No Added Sugar Cherry Chocolate Baked Oatmeal (Baby Led Weaning & Toddler Friendly)
Fresh sweet cherries add natural sweetness to this cherry chocolate baked oatmeal that tastes like brownies - with no added sugar. Cut it into finger shapes for baby led weaning, or bake into mini muffins for toddlers. This is a healthy make ahead breakfast the whole family will enjoy! (gluten-free)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 8x8 dish 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups fresh sweet cherries
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a square 8- or 9-inch baking dish with parchment.
- Remove stems and pits from cherries. Add to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed. Alternately, you can finely chop the cherries by hand.
- In a large bowl, whisk the milk, vanilla, egg and cocoa powder.
- Whisk in oats, baking soda and chia seeds.
- Stir in chopped cherries.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 18-23 minutes, or until center or the oatmeal is set.
- Cool oatmeal before cutting and serving.
Notes
Tips for success:
- I used a metal baking dish. If you use a ceramic or glass dish, you'll need to increase the baking time by a few minutes.
- You'll want to bake long enough that the oatmeal is set in the middle so that it stays together when you cut it into 'finger' shapes for baby.
- Don't skip lining the pan with parchment. This will help you lift it all out of the pan at once so you can easily cut it after baking.
Recipe variations:
- Mini muffins: For mini muffins, use a silicone mini muffin pan (like this one) or grease a regular mini muffin tin very well. Bake mini muffins for 14-17 minutes.
- Optional mix-ins: If you're making this oatmeal for older kiddos or adults, feel free to add a pinch of salt to the batter and sprinkle in some chocolate chips for a sweeter treat.
- For allergies, you can substitute your favorite non-dairy milk. While I have not tested it, you should be able to substitute a flax egg or your favorite egg replacer for the egg.