Breakfast is one of my favorite meals, but I usually only have limited time in the morning and need a recipe that is quick and easy. This Baked Oatmeal is the perfect delicious breakfast option when you don’t have a lot of time in the morning. Plus, it is so delicious and filled with healthy and filling ingredients.

Recipe Notes

If you have never tried baked oatmeal before, let me introduce you to this elevated version of regular oatmeal. Baked oatmeal is served warm, has a soft and delicate texture, and is filled with cinnamon and berries. In addition, it only requires 10-12 minutes in the oven and very little prep time, which makes it perfect for a busy morning schedule.

The main ingredients in this recipe include: oats, oat flour, mashed banana, dairy-free milk, maple syrup, and berries of your choice (fresh or frozen)! After a lot of recipe testing, I believe that I have found the perfect combination of ingredients to create a naturally sweetened, healthy, and delicious breakfast. I love using strawberries and blueberries in this recipe, but any berries will work here!

Serving Baked Oatmeal

I like to serve this baked oatmeal fresh from the oven after allowing it to cool for about 5 minutes beforehand, as it is best served warm. It pairs wonderfully with additional fresh fruit, coconut milk yogurt or a drizzle of maple syrup for extra sweetness.

This recipe is extremely versatile and adaptable, so feel free to add any kind of fruit or additional toppings that you enjoy! If you’re looking for more vegan breakfast options, be sure to check out my other breakfast recipes here.

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Berry Baked Oatmeal

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups of old fashioned oats
• ¼ cups of course oat flour place 1⁄4 cup of whole oats in a blender until flour consistency is reached
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon more to taste
• ¾ teaspoon of vanilla
• ½ cup of mashed banana or one mashed banana
• 1 cup of almond milk or dairy-free milk of choice
• 3-4 tablespoons of maple syrup depending on desired sweetness
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or any nut butter or coconut oil
• 2 cups of berries of choice I like to use chopped strawberries and blueberries but any berries including banana slices will work here
• optional: chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8×8 inch pan with coconut oil.
• Combine the first five dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and stir until evenly combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until evenly combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, top with optional chocolate chips, and bake for 12-15 minutes until the center is just cooked and no longer looks wet.
• Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.

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I know that the sound of date cookies might ring a bit unusual. Although, I came up with this idea while I was testing a new recipe for Date Brownies (coming soon!). Since the brownie batter was so thick, I decided to drop tablespoons of batter onto a cookie sheet and bake them. I was overjoyed with the result! These cookies turned out thick, chewy, and just like perfect little brownie bites!

Recipe Notes

This recipe is naturally sweetened with dates. Allowing the dates to soak in boiling water for 10 minutes is the secret to giving these cookies an extra fudgy texture! Dates are loaded with health benefits, which is why I love using them as a sugar alternative in baking.

These Date Brownie Cookies call for oat flour, which is one of my favorite gluten-free flour alternatives. I usually make my own oat flour by placing oats in my blender or food processor and blending until a flour consistency is reached.

1/2 a cup of unsweetened apple sauce is used in this recipe as a vegan egg replacement. Plus, it also helps add moisture. A good rule of thumb is that you can replace one egg with 1/4 cup of apple sauce.

I hope you enjoy these easy, guilt-free, and delicious date cookies as much as we do! Be sure to check out some of my other healthy cookie recipes: Healthy Banana Oat Cookies, Chickpea Peanut Butter Cookies, and Healthy Peanut Butter Patties. Happy baking!

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Date Brownie Cookies

Course Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dates pitted
• 3/4 cups oat flour can be made by blending whole oats in your blender or food processor until you have a flour consistency
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 salt
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
• 2 tablespoons of natural nut butter I use peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/3 cup of chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring a small pot of water to a boil, once water is boiling remove from heat and allow dates to soak for 10 minutes until soft.
• While you are waiting for your dates to soak, add the rest of the ingredients (aside from chocolate chips) to your food processor and blend until combined.
• Drain your dates and add them to the food processor and blend until evenly combined (About 30 seconds to a minute). You may want to stop periodically and scrape the sides to ensure everything is evenly combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Scoop out cookie dough with a tablespoon and place it on lined baking sheet. The dough will be sticky, but these cookies do not spread in the oven so try to shape and flatten the cookies to your desired size. Top each cookie with desired amount of chocolate chips.
• Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the tops no longer appear to be wet. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!

