March 13, 2004
Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis
I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I am not the greatest fan of oatmeal - at least when it is cooked in milk the usual way : the lumpy look and the weird smell and the mushy texture really put me off. However, I am a good friend of oatmeal in müesli, and in cookies, and in this baked oatmeal recipe.
The original recipe is brought to us by the good people at Quaker Oats, and it caught my attention as it went through a bout of extreme popularity on the Cooking Light billboards a little while ago. It originally calls for oil but I omit it because it's really unnecessary, and I like to add more fruit than just raisins or dried cranberries : an apple, a banana, a pear, a peach, dried blueberries or dates or figs are great additions, and it is really nice with nuts of any kind, too.
A slice of this oatmeal flan for breakfast is a delightful way to start the day : tasty, filling and healthy. A great item to serve for brunch, it also freezes beautifully : you can make a batch of it and then store individual servings in the freezer, to thaw, reheat and eat when you feel like it.
Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis
- 2-1/4 C quick cooking oats, uncooked, or 2-3/4 C old fashioned oats, uncooked
- 2/3 C brown sugar
- 3/4 C raisins and/or dried cranberries (substitute other dried fruits)
- 1 apple, peeled and sliced (substitute other fresh fruits - optional)
- 1/4 to 1/3 C nuts, chopped (walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts..., or even better a mix of all - optional)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3-1/3 C milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
(Serves 8.)
Preheat your oven to 180°C (360°F). Lightly oil an 13 by 9-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, sugar, raisins, chopped nuts, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. In a medium bowl, combine the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add this to the dry ingredients, and mix until well blended.
Pour the mixture into the baking dish, and use a wooden spoon to make sure the solids are more or less evenly spread out. Arrange the apple slices over the surface. They will sink somewhat but that's okay, they'll float right back up when the oatmeal cooks.
Put in the oven to bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the center is set and firm to the touch. Let cool slightly : it should be eaten a bit warm but not scalding hot.
Cut in 8 servings, and serve with yogurt and fruit if desired ; it is also nice with a thin spread of jam or peanut butter. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator, tightly covered, or wrap each serving individually and put in the freezer. You can then take a serving out the night before and leave it to thaw until the morning, when a 30-second stay in the microwave will bring it to the perfect temperature.
Original recipe by Quaker Oats.
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Comments (24)
Permalink | Posted by clotilde in Cakes & Desserts - Recipe Inside!
This looks nice -- a healthy version of the British flapjack. Also, thanks for the link to the Cooking Light boards! Will check them out.
Posted by Jackie on March 14, 2004 5:35 PMHmm. Are the measurements in this recipe definitely correct? I tried to make these last night on your recommendation and they came out mealy, mushy and bland. They were much, much thicker than your picture (they filled the pan completely, like a cake or something) and I ended up chucking them out. Maybe I just prefer a chewier oatmeal bar (probably something made with sweetened condensed milk or the like).
Posted by brian w on March 14, 2004 5:58 PMJackie - I've never tasted flapjacks, but I have seen them in stores. I seem to remember that they're a crunchy bar, a bit like a rice krispies bar, made with oats? This baked oatmeal isn't meant to come out crunchy though, it's more like a sort of oatmeal clafoutis, you see? Oh, come to think of it, "Oatmeal Breakfast Clafoutis" is actually a better name for it. I'll change it.
Brian - Oh I'm really sorry yours didn't turn out. I checked the ingredient measurements, and they are indeed the ones I've always successfully used, and they are the same on Quaker Oats' website. Like I told Jackie above, these are not meant to be a crunchy oatmeal bar, they're more in the texture of a clafoutis, or a flan. What kind of oats did you use?
Posted by clotilde on March 14, 2004 6:54 PMI just whipped them up this afternoon (having all of the ingredients helps on a Sunday...) and it came out great - the house smells lovely now too: apples & cinnamon! I like using whole oats for the texture and taste.
Posted by Amy C. on March 14, 2004 7:18 PMI used quick-cooking oats... Maybe I made a measurement mistake somewhere along the line. They still made the kitchen smell good, and oats are cheap, so tonight I'll just make some oatmeal cookies instead. No harm done!
Posted by brian w on March 14, 2004 7:58 PMWow. Portable oatmeal! I will have to check that out. I gave up taking oatmeal in for breakfast when I went through too many microwave containers.
I always put more nuts and fruits than it says in recipes like that. Oatmeal, walnuts, and dried cherries, oh my!
Posted by Charlotte on March 15, 2004 12:11 AMThanks for this. I happened to have appropriate ingredients on hand, so I whipped some up with reconstituted (soaked in hot water) dried apricots and plums. I underbaked them slightly (55 minutes: still a bit too damp and fragile) but was generally happy with the results. I might add less sugar next time. Best feature: I won't have to think about breakfast for the rest of the week.
Posted by I. on March 15, 2004 4:15 AMAmy and Brian - I agree, the apple-cinnamon smell is very pervasive!
