Vegan Blended Baked Oats with Dark Chocolate Chips
These vegan blended baked oats with dark chocolate chips are based off of a viral recipe, yet I promise that they deserve an enduring place in your breakfast routine! Freshly made, the oats have a tender, soufflé-like texture that’s irresistable. Featuring rolled oats, nut or seed butter, banana, plant milk, and dark chocolate chips, the recipe is a wholesome morning treat. I give two options for preparation: oven or air fryer. Blended baked oats—usually served in ramekins or other single-serve dishes—became a viral... The post Vegan Blended Baked Oats with Dark Chocolate Chips appeared first on The Full Helping.
These vegan blended baked oats with dark chocolate chips are based off of a viral recipe, yet I promise that they deserve an enduring place in your breakfast routine! Freshly made, the oats have a tender, soufflé-like texture that’s irresistable. Featuring rolled oats, nut or seed butter, banana, plant milk, and dark chocolate chips, the recipe is a wholesome morning treat. I give two options for preparation: oven or air fryer.
Blended baked oats—usually served in ramekins or other single-serve dishes—became a viral trend on Tik Tok in around 2021.
I’m here, three years later, to report that the recipe is as fun and tasty as ever. And in spite of its formerly viral status, it’s worthy of a longterm spot in your breakfast repertoire.
One of the sweet parts of working as a dietitian is that I see a fair number of teens and twenty-somethings in my practice.
These thoughtful, incisive, humorous young folks keep me up-to-date on social media trends, acronyms, and recipes.
One of my clients told me about the blended baked oat trend back when it was first popular. It sounded like a cool idea, blending the oats prior to baking them. Yet the part of me that’s quick to dismiss a fad was reluctant to try them.
I’m not too proud to admit when I’ve been wrong about a recipe, and I was definitely wrong about this one!
Now that I’ve made baked oatmeal this way, better late than never, I can tell you that it’s a fun method with tasty results. As I’ve realized so many times over in my life and career, it’s good to keep an open mind.
What are blended baked oats, exactly?
This isn’t my first time trying, or writing about, baked oatmeal. In fact, oatmeal bakes are one of my go-to vegan meal prep breakfasts.
The baked oatmeal variations that I’m accustomed to making involve mixing rolled oats with some sort of liquid, then baking them in the oven.
The resulting mixture is dense and hearty, with plenty of texture from the rolled oats.
Some of my favorite examples are my vegan blueberry banana oat bake, vegan pumpkin chocolate chip baked oatmeal, and maple brown sugar baked oatmeal.
The vegan blended baked oats that I’m sharing today are different, in a good way. Rather than baking the oats whole, you’ll blend them with plant milk, nut or seed butter (I like tahini), some baking powder, and a pinch of cinnamon.
Then, you’ll pour this “batter” into individual dishes and bake or air fry them till they’re puffy and set.
The result is something that’s much more like cake than baked oats. In fact, when I made it, I kept thinking to myself that it had an almost soufflé-like texture.
After the blended baked oats have been out of the oven or air fryer for a few minutes, they’ll lose some of their height, which is what’s reflected in the photos here.
But they really are impressively domed and fluffy at first. Even once they’ve been stored, they retain a lovely, tender texture.
Key ingredients
Making blended baked oats is more of a cooking method than a specific recipe. I’ve chosen the ingredients that speak to me, but there’s room for variation.
I’ll offer some substitutes that I know can work. As I continue to make this recipe, which I know that I will, I’ll update the recipe card with more options.
Rolled oats
I love all types of oatmeal: steel cut, rolled, and quick oats. But the variety that I cook with most often is probably rolled oats.
Rolled oats are what end up in my favorite protein-rich vegan overnight oats, my savory turmeric chickpea oats, and most of my baked oatmeal recipes.
You can use either rolled oats or quick oats here. I don’t recommend steel cut oats for this particular recipe.
If you have celiac disease or don’t do well with gluten, be sure to use rolled oats that are certified gluten-free.
Nut or seed butter
Adding nut or seed butter to the vegan blended baked oats achieves a few things. It serves as an egg replacer, it makes the oats tender and flavorful, and it adds healthful fats to the recipe.
The latter is a win when it comes to staying satiated.
I’ve tested the recipe with almond, peanut, cashew, and sunflower seed butter, along with tahini.
All of these nut and seed butters add their own distinctive flavor. As you can imagine, the PB version is really peanutty, and so on.
My favorite option so far is tahini. I think it creates the most silky-textured baked oats. And while tahini is known for being a little bitter, that bitterness mellows with baking. Your finished oats will have a light toasted flavor, and the chocolate will shine through.
Banana
Ripe banana—half for a single portion, a whole one for a double portion—also functions as an egg replacer.
In addition, it ensures that the oats are fluffy and moist, and it adds a little naturally occurring sweetness to the recipe. (The only other source of sweetness in the recipe is the dark chocolate chips.)
I know that I have some readers who really don’t care for banana, so I have two suggested alternatives: pumpkin purée and applesauce. A quarter cup of either of these can work in the recipe.
So far, I like the banana + tahini + dark chocolate chip combo best, but it’s good to have options!
Dark chocolate chips
Your favorite vegan chocolate chips are welcome here, as is finely chopped dark chocolate. I like to use mini chips when I make the recipe.
Vegan milk chocolate, which is usually made with oat milk, is also an option and increasingly easy to find. While I enjoy it for snacking or dessert, I find it a little too sweet for the blended baked oats.
If you’re not in the mood for chocolate at breakfast, then it’s fine to replace the chips with chopped walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts. Shelled pumpkin seeds are also a nice option.
