Inspired by a menu item at a local cafe, these satisfying breakfast bowls can be prepped in advance and assembled when ready to eat with seasonal fruit of choice.
Move over granola (if only briefly)… we’re replacing crunchy with chewy.
Traditional breakfast parfaits involve layers of fresh fruit, creamy yogurt, and crisp granolaโand what’s not to love? ย But a wonderful alternative entered the landscape last summer when I was out to breakfast and I ordered just that…or so I thought.
When I first dug my spoon into what was, at first glance, the typical yogurt-fruit-granola concoction, the granola seemed chewy, almost cakey. It soon occurred to me that what I expected to be granola was actually crumbled baked oatmeal.
After enjoying this cool, satisfying breakfast at a local favorite, Prince Street Cafe, and later lucking into a similar version at Cafe One Eight, I pulled out an old baked oatmeal recipe that I knew would be perfect for an easy, at-home version. (If you’re local or visiting Lancaster, I highly recommend both cafes for their casual-hip vibe and quality menu highlighting local ingredients.)
Both cafes layer their baked oatmeal with bright red strawberries and creamy vanilla yogurt (both use local Pequea Valley Farms yogurtโwhich is decadent enough to be dessertโbut you can use your go-to brand), and each spoonful is nothing short of sweet bliss. When strawberries arenโt in season, other seasonal fruit may be substituted. Blueberries are always good, and juicy peaches are a personal favorite. A mix of fruit is delicious too.
These quick-to-assemble parfaits are especially delicious with Amish Baked Oatmeal, a make-ahead recipe that tastes a lot like an oatmeal cookie. The oatmeal stores well in the refrigerator and, for other serving options, can be reheated in the microwave and eaten as is or drizzled with milk and sprinkled with your favorite oatmeal toppings.
Iโd love to know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment, rate it, and donโt forget to tag a photo @fountainavenuekitchen on Instagram and Facebook. Your feedback is always appreciated. 💛
Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bowls
Ingredients
- Baked Oatmeal (I often use this Amish Baked Oatmeal recipe)
- Vanilla yogurt (may substitute your favorite flavor)
- Fresh fruit of choice (strawberries, blueberries, peaches, etc.โor use a mix)
- Optional toppings: toasted walnuts, slivered almonds, or another nut of choice; flaked or shredded coconut, etc.
Instructions
- For Baked Oatmeal Parfaits, slightly crumble a serving of the baked oatmeal and layer it in a glass or Mason jar, parfait-style, with vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit or choice. I use approximately โ (โ for smaller appetites) of an 8×8 pan of baked oatmeal and ยฝ cup each vanilla yogurt (or flavor of choice) and fruit. Start with half of the crumbled oatmeal, followed by half of the yogurt and half of the fruit. Repeat, adding more or less of the individual components according to preference. Feel free to add shredded coconut, toasted almonds, etc.
- For Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Bowls (a slightly quicker but equally tasty alternative to the layered parfait), place a square of the baked oatmeal in a cereal or soup bowl and top with yogurt and fresh fruit. Berries and peaches are delicious. Out of season, try canned peaches or frozen blueberries.
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