Baked Oatmeal meets Trailside Treat Cookies - one of my childhood favorites! This baked oatmeal is loaded with all the trailside treats for an easy breakfast bar that's delicious and satisfying!
One of my favorite parts of being a mom is watching my kids have fun together. I love watching them snuggle and wrestle and play together, and I love listening to them tell one another stories and talk about their day. There is nothing sweeter than when Ellia is able to comfort Nora or when Greta sings to Myla to get her to stop crying. And when they are all playing make believe - Myla included - it just might be my favorite thing ever.
Except, of course, when they're playing "house" and Ellia is the "mom" and the mom is "mean"......and when I listen closely, I realize she sounds JUST LIKE ME on my worst day!!!! Yep, that was yesterday after school at our house. And just like that, make believe went from my favorite thing ever to the exact opposite!
There's nothing like kids when it comes to shining a mirror on our imperfections....am I right?? Ugh. So, needless to say, I guess I need to work on being "nice". In my defense, Jorden has been out of town all week, and by the end of a week of single parenting, I'm tired! And.....maybe......a little mean. (Single parents - you are my heroes.)
Trailside Treat Baked Oatmeal
So. This baked oatmeal. It's my way of earning a few "brownie points" with my kids. Would a mean mom give their kids a cookie-inspired treat for breakfast? I don't think so!!! But here's the thing. Even though it's cookie-inspired, it's basically oatmeal! With a touch of peanut butter for protein and a few little extras for good measure. Because when it comes to parenting, we could all use a little extra good measure. (Or maybe that's just me!)
Trailside Treat Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 3 c. old fashioned oats
- 5 ½ c. milk
- 1 ½ c. brown sugar
- ½ c. peanut butter
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 c. raisins
- 1 c. chocolate chips
Instructions
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In a large pot, combine oats, milk, brown sugar, peanut butter, and eggs.
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Mix well; bring to a boil.
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As soon as the mixture boils, reduce heat to simmer. Simmer over medium heat, stirring regularly, 20 minutes or until thickened.
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Once mixture is thick, stir in raisins.
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Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan and top with chocolate chips.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until oatmeal is set.
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Let stand 5 minutes.
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Serve warm; top with milk or additional brown sugar if desired.
Looking for more "good measure" breakfast ideas?
Want to enjoy a lovely breakfast cocktail with your baked oatmeal? Try this (non-alcoholic) Breakfast Bellini from Genius Kitchen
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
This baked oatmeal looks fantastic, Cathy! I love how easy this is to whip up. And anything with chocolate and peanut butter is a winner in my book. Pinned!
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction
I would love starting my day with this baked oatmeal! It looks amazing!
Jess
My favorite is when the girls secretly record me when I'm oblivious to it and then I find the video on their cameras later. If I have the need to erase it I know I need to work a little harder to be a better mom! I'm going to definitely use this recipe to my advantage as well, I know it would earned me some brownie points 🙂
Jamie+@+Love+Bakes+Good+Cakes
I'm not really a breakfast person, but this recipe just might change my mind! Btw, we all have "those" mom moments! 😉 I'll keep this recipe in mind for when I need some extra brownie points too!
Julie+@+Tastes+of+Lizzy+T
I swear we are on the same wavelength. I've been dreaming of baked oatmeal lately. I made one years ago and loved it, but haven't made it since. And since this one has chocolate and peanut butter?....*dying*
Deb+@+Cooking+on+the+Front+Burner
These look so ooey gooey and delicious!
Judene tippett
Is there any nutrition info on these bars? I would like to try them but I keep a good diary and need to know how to post this.
Kelly
There are several different recipe calculators floating around online. I use myfitnesspal one (just paste the link in the bar, then hit enter and it finds the ingredients. BE SURE TO INPUT SERVING AMOUNT!). Another one you have to do manually is sparkrecipes calculator.
Anyway, estimating 16 (4x4) slices, I'm coming up with 341 calories/serving.
Kelly
Hi. Me again! I forgot to mention, sparkrecipes is great because it has ALL nutritional info with the recipes (potassium, iron, vitamins, etc) but myfitness does not.
Also, recipe looks good. Maybe I'll look into a way to lower the calorie intake amount. I'll try this recipe out, however!
Amy@Little Dairy on the Prairie
Cathy, I usually need some brownie points with the kids. I bet this baked oatmeal would do the trick!
Denise
This looks yummy! Is there a danger of the eggs scrambling or separating or something, cooking them on the stove? Is there a technique to avoid egg problems?
Maria
This looks good but I also question how the eggs behave while simmering. Do you temper the whisked eggs with some of the warmed mixture and then incorporate? Would like to try this out, but don't want to waste the ingredients trying to get the eggs right.
Claire
Hi Cathy,
I have this in the oven now for over half an hour, it is still very gooey. Just wondering do you take it out and when it's cool does it harden? There is no way you could cut it the way it is!! Smells delicious really looking forward to trying it!
Heather
I made these and they were super gooey. Is that how they are supposed to be?
Cathy Trochelman
Hi Heather, the recipe is a baked oatmeal recipe, so somewhat gooey is okay. My guess is that the mixture didn't thicken enough on the stovetop. It should be thick before it goes into the oven. Sorry they were so gooey for you!
Susan
5 and a half cups of milk? Is that a typo? I just made this and it is gooey and the consistency is not good at all. I kept it in the oven for about 45 minutes and you still couldn't cut through it. Sorry but this was a waste of ingredients. I was so hoping for good results!
Cathy Trochelman
Hi Susan, Sorry for my late response to this! 5 1/2 cups of milk is not a typo...my guess is that the mixture did not thicken enough on the stovetop. I changed the wording of the recipe a bit for more clarity. I'm so sorry you felt like it was a waste of ingredients. 🙁
Ana
Do you use natural or sweetened peanut butter
Cathy Trochelman
Hi Ana, I used natural peanut butter. 🙂
Keri
Looking forward to making this! Could it be served cold in kids lunches?
Thank you!
Cathy Trochelman
Hi Keri, It would be good at room temperature but I'm not sure it would taste good cold. Hope this helps!
Nancy
These are yummy!! Just wondering how to store the leftovers , I am thinking in the fridge- also have you tried freezing them- just wondering how to make them last the longest!!
Graceann
I was wondering the same thing... Did cathy respond how to store them?
Cathy Trochelman
Hi Graceann, These should be stored in the refrigerator. Not sure about the freezer - I have never tried!
Cathy Trochelman
Hi Nancy, Yes! This needs to be stored in the refrigerator. I've never tried freezing it, although I'm guessing it would work okay to do that too. Hope this helps!
April Ringwald-Rabourn
Can the Trailside Treat Baked Oatmeal be cooked and then frozen and heated up as needed?
Pat
I LOVE this recipe. I use Truvia Brown sugar , Almond Milk , and PB Fit to make it diet friendly for me. Also used Lilys Chocolate Chips. This is one of my favs!!
Cathy Trochelman
Great substitutions!