Baked Oats Are Our New Favorite Breakfast Food—They're Like a Warm, Fluffy, Single-Batch Muffin

Southern Living
·2 min read
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If you had asked us years ago if we thought that overnight oats would one day become the trendiest breakfast food of the year, we would have giggled until our biscuits and gravy dribbled down our chin. Yet, 2020 was undoubtedly the year of the oats. To be fair, these oats were a far cry from the lukewarm, gloopy stuff that would stick to the roof of your mouth growing up. The modern-day oats are made with love and all the fixings, like peanut butter, blueberries, coconut flakes, cinnamon, and a generous drizzle of honey.

And now, there is another oats trend taking over 2021 that started all over TikTok: baked oats. These aren't the big-batch oatmeal casserole you've maybe seen at potlucks and family holidays, either. These are ooey, gooey, single-portioned oats baked in the oven until the result tastes something akin to a warm muffin. When we say every single TikTok video makes them look insanely delicious, we aren't lying. For example, the recipe below showcases one user's take on blueberry baked oats.

You'll find a mix of baked oats recipes that either leave the oats whole as they are in the batter, as well as those that choose to blend all the ingredients together in a bullet blender before baking. The ingredients are typically very similar to what would be used in normal overnight oats, with the addition of baking powder. One TikTok user (video below) shows blended baked oats using peanut butter and topped with dark chocolate chips.

You can even mimic your most craved cakes and muffins, like this breakfast-style, blended baked oats take on classic carrot cake.

And our personal favorite: this recipe for chocolate banana baked oats that quite literally might change your life. The use of cocoa powder keeps it in the healthy-ish range for breakfast snacks.

All in all, the baked oats trend is one thing on TikTok we can certainly support. Use the video recipes shown above to customize with your own flavors and toppings. Banana nut bread oats, anyone?