If you want the crunch of nuts with a little added sweetness, I think that my crispy baked candied walnuts or crispy baked vegan candied pecans would be a great addition.
Plant milk
You won’t need a lot of plant milk to make the recipe (1/4 cup / 60ml per serving). Soy milk is my plant milk of choice, but you can also use oat, almond, cashew, or light coconut milk.
How to make vegan blended baked oats
A few things to keep in mind about the recipe:
- As written, it makes two servings, but I’ve successfully halved the recipe to make a single serving, and you can do the same if you like.
- The blended baked oats will be at their most impressively fluffy and high right after baking. They’ll collapse a little as they cool, but they’ll still be delicious.
- You can prepare reheat the oats in either the oven or your air fryer—I’m giving instructions for both methods!
- Since the recipe takes 15-25 minutes to cook, plus prep/blending time, it’s a weekend breakfast for me. But it’s really not difficult to prepare.
Step 1: Get set up
First, preheat your oven or air fryer. I don’t always pre-heat my air fryer before using it, but I do when I’m converting a baking recipe.
Then, lightly oil two small ramekins. I use ones that are 3-inch / 7.5cm in diameter and 1 1/2-inch / 4cm high.
If you don’t have smaller baking vessels like these, you could bake the two servings together in something a little bigger. You could also divide the recipe into four muffin cups (two muffin portions per person).
Step 2: Blend
If you happen to have a personal-sized blender, or a high-speed blender that also has a personal-sized blending attachment, that’s ideal for this recipe. It can be tricky to blend smaller quantities in a large blender.
Depending on the shape of the blender you have, however, it may not be a hassle. If you try blending the oats and have trouble, even with a tamper, you can try doubling the recipe and sharing it with others. Or, use it as an excuse to meal prep and get four portions out of the recipe.
In any case, add your banana, oats, plant milk, a little ground flaxseed, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and your nut or seed butter to the blender.
The oats should blend up easily within 1-2 minutes.
Step 3: Stir in half of the dark chocolate chips (or chopped nuts)
While the batter is still in the blender, use a small spatula to stir in half of the dark chocolate chips, so that they’re evenly mixed through the batter.
Step 4: Pour the batter into ramekins and top with remaining chocolate chips
Once that’s done, pour the batter into your two prepared ramekins, dividing it up evenly.
Finally, sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of chocolate chips over the tops of your divided and portioned oats.
Step 5: Bake or air fry
If baking, you’ll need to give the oats 22-25 minutes in the oven. After baking, the tops will be golden, domed, and set.
If you’re air frying, the oats will need 15-18 minutes in order to achieve that same effect. I have an air-fryer with a 4L basket, which is roomy, but not roomy enough to fit both ramekins comfortably.
I hold one of the baked oat portions in the fridge while the other air fries, and then I make the second portion directly after.
Step 6: Serve, with or without some fun accompaniments
The vegan blended baked oats are really delicious enough to serve on their own; thanks to the chocolate chips, there’s plenty of flavor, and you won’t need a garnish.
However, a little extra nut or seed butter can be nice for drizzling, if you like.
As far as accompaniments go, a glass of soy milk for plant protein, a vegan yogurt with berries, additional banana, a cup of some sort of smoothie that you like, or some crunchy nuts are all nice ideas.
Storage & reheating
Again, I’m partial to this recipe when it’s freshly baked. But if you’re making a few portions and wish to store them, that’s also great. Future breakfast cake for future you!
Cover the ramekins with reusable silicone covers or Saran wrap, then transfer them to the fridge. You can keep them there for up to three days.
Air fry or re-heat in the oven (at 300°F / 150°C) for five minutes, or until nicely warm, before enjoying them again.
Vegan Blended Baked Oats with Dark Chocolate Chips (Air Fryer Option)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup rolled oats (65g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened soy, oat, almond or cashew milk (120ml)
- 1 medium ripe banana*
- 1 teaspoon ground flaxseed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons nut or seed butter (I prefer tahini; almond, cashew, almond, sunflower, and peanut butter will all work)
- 2 tablespoons vegan mini or regular chocolate chips (30g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C or an air fryer to 325°F / 165°C. Lightly oil two small (3-inch / 7.5cm in diameter and 1 1/2-inch / 4cm high) ramekins.
- Place the oats, non-dairy milk, banana, flaxseed, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, and tahini or nut butter in a blender and blend till smooth, about 1 1/2-2 minutes. This recipe works especially well in a personal-sized blender.
- Stir one tablespoon / 15g of the mini chocolate chips into the resulting batter. Divide it between the two ramekins.
- Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of mini chocolate chips over the tops of the oat mixture in the two ramekins.
- Transfer the ramekins to the oven or air fryer. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the baked oats are puffy, the tops are golden brown, and both look a little like mini-soufflés. Alternatively, air fry the oats for 15-18 minutes, until you achieve a similar appearance and doneness.
- The oats are best eaten immediately. However, you can cover them and store in the fridge overnight. Air fry or re-heat in the oven(at 300°F / 150°C) for five minutes before enjoying.
Video
Notes
With time, I default more and more to tried-and-true recipes, meals that evoke nostalgia, and classic preparation methods.
Yet I have to remind myself that a willingness to try new things is what drove so much of my development when I was learning to cook vegan food.
I’m glad that I woke up one Saturday morning with the desire to try something fun, and different, and I made vegan blended baked oats. They’re a nice little treat, and I hope you’ll enjoy them, too.
xo
The post Vegan Blended Baked Oats with Dark Chocolate Chips appeared first on The Full Helping.
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