I must preface this with a disclaimer: I’m not usually an oatmeal person.
Well, hold on — maybe that isn’t entirely true. I do love instant flavored packets. The Quaker-style fruity packets? Yes. Peaches and cream, strawberries and cream — those are delicious to me. They’re best made with milk (vanilla almond milk, specifically). I still buy those packets sometimes and eat them as a treat. They’re comforting and nostalgic in a way I can’t replicate.
One packet was never enough — I always needed two. No matter how I try, I can’t reproduce the artificial, warm-flavored perfection of a microwaved bowl of instant oats.
When it comes to traditional oatmeal, I’ve tried to like it. But unless it’s buried under a generous layer of brown sugar, it’s not for me. I mean a lot of brown sugar. That’s my truth.
My husband has a different relationship with oatmeal. He used to say he hated it, then about fifteen months ago I made a baked oatmeal recipe I found online. I didn’t like it — he did. Since then he’s eaten oatmeal almost every weekday. Plain oatmeal with no added sugar beyond a sliced banana, and a few eggs on the side. He repeats the same breakfast habit daily, and it’s baffling to me how content he is with that routine when the world of flavors is so vast. Still, he’s happy, and that’s fine.
The one baked oatmeal I did enjoy was a strawberry-banana cream version I made last year. Before that, oats mostly showed up in cookies for me. Lately I’ve been experimenting with texture, so I tried a hybrid of oats and quinoa. The quinoa stays slightly crunchy, which I like — if you prefer softer bites, be aware of that. I love the contrast of crunchy quinoa with tender baked oats.
And really, what’s not to like when you top it with caramelized strawberries and toasted coconut?
Crunchy Quinoa Baked Oatmeal with Caramelized Strawberries and Coconut
4
45 mins
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3/4 cups uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/3 cups canned lite coconut milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 pint strawberries, stems removed
- 2 tablespoons butter (for the strawberries)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (for the strawberries)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar (for the strawberries)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, rinsed quinoa, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, egg, vanilla and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and spread evenly in a small baking dish or pie plate (about 9 inches in diameter).
- Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the top is golden and the mixture is set.
- While the oatmeal bakes, heat a skillet over medium-low and add butter. Add the strawberries with a pinch of salt and cook until slightly golden. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cook a few more minutes until the strawberries release juices and become caramelized. To toast the coconut, stir it in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until golden, then remove immediately to prevent burning.
- Top the baked oatmeal with the caramelized strawberries and toasted coconut. Serve with a splash of milk or a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
Notes
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Be sure to tag your photos and share them. I appreciate you so much!
Oh, and I topped some of mine with coconut whipped cream — leftover from another recipe I’ll tell you about tomorrow. You may hate me for that, but it was worth it.