that you might like…
🍌 Go bananas! This Banana Bread with Oat Flour (and chocolate chunks) is gluten-free. Banana Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins have little added sugar because they're full of bananas and berries. Each has less than two teaspoons of sugar.
Cereal fans try these homemade granolas: Maple Hemp Granola and Granola with Chia Seeds. Great for sprinkling over yogurt and berries!
🧁Here's a recipe that could double as cupcakes! Deliciously decadent Triple Chocolate Muffins have a hefty dose of mood-boosting chocolate plus caffeine!
Baked Brownie Oats
Equipment
- Spoons and cups for measurement
- Spoons and spatulas for mixing
- Medium to large mixing bowl
- Large glass measuring cup (quart) optional
- Square baking dish (8"x8") or use a pie dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup cocoa powder, or cacao powder
- 2 Tablespoons monkfruit, optional
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups 2% milk, or use a plant-based milk, such as soy or almond
- ½ cup Greek yogurt, whole milk preferred
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil, canola, sunflower, coconut, mild olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
- ¼ cup chocolate chips, optional but delicious!
Instructions
- Wash hands thoroughly before beginning to bake.
- Set oven to 350 F, and grease an 8"x 8" square baking pan.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- In a large spouted bowl or measuring cup (at least 4-cup), whisk together all the wet ingredients until slightly foamy and thoroughly mixed.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Stir just until there are no more dry spots.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and place it in the oven. Check after 35 minutes. If the mixture does not wobble in the middle, the brownie-baked oats can be removed to cool on a rack.They should still be soft and chewy at this point. For firmer baked oatmeal, leave the dish in the oven for another five to 10 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting or serving.
- The cooled baked oats stay fresh in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.Warm in the microwave for melty chocolate chips!
Notes
Nutrition
Copyright © 2024 Jani H. Leuschel
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