Breakfast is tough for me - Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal Recipe

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal with Yogurt and Strawberries

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I know this, but I still buy Cheerios for my family to eat. It's embarrassing, believe me. Extruded cereals are all kinds of bad. We do so well for other meals, but breakfast is tough for me. I like sleep. A lot. My kids like sleep as well. On an average morning, nobody but my husband is up before 8. As a matter of fact, it is 8:45 right now and Ian just came stumbling down the stairs. I know some may find that appalling, but it's just how we roll. It works for our family. All that to say, when the mama isn't rolling out of bed until 8 it makes it more challenging to provide the hungry little ones with a filling nutritious breakfast. However, I have been getting better!!

I've been experimenting with various baked oatmeal and muffin recipes. One batch, or a double batch, will last us for several days so I'm doing my best to make sure there is always something available in the mornings for us without me having to make something each day. If all else fails, I do nearly always have a loaf of yummy sourdough on hand for toast. One of the trickier - for me - parts of grain based breakfasts is that they need to be soaked for our bodies to fully utilize the nutrients. It takes some practice to remember to start things soaking the day before. I'm getting there though!

Our two favorite breakfasts so far are Soaked Pumpkin Muffins and the Soaked Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal(pictured above) that I would like to share with you. We've tried several variations of oatmeal and this is the best.

Soaked Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

2 1/2 C oats

1/4 C whole wheat flour

1 3/4 C kefir, buttermilk, or yogurt

1/2 C butter or coconut oil, melted

4 eggs

1/2 C sucanat(maple syrup, honey, or a combination can also be used)

1 t baking powder

1/2 t Sea Salt

2 t cinnamon

2 t vanilla

2 apples, chopped

12-24hrs before you plan to bake soak the oats, wheat, and kefir(or yogurt/buttermilk) covered at room temperature. In the morning, beat melted oil/butter, sweetener, and eggs in a separate bowl. Add baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla and mix well. Mix in the soaked grains and chopped apples. Pour into 9×13 baking dish and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

We serve warm with yogurt and fruit. It's delicious! Do you have any favorite easy and nutritious breakfasts? Is this a meal that you also struggle with?