Charlotte - I suspect the original recipe was a bit skimpy on the dried fruits because it clearly sets out to be a healthy low-cal recipe (calling for skim milk and egg whites...). So they just cut on the goodies! But we know better, don't we? :)
I. - I like them a tad overbaked, but that's because I'm not very much into mushy oatmeal. But it kinda sets when it cools down, too. Enjoy your weekworth of breakfast!
Posted by clotilde on March 15, 2004 4:21 PMThe next time you make a clafoutis, I recommend that you sing the old Little Richard song, Tutti Frutti, Oh Rudy, but change it to Clafouti, Oh Rudy. I've found that that this will irritate everyone around you and for this reason, must be done.
Posted by Jay Francis on March 15, 2004 6:20 PMJay - This made me laugh, thanks for the giggle! And I will certainly remember this precious piece of advice...
Posted by clotilde on March 15, 2004 11:06 PMDear Clotilde,
Posted by Dana on March 16, 2004 9:41 AMthanks for a great breakfast idea! I have spread some fig jam on it about 5 minutes before taking it out of the oven, it turned out delicious. Keep up the good work, in my book this is the best European Weblog!!!!!! I stumbled onto it just a couple of weeks ago - too late to vote...I love everything about it, the design, the recipes, the pictures, your stories. Looking forward to more!
Dana - I'm delighted you liked this, fig jam sounds like the perfect topping! And thank you so much for the kind compliments...
Posted by clotilde on March 17, 2004 2:31 PMI didn't have apples - I used pears instead. It turned out great. I'm doing brunch for Easter and plan on making this!!
Posted by Janet on April 1, 2004 3:42 AMJanet - Mmh yes, pears are great in this, I'm glad you liked it! Happy Easter brunch! :)
Posted by clotilde on April 1, 2004 4:10 PMHey, I just ran across this recipe, tried it, and love it! I have been working out very early in the morning, and this is the perfect thing to have on hand for breakfast - not too heavy, but substantial enough, and a nice mix of carbs, dairy, and protein. I added an extra egg, and some dried cranberries and dates. I also froze individual portions which works just great; using old fashioned oats gives it a wonderful nutty texture even after it's been frozen and reheated. Great goodness.
Posted by faith on February 2, 2005 6:51 PMI found this recipe yesterday and after reading comments on it, just had to make it! It was wonderful!! I made a few additions, my version may be a little rich for breakfast, but would be great for brunch, even dessert! I made the following changes: I added 1/4 t. apple pie spice with the cinnamon. I only had on hand 2 3/4 cups of 2% milk, so I added melted butter and whipping cream to measure 3 1/3 cups milk. To the fruit mixture, I added 1 small mashed banana, a heaping 1/2 cup of leftover carrot salad containing finely shredded carrots, raisens, pineapple tidbits, shredded coconut, walnuts, mayonaise and sugar. After slicing up the apple on top of the clafouti, I sprinkled it with brown sugar, apple pie spice and cut up a tablespoon of butter to top it all off. Baked for 1 hour. It was unbelievable! Thanks, Clotilde, for the great site!
Posted by Janet C. on January 6, 2006 8:57 PMThis is such a great recipe. And thank you for the tip about freezing them. I think I have made this 4 or 5 times now. Everytime I finish them up, I made another pan the next weekend.
Posted by laura on October 25, 2006 1:46 AMDear Clotilde: Thank you for this delicious recipe. My newest comfort food. I made it last night and it filled the house with a wonderful aroma.
Posted by DonnaP on January 29, 2007 10:34 PMI'm piping in very late, but I just made this and it's wonderful!
I used a mix of dried apricots, cherries, and strawberries and some fresh blueberries for the fruit. I used cashew, almonds, and walnuts for the nuts.
It turned out perfectly with just a bit of a tart bite to it (probably from the dried apricots). I'm glad I used old fashioned oats as opposed to quick oats; the oats retained enough structure not to be overly mushy.
I will definitely make this again in the future! Thanks for the recipe.
Posted by verily on July 30, 2007 3:30 AMWow these are great! They were really simple and smelled wonderful while they were baking. I used dried cran-cherries, dried apricots, walnuts, and unsalted sunflower seeds.
Thank you so much- I'll definitely make this again.
Posted by Laura S. on March 2, 2008 3:17 AMMade these for a healthy breakfast you can just grab out of the freezer and take with you. Portable oatmeal! They're quite nice but perhaps mine was a bit too watery, all the sugar and raisins had sunk to the bottom, the almond slivers were in the middle, while the apples had risen to the top. Still, it tastes great! Will definitely make it again (and then maybe add the raisins halfway through)
Posted by Jules on November 3, 2008 9:12 AMWhat kind of consistency do these have in the end? Are they like a chewy granola bar or more like cooked oatmeal?
Posted by Brooke on April 27, 2009 7:56 PMBrooke - This is not as chewy as a granola bar, but not as soft as cooked oatmeal -- it's somewhere in the middle!
Posted by clotilde on April 28, 2009 11:25 AMI am always on the lookout for freezer meals for my nephew. This is a helthy breakfast or any time snack.
Posted by Laurie on July 30, 2009 7:27 PM