These vegan baked oats are a filling breakfast with just a little bit of decadence thanks to the addition of dark chocolate. They’re a great way to start your day—and they take just a few minutes of prep work!
Baked oatmeal has been a thing for a while, and I’ve shared my own version of it in the past: Baked Banana Bread Oatmeal Cups . But once again, TikTok has changed the game and given us a completely new option for making baked oats.
TikTok baked oats start by blending all of the ingredients, so instead of the traditional texture (which is kind of like a cross between porridge and bread pudding), these baked oats are almost cake-like.
Pulverizing the oats instead of keeping them whole is part of the reason for this texture, and all the air incorporated during the blending process helps too. We’re talking light, fluffy baked oats—like nothing you’ve ever had before!
My vegan baked oats take this idea and veganize it by omitting the egg and using banana as a binder instead. Using a ripe banana also adds sweetness, which means you hardly have to add any additional sweetener to this recipe!
Just like traditional baked oats, these vegan baked oats are easy to make and can be customized with your favourite flavours, add-ins, and toppings. The result is a warm and comforting breakfast that’s incredibly satisfying and delicious.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Rolled oats
- Banana – The riper the banana, the sweeter your vegan baked oats will be. You can still make this recipe with a less-ripe banana, but note that you’ll probably have to add some extra maple syrup.
- Vegan milk – Any kind you like or have on hand will work here.
- Maple syrup – Another vegan sweetener is fine, too.
- Baking powder
- Vanilla extract – Or try almond extract for something a little different.
- Sea salt
- Cinnamon – Other cozy spices like cardamom are delicious, too.
- Vegan chocolate
What Kind of Oats Are Best for Baking?
Rolled oats are the best type of oats for baking, both when making traditional vegan baked oats and TikTok baked oats. That’s because rolled oats will blend up smoother than steel-cut oats, so you won’t end up with a grainy texture.
How to Make Vegan Baked Oats
I like starting this recipe right after I wake up, and then I get ready while it bakes. By the time I’m done, breakfast is ready!
- Prepare. Preheat your oven.
- Blend the ingredients. Combine the oats, banana, milk, maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla extract, sea salt, and cinnamon in a blender . Blend until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Bake. Pour the mixture into a large ramekin, leaving some room for rising. (I use a 14-ounce ramekin.) Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the oven.
- Finish. Remove the baked oats from the oven, top them with chocolate, and let it melt slightly for about a minute before serving.
Tips for Success
To make sure your baked oats turn out perfect every time, follow these tips.
- Use ripe bananas. Not only are they sweeter, but they also have a more pronounced banana flavour. Then your vegan baked oats will taste like banana bread!
- Sweeten to taste. Because there are no eggs in this recipe, it’s safe to taste the batter and add more maple syrup if needed.
- Place the ramekin on a baking sheet. That way if it does overflow while baking, you won’t have a mess to clean up in your oven.
Variations
There are endless variations of baked oats. You can switch up the flavours by adding different ingredients, like blueberries, chocolate chips, or cherries. Or you can add spices like cardamom, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice to give your oats some extra cozy flavour.
Don’t forget that you can add toppings too! Sprinkle chopped nuts, seeds, hemp hearts, coconut flakes, and other garnishes over the top before serving.
How to Store Leftovers
Baked oats are best served warm, but you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Simply reheat them in the microwave or a 350ºF oven when you’re ready to enjoy.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes, vegan baked oats can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap the ramekin with plastic wrap; when you’re ready to eat, let the oats thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat according to the instructions above.
More Vegan Breakfast Ideas
- Easy Southwestern Tofu Scramble (+ Breakfast Tacos)
- Vegan Yogurt Parfait Breakfast Popsicles
- Strawberry Coconut Overnight Oats
- Easy Vegan Blueberry Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 ripe banana
- ¾ cup vegan milk
- 2 to 3 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
- Pinch cinnamon
- Squares of vegan chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°℃. Grease a ramekin with a little bit of olive oil or vegan butter (optional but helps it not to stick) and set aside.
- In a blender, mix together the oats, banana, milk, maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla extract, sea salt and cinnamon until completely smooth.
- Pour the mix into a large ramekin that comes almost all the way to the top (leave some space for rising) – I used a 14 ounce ramekin.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven. Remove, top with chocolate and let it melt slightly for about a minute. Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
Vegan Baked Oats
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 ripe banana
- ¾ cup vegan milk
- 2 to 3 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch sea salt
- Pinch cinnamon
- Squares of vegan chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°℃. Grease a ramekin with a little bit of olive oil or vegan butter (optional but helps it not to stick) and set aside.
- In a blender, mix together the oats, banana, milk, maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla extract, sea salt and cinnamon until completely smooth.
- Pour the mix into a large ramekin that comes almost all the way to the top (leave some space for rising) - I used a 14 ounce ramekin.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in the oven. Remove, top with chocolate and let it melt slightly for about a minute. Dig in and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Vegan Baked Oats https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-baked-oats/ March 29, 2023
This homemade vegetable minestrone soup is hearty comfort food at its finest! Load it up with veggies, beans, and pasta and enjoy a cozy one-pot meal.
Some vegetable soups leave you hungry for more. But this vegetable minestrone soup? It’s definitely the kind of soup you can make a meal out of. Minestrone is satisfying and hearty, with beans and pasta in every spoonful.
And, of course, you can’t forget the vegetables! They’re simmered to perfection here and infused with savoury flavour thanks to the rich tomato base. While I used the veggies that I happened to have on hand, you don’t have to stick with those—vegetable minestrone is the perfect clean-out-your-crisper-drawer kind of recipe.
