Autumnal Apple & Date Baked Oats

An autumnal twist on my favourite baked oats recipe. It’s got apple grated into the oats as well as chopped apple on top, which has a nice crunch to it. The oats are scented with warming spices and sweetened with mashed bananas and soft dates. They’re a perfect make ahead breakfast and my toddler loves them too! They stay nice and gooey in the middle. My preferred way to have them is warm with thick yoghurt.

Ingredients - serves 6
15 soft pitted dates, chopped
2 medium-sized ripe bananas
1 apple, grated
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups porridge oats
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1 apple, cored and chopped (I like to use Jazz Apples)

Method
Pre-heat your oven to 170°C.

Place the chopped dates into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to sit for 15 minutes before straining off the water and roughly mashing the dates.

In a bowl (or straight into the dish you want to bake the oats in), mash the banana and add in the grated apple, eggs and vanilla. Mix to combine before adding in the oats, salt, spices and baking powder. Lightly mix together and add in the milk and mashed dates. Thoroughly combine everything before pouring the oats into a baking dish (I use an 18x12cm deep ceramic dish.) Scatter over the chopped apple and bake for 25 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through. It should be slightly puffed, set around the edges but a little soft in the middle.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into six portions. Serve warm with yoghurt. The baked oats can be stored in the fridge for 5 days and re-heated in the microwave to serve.