Orange Cream Baked Oats
The following recipe and photography is courtesy of Graham R. and his dog, Carl. For more of their delicious food ventures, visit them on Instagram @cookingwithcarrrl.
Oatmeal is a breakfast staple in many households and has been for decades. It’s easy to see why; oats are quick to make, nutritious, filling and very delicious. This recipe focuses on the delicious attribute of oats with a citrus season-inspired orange cream flavor profile.
Overnight oats may have taken social media by storm, but I am a firm believer that baked oats reign supreme. I’ll take a hot meal over a cold meal any day of the week!
The key to this recipe is Heinen’s fresh squeezed orange juice. It’s the liquid base of the oats and the icing. I’m confident when I say that there is no better orange juice than what Heinen’s is putting in these bottles. Each sip turns into a gulp. It is so fresh I just can’t help it. When I was child, I distinctly remember my grandpa bringing a gallon of Heinen’s orange juice whenever he came to visit. It tastes just as good today as it did back then, but that’s because it’s tradition. In fact, Heinen’s has been fresh squeezing OJ in their stores since 1948. Drink with caution because this will ruin all other orange juice for you.
These oats are quickly becoming one of my favorite breakfasts, but they also make an easy dinner on a cold, busy evening. Once you understand the basics of baked oats, you can infuse them with nearly any flavor. Swap out the oranges and add peanut butter and cocoa powder for a healthy treat, or load up on the maple syrup and top with crumbled bacon and pecans for an out-of-this-world sweet and salty concoction.
Orange Cream Baked Oats
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Baked Oats
- 2 Heinen’s cage free eggs
- 1/2 cup Heinen’s pure organic maple syrup
- 1/2 cup Heinen’s fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 1/4 cup Heinen’s whole milk
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
- 2 1/4 cup Heinen's old fashioned oats
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- Sliced oranges, for topping
For the Orange Icing
- 3 Tbsp. Heinen’s fresh squeezed orange juice
- 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F.
- Add the eggs, syrup, orange juice, milk, almond extract, orange zest and melted butter to a large bowl. Mix very well.
- Mix in the oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Let sit for 5 minutes. It will look a bit watery; that’s expected.
- Place the oats into a greased 9×9 baking dish, or use smaller dishes for individual servings. Place an orange slice in the center of the oats. I prefer blood oranges for their dark red color, but feel free to use your favorite orange.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown color on top and set in the center. If you give the dish a shake and the oats remain still, they are done. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.
- While the oats are cooling, make the icing by whisking together the orange juice, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. You can add a Tbsp. of vanilla yogurt to create a creamy topping. If you like a thinner icing, add more orange juice. If you like a thicker icing, add more powdered sugar.
- Serve family-style or in individual ramekins topped with icing, fruit slices and/or maple syrup! Enjoy with coffee or hot chocolate.
