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I have tried a multitude of oatmeal recipes ranging from cookies, to bars, to cakes, to muffins, to random stuff I don’t even know what to title. Honestly, even with much variation separating those recipes, I find them to often taste too similar to one another and almost…dare I say…bland (*gasp*). I mean, it’s no secret that oatmeal has little flavor, but what really makes it so appealing is its creamy texture (when cooked right), affordable price, and health benefits. That being said, it definitely relies on other ingredients to bring an actual flavor profile. Unfortunately, many of the oatmeal-based recipes I have tried tend to simply plop a banana and maybe some cinnamon into the mix and hope it is flavorful enough. That leads to too much boring similarity.

The idea of this baked oatmeal recipe was birthed when I realized that the world needed an actual flavorfully vibrant oatmeal recipe that even non-health lovers could enjoy. This recipe is possibly the perfect example of that as it meets all the criteria. By far, the main flavor stars of this recipe are the matcha, blueberries, and lemon. Mmmm, just thinking of those flavors intertwined together makes me hungry! My favorite of those ingredients is most definitely the matcha, which is quite ironic because if you were to ask me two years ago what matcha powder was, I would have no answer to give. You may currently relate to my two years younger self regarding matcha, so let me give a quick rundown on it…Matcha means “powdered tea” and is a powdered green tea. What differentiates matcha from normal green tea is that, with matcha, you are drinking ground up matcha leaves versus leaf-infused water makes up traditional green tea. Besides the given health benefits of matcha, I also love it for its light flavor composition. Plus, it sounds much fancier than boring old “green tea,” haha!

Now that I’ve told you all the reasons that I am obsessed with this recipe because of the matcha and all the other ingredients used (which I refrained from going into detail about because I expect you already know what they are), here is the recipe! 🙂

Healthy Matcha Blueberry Baked Oats With Lemon Cashew Cream

Serves: 9

INGREDIENTS

For the Matcha Oats:

1.) Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups Rolled oats
• 3 teaspoon Matcha powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Optional Additives:
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds or flaxseed
• 1 Tablespoon hemp seeds
• Desired amount of maple syrup or other sweetener

2.) Wet Ingredients

• 1/2 cup VERY ripe banana, mashed (about 1 medium sized banana)
• 1 1/4 cup filtered water or plant milk
• 1 large egg

3.) Others Ingredients

• 1 cup blueberries

For the Lemon Cashew Cream:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 2+ hours, then rinsed)
• 2 Tablespoons maple syrup or other natural sweetener
• 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice (depending on how tart you prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3-1/2 cup water or plant milk

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Oats:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the mashed banana and wet ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and combine. Add more water if the batter is too thick or dry.

3. Pour batter into an 8×8 inch pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until it holds its shape and has slightly browned. Make the lemon cream (instructions below) as you wait for the oatmeal to bake.

4. Serve while hot and drizzle the lemon cashew cream over each individual slice or spread over the entire thing. You can also keep these in a freezer for up to three months.

For the Cream:

1. Add all the ingredients to a high speed blender and process until very smooth and creamy. Add more liquid if the drizzle is not thin and pourable yet. Pour into a mason jar or air right container to store while you wait for the oats to cook. I get the best results by blending in a smaller, single-serving blender. For some reason it blends things up more smoothly, so this might be the case for you.

NOTES

* optional additives can be included such as coconut, other berries or fruit of choice, nuts, etc.

* You can bake this recipe in muffin tins for a fun muffin-like result, but the  cooking time will vary.

* This recipe freezes nicely and can be stored for up to three months in the freezer.

* Mashed banana can by substituted with an equal amount (1/2 cup) of unsweetened apple sauce.