As the old saying goes, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." And yet, every morning we're surprised when we don't have time to whip up a nutritious, gourmet breakfast. Thankfully the Internet is here with a save: a septuplet of make-ahead breakfast bakes. All you need to do in the a.m. is reheat—and we can find time for that, even on the busiest days.
Photo: Love of Family and Home
1. Baked Oatmeal Casserole Recipe
With just three steps, this recipe couldn't be easier. Plus, it doesn't hurt that it comes with a superfood trifecta of strawberries, blueberries, and bananas for a hefty dose of antioxidants and vitamins C and B6. If the natural sweetness of the fruit isn't enough, the recipe also calls a half-cup of chocolate chips. The finished product is the stuff food blog dreams are made of.
2. Vegan Banana Almond Baked Oatmeal Cups
These single-serving oatmeal cups are perfect for portion control—or at least the illusion of it. This recipe incorporates the best parts of a granola bar (oats, almonds, maple syrup) while leaving out refined sugars, which is more than most breakfast bars on the market can say.
3. Clean Eating Pumpkin Oatmeal Casserole
The ingredient list (pecans, cranberries, pumpkin) reads like we're preparing a boatload of Thanksgiving pies. But we're not complaining: These flavors blend beautifully for a make-ahead breakfast bake. Best of all? This casserole gets its sweetness from honey and raisins rather than added sugar.
Photo: Kath Eats Real Food
4. Apple Walnut Baked Oatmeal
This recipe draws upon a pretty standard list of pantry staples, plus apples and a banana. That means you can whip up a batch whenever a craving strikes, or follow our lead and use it as a distraction on Sundays when you don't want to admit to yourself that you have work tomorrow. Bonus: You'll have breakfast set for the workweek.
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5. Morning Baked Oatmeal With Berries and Coconut
Just because the leaves are changing doesn't mean we throw coconut, one of the best summer flavors, out the window. This dish tastes like a breakfast bread pudding and will leave you full for hours, thanks to the whole grains, nuts, and healthy fat from the coconut.
6. Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Baked Oatmeal
"Please" and "thank you" are well and good, but "gooey center" are the real magic words in our book. And this recipe delivers, while also checking off tons of health buzzwords, including low fat, vegan, and sugar- and gluten-free. But all you need to know is this bake tastes like Reese’s peanut butter cups in a bowl.
7. Blueberry and Raspberry Baked Oatmeal
It'll be hard to go back to regular oatmeal after trying this baked version. Bananas bring the sweetness, blueberries and raspberries add tartness, and nuts give it a satisfying crunch. Talk about a breakfast of champions.
