Over the course of its long, breakfast-based history, oatmeal has gained a rather negative reputation. Associated most oftenwith college dining halls, sleep-away camp mess halls, and continental breakfast buffets, the dish has come to be regarded by many as uninteresting, uninspiring, and, if experienced in its gummy and gooey state, unpalatable.

Call me melodramatic, but I genuinely believe that these unsatisfied diners have been affected by a misconception of astronomic proportions. Of course, it is true that rolled oats, when consumed in the form of an unembellished porridge, tend to err on the side of being bland. However, it is this subtlety of flavor that allows oatmeal to be utilized in countless inventive ways.

Baked oatmeal is among the most scrumptious variations of the morning staple. Delicately crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside, the dish strikes an ideal balance of texture, and, in this way, has a knack for instantly warming the soul. What’s more, because rolled oats, as previously mentioned, are complementary to a wide array of flavors, a basic baked oatmeal recipe can be adjusted to feature practically any and every combination of ingredients imaginable.

Serving as my personal contribution to the gamut of baked oats, this brownie baked oatmeal has a particularly special place in my heart. I developed the recipe in order to reconcile my constant need for sweets with a healthy lifestyle.

Since I have a sweet tooth that simply cannot and will not quit, it is not uncommon for me to be lulled asleep by the thought of a decadent dessert—say, for our purposes, a fresh-baked brownie—and subsequently wake up the next morning with a hankering for thetreatof my dreams. However, because the alleged most “important meal of the day” tends to call for something less nutritionally superfluous, I try my best to put my desire to rest.

Brownie baked oatmeal is the ideal solution to such untimely cravings. Made with a base of oats, almond milk, and mashed banana and absolutely zero sugar or butter, the recipe acts as a wholesome and well-balanced breakfast while (with the addition of nut butters, chocolate, cinnamon, and other yummy ingredients) being miraculously reminiscent, in flavor and in texture, of its more sinful after-dinner namesake.

You heard it here, brownie baked oatmeal provides the perfect opportunity to have your brownie for breakfast. Whether you, like me, are absolutely addicted to sweets, or merely have a random craving for morning dessert, I highly recommend making the recipe as soon as you possibly can.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any kind of milk)

½ banana, mashed

1 tsp flour

1 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp baking powder

½ teaspoon instant coffee granules (optional, but highly recommended)

½ tsp cinnamon

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon honey

1-2tbs Nutella

1-2tbs semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ tsp salt

fruits, nuts, nut butters, granola, etc. fortopping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine oats and milk in an oven safe bowl or baking dish. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, mash ½ banana and combine it with baking powder, flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, vanilla, honey, Nutella, and salt (and coffee granules if you so desire).
3. Add banana mixturetooatsmixtureand combine thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Pop dish in the oven until crispy around the edges  (approximately 25 to 30 minutes depending on the oven). Top with your favorite fruits, nuts, nut butters, chocolate chips, granola,etc.andenjoywhile warm.

Tip: Embed fruits—such as bananas and figs—on top of the oatmeal before putting it in the oven, so that they get all roasted and caramelized during the baking process.