Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (Vegan & Naturally Sweetened with Dates)

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal Recipe Notes
​Baked oatmeal is one of my favourite make-ahead breakfasts during the colder months. It takes me just 10–15 minutes to get it into the oven, and then I have cozy, nourishing breakfasts ready for the entire work week. If you’re feeding a family, you could easily double the recipe and bake it in a larger pan — though I haven’t tested that yet.
What I love most about this recipe is how simple and wholesome the ingredients are. It’s naturally sweetened with dates, and I’ve been using blueberries lately as my fruit of choice. That said, don’t be afraid to experiment — chopped apples, pears, raspberries, or even peaches in the summer would all be lovely.
The oatmeal itself isn’t overly sweet, which is how I like it — especially since I tend to pour a generous amount of maple syrup over the top when I serve it. I want the oatmeal piping hot, and the maple syrup warm, too — that part is essential, in my opinion. I usually spoon some plain unsweetened vegan yogurt alongside (never fridge cold), and scatter over some toasted chopped almonds for crunch.
It’s comforting, filling, and endlessly adaptable. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Cooling/Reheating

• If you want your baked oatmeal to hold it's shape in square or rectangle slices, you need to cool it completely and refrigerate before slicing and reheating. If that isn't important to you feel free to eat it right from the oven. 
• To reheat, I simply slice a portion and pop it in the microwave for about a minute and 30 seconds. I've been eating it lately with warm maple syrup, plain unsweetened probiotic vegan yogurt, toasted almonds, and sometimes peaches that I canned myself when they were in season. 

Storing Baked Oatmeal

• I simply store my cooled baked oatmeal in the pan that I baked it in with some saran wrap over top. It's a small 8 X 8 inch pan so that works for me. I would eat this within 5 days tops, and I wouldn't freeze it. It's so easy to whip up and get into the oven there's really no need to freeze it in my mind anyway. ​

Other Serving Options

• If you have any homemade blueberry preserves, a dollop of that on the plate with the yogurt would be delicious.
• Use any nuts you like best, if I wasn't using almonds, pecans would be my second choice. 
• Instead of lemon zest in the batter, try orange zest...but the lemon IS lovely. 
• I wouldn't hesitate to enjoy this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and maple syrup. Or how about coco whip. If not for breakfast, an afternoon treat with tea.