A few weeks ago, Loredana, one of my “fearless” participants in my diet events, posted a picture of her breakfast… and I immediately recognized the baked porridge. I’ve tried making it many times before but hadn’t found the right measurements to make it the way I wanted. Sometimes the result was too soft, and other times it was too dry, but I finally succeeded, and now here I am with the recipe!
You might say: baked porridge? Yes, that’s right. It’s a recipe commonly used in countries where oat flakes are widely consumed, and its name in English is baked oatmeal. You can make it small for 1 or 2 people, as I did, but typically it’s prepared in a pan, much like a cake. Since my oven wasn’t working, I baked it in my air fryer using one of my smaller terracotta dishes.
The result is a truly delicious and light oat flake cake, completely vegan and also gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oat flakes. And the best part is that you can prepare it in 5 minutes, and the rest is done by the oven!
I believe this mixture can also be used to make vegan cookies like the ones I linked below. I need to experiment!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 1 large or 2 small
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
With these amounts, you get a small cake about 5.5 inches in diameter. You can eat half or the whole thing, depending on how many points you want to spend on breakfast or snack and whether you prefer to add something else…
- 1 banana (ripe)
- 1/2 cup oat flakes (gluten-free if you're intolerant)
- 1/3 cup soy yogurt (unsweetened, I used Alpro plain)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter (100% peanut)
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dried cranberries
- 1 pinch salt
- Total points = 8 WW points
- Points for 1 small portion (1/2 cake) = 4 WW points
- Points for 1 large portion (whole cake) = 8 WW points
Tools
- 1 bowl
- 1 silicone spatula
- 1 5.5-inch dish
- parchment paper
- Air Fryer
Steps
First, if you have very large oat flakes, cut them into smaller pieces with a knife. I think they absorb liquid ingredients better this way.
In a bowl, place the banana and mash it well with a fork. Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt, and mix the ingredients well with a silicone spatula (I prefer it because it’s useful for pouring all the batter into the pan without wasting a drop).
Then add the oat flakes and the yogurt, and finally, the dried cranberries.
Cut a small square of parchment paper, wet it, and squeeze it well. Spread it in the dish you’ve chosen to use. Pour all the batter and level it. Finally, cut off any parchment paper that sticks out to prevent it from burning.
Place the dish in the air fryer and bake at 338°F for about 20-25 minutes. Without getting burned, flip the dish directly into the air fryer basket, gently remove the parchment paper, and bake for another 5 minutes so that the cake is well-cooked on the other side too.
Our baked porridge is ready! You can enjoy it as soon as it cools down a bit or even cold.
It’s so tasty! I really liked the contrast of the slightly tart dried cranberries with the rest, which is sweet.
I ate it all for breakfast. Yes, it’s 8 WW points, but I knew I would work out later, so I would earn more points. At home, the Dutch didn’t try it because he doesn’t like banana desserts. But he missed out… I honestly didn’t even taste the banana. But he also did well because I got to eat more, hehe…
Now that I have the base for making baked porridge, I’ll definitely try other experiments that are already spinning in my head…
Let me know if you liked it and if you have ideas for equally light and delicious variations. I’m waiting for your comments below or in my Facebook Club!.
Enjoy!
By Giovanna Buono
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Are oat flakes gluten-free?
No, not all of them are, as they are often produced in environments where products containing gluten are also processed. So, you need to ensure you get oat flakes certified for celiacs. If you have no issues with gluten, you can use any supermarket product.
Can I use the oven too?
Certainly! In the oven, you can use more dishes or even a larger pan, doubling or tripling the amounts. For baking, I couldn’t try, but I think you’ll need to bake at 356-392°F for at least 30 minutes. Since it’s not a leavened product, you can open the oven after 20 minutes and check the cooking to adjust accordingly.
Is baked porridge a complete breakfast?
Sure, if you eat it all; otherwise, you’ll need to add something more to complete the breakfast. Another smart option if you don’t want to consume all 8 points: eat 3/4 for 6 points and save 1/4, for 2 points, for a snack!
I would like to substitute the dried cranberries…
I particularly liked the taste of dried cranberries, but if you want to substitute them, I think raisins or chocolate chips would work just fine!
How do you store baked porridge?
This is something I haven’t tried yet, but I’m sure it will stay great for a couple of days covered out of the fridge, and it’s also possible to freeze it without issues. You can then take it out of the freezer in the evening to enjoy it in the morning.
