Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal

Wow I haven't done an oatmeal recipe in a long time!  Even though I have been eating oatmeal about once or twice a week, it has just been oats prepared the night before with some kind of fruit mixture or pumpkin.  Nothing really special.  However, this recipe was a new one for me - Fruit on the Bottom Baked Oatmeal.  The original recipe calls for blueberries, which I did not have so I used blackberries, but of course any kind of fruit will work!

This recipe was adapted from Fit Foodie Finds:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup gf rolled oats
• 1/2 tsp chia seeds
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp agave
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• handful of blackberries (or other fruit)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl except for the fruit. (I actually stirred in a few blackberries.)
3. Place a handful of blackberries in the bottom of a mason jar.
4. Pour oat mixture on top.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes.  If you want it to be crispier on top, turn the oven to broil for the last 3 minutes of baking time.
6. Top with additional blackberries, granola, nut butter, or any other topping you desire! (I topped mine with extra cinnamon!)

I actually made this the night before because I knew I would be pressed for time in the morning.  I just reheated it the next day in the microwave.  I would not recommend this since it looked and smelled so much better when it came out fresh from the oven.  What I do recommend (and what I will do next time) is prepare all the dry ingredients the night before in a small container and wash and put the fruit in the bottom of the mason jar so that is already to go.  In the morning, mix the dry oatmeal mixture with almond milk, pour it on top of the fruit, and bake while showering and getting ready for the day.  And if after baking it you don't have time to eat, it's already in a convenient jar which you can take with you and eat when you get to work!