I used two sets of criteria when I was brainstorming flavors for this recipe – what might go nicely with almond, and what is easily accessible in the dead of winter? Here in the northeast, I can source apples locally well into the winter months, and naval oranges (while not local) hit their peak sweetness and juiciness in January and February.
I turned to my pantry for everything else, including the dried apricots, which are given new life after being gently poached with fresh orange juice and sugar. They in turn release their own sugars, and turn the poaching liquid into a rich syrup.
But the real MVP of this dish is the cardamom, which goes beautifully with almond and brings out all the amazing citrus from the apricots. Sigh….I ate this every day for two weeks while I was testing and filming, and I still wish I had some right now. It’s exactly what you want to eat on a winter morning.
Baked Oatmeal is a great choice to feed a crowd for brunch, but it’s also the perfect make-ahead breakfast for your work week. Keep it in the fridge, spoon out a portion into a bowl, drizzle it with your milk of choice, and microwave for 30 seconds. You can also make an overnight oat version of this recipe. See below.
NOTE: My oatmeal of choice is quick cooking steel cuts, as they have the texture of steel cut and the convenience of rolled. Most brands make a version, and they are the only kind I buy. You can use rolled oats instead, same measurements – but I have not tested this with regular steel-cut oats. If you go with the overnight variation: rolled oats will work but they’ll have a softer consistency, and regular steel-cut oats will work too, but they’ll need two (possibly three) nights in the fridge.
Featured in: Episode 11: Almond Butter
EQUIPMENT: medium saucepan, knife, cutting board, mixing bowl, 8×8 baking dish, whisk
Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal with Spiced Apricots and Apples
Ingredients
- 1 cup Quick-Cooking Steel Cut Oats
- 1 cup Almond Milk
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 cup Almond Butter
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom
- 3 oz Dried Apricots
- 1/4 cup Fresh Orange Juice
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tbsp White Sugar
- 5 oz Apple, diced (1 small apple)
- 1-2 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
Directions
- Step 1 Bring the orange juice, water, and white sugar to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. Add the apricots and adjust the heat so it stays at a steady simmer. Poach the apricots for 15 minutes. The apricots will plump up and the liquid will reduce to a syrup. (If you see that it’s reducing too much, add more water as needed).
- Step 2 Remove the apricots and roughly chop. Then return them to the syrup along with the chopped apple. Toss until all the fruit is well-coated.
- Step 3 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8×8 baking dish.
- Step 4 (This step can be done while the apricots are poaching). In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, almond butter, vanilla, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cardamom until well combined.
- Step 5 Gently miix in the oats and the fruit, then pour the mixture into the baking dish and top with the sliced almonds. Bake for 45 minutes.
- Step 6 To serve, spoon into bowls and top with warm almond milk. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.
- Step 7 OVERNIGHT OATS VARIATION: For the oats mixture, add an extra cup of milk (2 cups total) and skip the egg and the baking powder. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Prep the apricots and apples the same way as you would for the baked version. You can do that the night before as well. At breakfast time, layer the oats and the fruit in an 8 oz container as you would in a parfait. Add granola for extra crunch, and sliced almonds on top.
SUB LIST
| Quick-Cooking Steel Cut Oats | Rolled Oats |
| Almond Milk | Any milk of your choice |
| Apple | Pear |