The post Date Brownie Cookies appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

Mac and Cheese is one of my favorite comfort foods. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find vegan mac and cheese that actually tastes good, which is why I am SO excited to share this recipe with you.

Over the past year, I have tried countless Vegan Mac and Cheese recipes that all ended with bowls of (oddly textured) disappointment. Although, after many failed attempts, I have finally developed the perfect Vegan Mac and Cheese recipe that is made with simple ingredients that you can feel good about. Plus, it is naturally gluten-free and soy-free!

Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe Breakdown

Many vegan “cheese” sauces are made with a cashew base, but that method proved to be more time consuming and obtained a less than desirable texture. This recipe uses vegetables as a base and has four main ingredients: carrots, potatoes, nutritional yeast, and unsweetened almond milk.

Carrot and potato help create a healthy base to this sauce that can be easily blended to a smooth and creamy consistency when combined with almond milk.

Nutritional yeast, is what gives this “cheese” sauce a cheesy flavor and color. I have grown to love nutritional yeast for not only the addicting flavor, but it is also full of health benefits by containing vitamins and minerals!

How to make Vegan Mac and Cheese

This recipe has three simple steps and can be made in less than 20 minutes.

1. Steam the carrots and potatoes until very soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. Once the vegetables are cooked thoroughly, you can add them to your food processor along with all of the other ingredients.

2. Blend all ingredients together until completely smooth and creamy (about 3 minutes).

3. Pour your cheese sauce into a saucepot over medium-high heat and constantly stir or whisk until the mixture thickens to desired consistency (about 5-10 minutes).

Serve warm over pasta and enjoy! I love to enjoy this vegan cheese sauce over chickpea pasta, which is naturally gluten-free and packed with protein! This recipe is easy to make, but it is even easier to eat!

If you love this recipe, be sure to check out another one of my favorite easy dinner recipes: Loaded Sweet Potatoes. Enjoy!

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Vegan Mac and Cheese

Course Main Course

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup of sliced carrot about 1 large
• 1 small/medium golden potato peeled and diced
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
• 1 1/4 cups of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 ¾ teaspoons of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon of onion powder
• pinch of cayenne pinch of nutmeg, black pepper to taste
• 1 box desired pasta I like to use chickpea pasta

Instructions

• Steam the carrots and potatoes about 10 minutes until soft. Remove from heat when a fork can easily pierce potatoes and carrots. Allow to cool for a few minutes before adding to your food processor.
• Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend on high until very smooth.
• Heat pot over medium heat and add mixture, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes until it begins to thicken to desired consistency
• Pour warm sauce over cooked pasta and enjoy!

The post Vegan Mac and Cheese appeared first on Splurge with Ella.

If you’re looking for a healthier potato chip alternative or if you’re just looking for a new and delicious snack idea, I have just the recipe for you. Look no further than these Baked Plantain Chips.

Baked Plantain Chips are:

1. Gluten free

2. Paleo friendly

3. Vegan

4. Salty and crispy

5. Quick and easy

6. Extremely addicting!

Recipe Notes

Not familiar with plantains? Plantains are a versatile fruit (with similar uses to a potato) that can be mashed, baked, fried, boiled, and turned into chips! Plantains also contain minerals, vitamins, and are a good source of fiber. Although plantains look like large bananas, they cannot be eaten raw. This recipe calls for green plantains, to ensure that your chips will bake up crisp, rather than soft.

It is important to slice your plantains as thinly as possible to ensure your chips turn out crispy, and be sure to keep a close eye on them while they’re in the oven to prevent from over baking.

These Plantain Chips pair perfectly with my favorite Guacamole recipe or even my Easy Homemade Hummus recipe!

Now enjoy your easy, homemade, and guilt free snack!

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Baked Plantain Chips

Course Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 large green plantain
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil or whatever oil you prefer
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet with oil or line with parchment paper.
• Cut off both ends of the plantain and remove the peel by cutting the peel lengthwise about three times or until you are able to remove it easily.
• Slice the plantain as thinly as possible with a sharp knife and spread slices onto your baking sheet.
• Brush plantains with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake in preheated oven for about 20 minutes (flipping the chips halfway through) or until crispy.
• Remove from oven and season again with salt and pepper and any other desired seasonings. Serve with guac, hummus or enjoy as is!

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