Who would have though baking oatmeal would turn out to be something so good?  I really thought that after viewing some Pins on Pinterest I would have either a gooey mess or a congealed substance that no one would want to get near.  But, I do have to say that they were so yummy!  Just the right amount of spice and sweetness to make it taste good but not to overdone to knock the socks off your blood sugar.

These are perfect for your car ride to work or a quicky breakfast for your kids on the way to school.  The calorie count on these are lower so I ate two on the way to work, or three if I pushed it harder at the gym before work.  That little bit of extra carb in the morning is good for the brain, and the fiber in them holds me over till my mid-morning fruit snack really well. I also like that I made the squares smaller, because I totally eat with my eyes first, and if these blue eyes see more in the ziplock bag then I feel like I am getting a lot and will feel fuller…silly but true.

I decided to make a few muffins and the rest square because it was a TON of batter, and I didn’t want to spend all morning in the kitchen baking muffins.  The pan worked so well, and it was a long baking experience…especially since I baked the bars at the same time as the muffins. Do you ever do that? Think you can make life easier by baking two different sized items at the same time? Just makes life more difficult huh?

I cut the squares in 2×2’s so they were roughly the same size as the muffins.  The pan took about an hour to bake, the muffins about 35 minutes.  Turned out really good!  Especially the raisins; they turned out juicy and plump-yum. Also-the raisins added the most calories per square then any other ingredients but they were definitely needed because if u don’t put anything sweet in it they will be to dense and not sweet.

I got 36 total between the muffins and squares.  If you have a big family this is a great amount so everyone can eat them throughout the week for breakfasts and snacks, or you can freeze half for the next time.  I refrigerated all of them and ate on them for two weeks-I loved them cold!  They lasted the entire two-week period with no mold and no losing flavor.

Ingredients: 36 Servings

2 Bananas-mashed

2 C Applesauce

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 C packed Organic Brown Sugar

1/4 C Flaxseed-Milled

5 C Oats

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

3 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

2 3/4 C Silk Light Vanilla Soy Milk

1 C Raisins

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray muffin cups with Pam or non-stick spray.

2. Combine bananas, applesauce, vanilla and brown sugar.

3. In separate bowl combine flaxseed, oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

4. Slowly stir dry ingredients into the wet.

5. Add milk.  You may need to add more at the end of mixing. It should be very runny, so if you need a tad more be sure to add it.

6. Add raisins (or other yummy goodies that you would like in your baked oatmeal breakfast).

7. If you are using the muffin method for the whole batch, spoon 3/4 full each tin-lined cup. If using the baking dish use two large pans and pour.

8. Bake muffins for 25-35 minutes. In the dish about 60 minutes total. Be sure to check near the end of the baking time to ensure no burning.

9. Enjoy!

Have you ever tried baked oatmeal? How did it turn out? What other goodies besides raisins have you tried?