What Is the Difference Between Minestrone and Vegetable Soup?
A traditional vegetable soup typically contains vegetables in a tomato broth, while minestrone adds pasta and beans. Minestrone soups are often more heavily seasoned, with plenty of Italian herbs for a boost of flavour. Although it’s certainly not a traditional addition, I love adding za’atar to minestrone, which contains some of those classic Italian herbs, but also sesame seeds and spices like cumin and coriander, giving the soup more depth.
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Oil – Olive oil is the traditional choice when making minestrone, but you can use any oil you keep on hand for cooking.
- Red onion – Yellow or white are fine too, or swap the onion for shallots.
- Celery
- Carrot
- Yellow squash – Zucchini is an easy substitute for yellow squash, or try an heirloom summer squash variety like pattypan or zephyr.
- Garlic
- Tomatoes – You can also use a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes with its juices.
- Tomato paste – If you buy a can of tomato paste for this recipe, you can freeze the leftovers in 1-tablespoon portions so you have tomato paste on hand the next time you need it!
- Salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning – Or use 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, and 1 teaspoon dried basil.
- Red kidney beans or cannellini beans
- Vegetable broth – Use a high-quality store-bought broth, or use my homemade vegetable broth recipe.
- Dry pasta – Shells, orecchiette, macaroni, or any other shape you’d like.
- Spinach – Substitute kale for a heartier green, or use chard leaves and add the stems in with the onions, celery, and carrot.
- Lime – The acid of fresh lime juice adds another layer of flavour to this vegetable minestrone. Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar can be substituted, or try lemon juice.
- Optional ingredients and toppings – Extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, parsley, za’atar, parsley, crusty bread, vegan Parmesan
Is Vegetable Broth the Same as Stock?
Although many people use the two terms interchangeably, vegetable broth and vegetable stock aren’t the same. Vegetable stock is unseasoned, while vegetable broth has salt and other seasonings added. You can use vegetable stock for this minestrone soup recipe, but you’ll need to add more salt to taste.
How to Make Vegetable Minestrone Soup
This minestrone soup recipe comes together quickly, so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner. Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Cook the vegetables. Set a large pot over medium-high heat. Add half of the oil and once it’s shimmering, stir in the onions, celery, carrots, squash, and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until the vegetables soften.
Add the tomatoes, beans, and seasonings. Stir the tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, seasonings, and the remaining oil into the pot. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cook the pasta. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then add the pasta. Continue to simmer the soup for about 20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
Finish. Remove the soup from the heat and season to taste. Stir in the spinach and lime juice, then serve.
Tips for Success
Here are some simple tips to help you make the perfect pot of vegan minestrone soup.
- Start with a high-quality broth. In a soup like this, the broth makes all the difference. I love using an all-natural veggie broth paste, or try making your own broth at home.
- Cook the pasta until it’s al dente. The pasta will continue to soften in the warm soup even after you remove the pot from the stovetop (and if you have leftovers that you reheat), so to keep it from getting mushy, you’ll only want to cook it until it’s al dente—i.e., soft enough to eat, but still with a bit of bite to it.
- Make it your own. Add green beans, switch up the greens, throw in some diced red bell peppers—the beauty of minestrone is that it’s easy to customize.
Serving Suggestions
Traditional minestrone is often simmered with a Parmesan rind in the broth for extra flavour. That’s not an option with vegan minestrone, but you can sprinkle on some of my vegan Parmesan just before serving for some added cheesiness.
I love serving this minestrone with crusty roasted garlic bread , or you can pair it with my caprese sandwich with parsley pesto for a soup-and-sandwich dinner. A simple salad like my easy vegan Caesar salad is great with minestrone, too!
How to Store Leftovers
Refrigerate any leftover vegetable minestrone in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can either reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium heat.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Like most soups, this minestrone recipe freezes beautifully. Place it in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat according to the instructions above.
More Reader Favourite Soup Recipes
- Vegan Mulligatawny Soup
- Creamy Vegan Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Roasted Cauliflower Soup
- Easy Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 large red onion, diced , (188g)
- 4 stalks celery , diced
- 1 large carrot , (226g) diced or two medium size carrots
- 1 medium yellow squash , chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced , (12g)
- 26 ounces fresh tomatoes , (737g) chopped – you can also use a 28oz can diced tomatoes with its juices
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste , (16.5g)
- salt & pepper to taste , I use 3/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or 1 teaspoon dried oregano , 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon za’atar , optional but adds a boost in flavour
- 15 ounce can of red kidney beans or cannellini (white beans)
- 6 cups vegetable broth*
- 1 cup dry pasta such as shells , orecchiette or tortellini or any gluten free pasta
- 1 cup spinach
- Juice of one limes about 1-2 tablespoons , squeezed over
- Toppings , Optional: Oil drizzle, red pepper flakes, parsley, and/or sprinkle of zaatar or parsley, Crusty bread and vegan Parmesan
Instructions
- In a large, deep pot over medium high heat, add half of the oil.
- Add the onions, celery, carrot, squash and minced garlic. Stir together and allow to sweat for about 8 minutes, to soften and release natural juices from the veggies.
- Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper, Italian seasonings, za’atar, and kidney beans. Add in other half of the oil, stir together. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir again.
- Bring to a boil, and then to a simmer. Add in the dry pasta and simmer for 20 minutes, until the pasta is fully cooked.
- Remove soup from heat and taste test and add more salt and pepper if needed. You really want to ensure you’ve added enough to bring out all the flavours. Stir in the spinach and lime juice. The residual heat will help to add heat to all of these.
- Allow soup to cool slightly then serve!
