Anzac Biscuit-Inspired Baked Oats

If you’re a fan of porridge, but not a fan of standing at the stove stirring for 15 minutes, baked oats are a perfect alternative. You just mix all the ingredients, pour into a baking tin and bake.  A lot of baked oats recipes have you blitz up the oats in a food processor first, but this makes them high-GI - meaning you digest them faster, and the energy doesn’t last as long, which can cause an energy crash later in the day. So in this recipe I leave them whole. 

You can make these at night and warm them up in the morning, or have them at room temperature. They also make a great afternoon snack. 

What’s great about the ingredients: 

Rolled oats are low-GI and a source of beta glucan, a type of fibre which can help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar. They’re also a source of protein and several minerals including iron and magnesium. So they’re great for giving you long-lasting energy.

Flax seeds are super nutritious, with omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, and fibre. That makes them great for the gut, and for brain and muscle health.

Pumpkin seeds are another nutritious seed (ok, they’re all great), pumpkin seeds contain fibre, magnesium, zinc, iron, and vitamin E. This makes them great for gut health, energy, and hormone regulation. 

Eggs are a source of protein which makes them filling and helps keep your blood sugar stable. They also contain several B vitamins including choline and B12.  

Dairy milk is a good source of calcium which is needed for bone and muscle health. Non-dairy milks are usually lower in protein and fat than dairy milk, but can contain fibre (in the case of oat milk) and are often fortified with calcium and vitamin B12.

Anzac Biscuit-Inspired Baked Oats

Makes: 4-6 serves (depending on how hungry you are, of course!)

Time: 5 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking time

Ingredients: 

• 420ml oat milk (you can use any milk you like, but I find oat milk is best as it doesn’t add any additional flavours) 

• 60g butter, melted

• 2 eggs

• 100ml golden syrup

• 250g rolled oats

• 2 tbsp desiccated or shredded coconut

• 4 tbsp ground flax seeds

• 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds (sunflower or hemp seeds are fine too)

To serve: 

Berries, banana, or chopped apple. 

Chopped nuts or extra seeds if desired. 

What to do: 

Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Prepare a 20x20cm baking tin by lining it with baking paper. You could also make individual servings using a muffin tin lined with patty pans. 

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, pour into the prepared baking tin, and bake for around 30 minutes, or until almost set. It will firm up a little as it cools. 

You could also mix the ingredients at night and bake this in the morning if you wish. 

Serve warm with fruit and chopped nuts if desired. I tried to keep the sugar as low as possible in this, so if you’d like it sweeter you could drizzle it with more golden syrup. 

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, place your portion in a baking dish and warm in a 150 deg C oven for around 15 minutes.