This is an incredibly forgiving recipe. Ingredients can be swapped out, added in, whatever you like. This is my favorite go to low sugar, high protein, fiber rich recipe. It comes in around 550 calories but packs in 22 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber. Swap out the banana for pumpkin, the chocolate chips for blueberries, add applesauce and cinnamon spice. Add in peanut or almond butter, top with pecans, whatever makes you happy (just keep in mind calories add up fast). You want the consistency to be similar to thick pancake batter after it’s blended. I like blended as it tastes like a baked muffin but if you prefer it as baked oats skip the blender.
Ingredients (per individual oatmeal, double for two):
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Blend:
1/2 cup oats (I love the nutty flavor of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats)
1 tbsp each chia seeds and flax seeds (optional, all chia, flax or hemp work too)
1 scoops protein powder (optional, I like unsweeted whey or chickpea powder)
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg or flax egg (optional, just makes it lighter)
1/2 banana (or 1/2 cup pumpkin, applesauce, greek yogurt…)
1/4 cup almond milk (or any other milk/water)
Pour into a greased, 1 cup ramekin (I use coconut oil on a paper towel or in a spray dispenser, the oats really like to stick and can be a pain to clean so don’t skimp)
Stir in 1 tbsp dark chocolate chips (a necessary ingredient to me!)
Bake 30 minutes, let cool 5 minutes (until cool enough to handle) and eat. Best right out of the oven.
Notes:
Some notes about my favorite ingredients:
- We tend to go in banana phases so as soon as they start to brown, I throw them straight into the freezer. Pop half a banana in the microwave for 20 seconds and it will squeeze right out of the peel (keep the other half in a baggie in the freezer as once it’s cut it will get freezer burn). My local Sprouts has bags of frozen sliced bananas in the frozen fruit section in case we run out.
- I look for protein powders that only have one ingredient. I’m shocked at how many ingredients, especially sweeteners and “natural flavors”, are in most protein powders.
- If I add peanut butter, any flavor made by Justin’s is fantastic (they do add some sugar though). The Vanilla Almond Butter is my favorite, the Honey Peanut Butter is a 2nd and 3rd is the Chocolate Hazelnut Almond Butter (which I think is SO much better than Nutella).
- Guillard makes the most amazing chocolate chips. I personally love dark chocolate and I get some antioxidants in so I don’t feel guilty adding them.