Welcome to January, the month of new year’s resolutions and nothing but vegetables. I just don’t buy into that, but after a month of eating cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner I am ready for a bit of a change.

That doesn’t mean I don’t want my breakfast to be delicious, though. This baked oatmeal is warm, slightly sweet and filled with rich spices that ease the transition from 24/7 pastries. It also comes together in moments, leaving you with lots of time to keep working on those other resolutions if you are so inclined.

Makes 1 9×9 baking dish (about 6 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup applesauce or apple butter
• 1 cup almond milk (or other milk you have on hand)
• 2 cups quick oats
• 4 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup nuts of your choice (optional, I used sliced almonds)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f
2. Stir together applesauce (1 cup) and almond milk (1 cup)
3. In a large bowl, stir together oats (2 cups), flaxseeds (4 tbsps), cinnamon (1 tsp) and nuts (1/2 cup)
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir together
5. Pour into 9×9 baking dish and smooth evenly, this will be a bit thick
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the edges just start to brown and the centre is set
7. Let cool at least 5 minutes before serving

Notes:

• This will easily last for a few days in the fridge, so you have lots of breakfast ready and waiting.
• Not a morning person? I get it. Instead of a large serving dish, you can make this in muffin tins so that you have something ready to grab on your way out the door without having to deal with pesky spoons. Just reduce the baking time and check after about 10-15 minutes.
• This is great on its own but even better with sliced fruit, a bit of yogurt or both.