Apple Pie Baked Oats - no banana or protein powder!

Baked oats are so popular right now, and for good reason! They are easy to make and can be made in advance, are super versatile and really good for you. But so many recipes call for banana or protein powder which not everyone likes or uses. So I have come up with a delicious version without either but still high in protein and fibre, and most importantly, is delicious!

Oats are a great wholegrain to base your breakfast around, but adding in protein from eggs and milk, fibre and micronutrients from the fruit and healthy fats from the nuts makes this a balanced meal that will keep going all morning. Oats are great if you have diabetes as the fibre helps avoid high blood sugar levels. They are also great for lowering bad cholesterol.

Flavour options: You can also add fresh of frozen berries, play around with different nuts or seeds, add a tablespoon of chia seeds or dark chocolate chips. Play around spices to find your favourite combinations!

To serve: I love these with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and some berries on the side. You can pop them into a lunch box and take them on the go or to work with you. If you are feeling fancy you can cut the oats up into little cubes and layer up with yoghurt and fruit for a breakfast sundae!

Serves 6

Make up to 3 days in advance, you can also freeze them after cooking. Just defrost the evening before you want to eat the.

Ingredients

250g Oats

2 Apples

1 tsp Cinnamon

½ tsp Baking powder

2 Eggs

1 Tbsp Honey

Milk 300ml

Small handful of chopped nuts or 2 Tbs nut butter

Baking dish – around 26cm by 20cm and 5cm deep. This doesn’t need to be exact but roughly around these dimensions.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Get your dish and grate the apples directly in – no need to peel them!

Add all of the other ingredients except the milk and nuts/nut butter and mix well.

Slowly add the milk, mixing all the time to ensure it is evenly mixed in.

Sprinkle over the chopped nuts or dollop the nut butter and gently swirl into the batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through and a little golden.

Cool and slice into 6 squares.