Warm Your Soul apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Generally speaking, I am an overnight oatmeal kind of gal. I love that you can prep five servings in five minutes flat on a Sunday evening and be set for the work week. There are so many good for you ingredients in overnight oatmeal: old fashioned oats, chia seeds, honey, cinnamon, almond milk. But sometimes, a good old fashioned bowl of warm, cooked on the stove top oatmeal hits the spot, especially on the weekends. This warm your soul apple cinnamon oatmeal still has the simplicity in terms of mixing together, but is full of big flavor and is perfect as the weather gets cooler. 

While I am going to give you the measurements and all the ingredients, please know that this is a great recipe to play around with. Have some blueberries laying around? Toss those in. Want to give almond extract a try instead of vanilla? Do it! Want to skip the crunch of walnuts? Hey, go for it, I won’t judge.

Here’s the low down on the ingredients to Warm Your Soul Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal!

Your Ingredients (for one serving)

  • ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or your favorite milk of choice)
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup 
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt 
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon 
  • ⅓ cup diced apples
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats

Your Steps to Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

In a small soup kettle, combine the almond milk, syrup, vanilla, and walnuts. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Lower to a simmer. Stir in the apples, oats, and cinnamon. Simmer for five minutes and serve. 

Pro tip: Start the milk mixture on medium heat, go finish your bathroom routine (makeup and the like), and then add the oatmeal. By the time the rest of your breakfast is done, you’ll be done too!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Seven ingredients combine in this warm your soul apple cinnamon oatmeal perfect for cool mornings. Let's get cooking these classic flavors!
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 8 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1 serving

Ingredients
  

  • ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk or your favorite milk of choice
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • cup diced apples
  • ½ cup old fashioned oats

Instructions
 

  • In a small soup kettle, combine the almond milk, syrup, vanilla, walnuts, and pinch of salt.
  • Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  • Lower to a simmer. Stir in the apples, oats, and cinnamon. Simmer for five minutes and serve.
Keyword apple and cinnamon, apples, Breakfast, dairy free, Gluten Free, oatmeal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other great breakfast inspiration?

You can definitely check out my breakfast page, or maybe one of the recipes below will tickle your fancy!

Gooseberry Jam

My journey to gooseberry jam has been an interesting one with more than one road traveled. The beginning of the story starts at the farmer’s market. Initially, I had tried a berry and loved it. I left, forgetting what it was that I had tried, and decided it was gooseberries and had to plant some. 

Well, they grew fruit and they were not the fruit I remembered from the farmer’s market trip. But I still enjoyed them. Around the same time, I became fascinated by foraging and the idea of finding the edibles of the woods. And would you know it, wild gooseberries became on my radar. Friends, they are everywhere! I find them in our woods, on the side of the road, and in so many state parks. If you are a midwesterner like myself, check your woods. I bet you have some too! Here’s a great link to get an idea of what you’re looking for. I became enamored with the berries in my yard and all around me. I wanted to share them with everyone!

Currently, I have four bushes (some red, some green) that I tend to. And boy, do they produce. We snack on them, but I have also taken to canning these sweet-tart berries into three ingredient jam. It can’t get much better than that, can it? (See what I did there? I am punny!) Ready? Let’s get gooseberry jam creating!

Your Ingredients for Gooseberry Jam

Per ½ pint jar (jelly jar), you will need: 

  • 1 cup of gooseberries, cleaned
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ tablespoon lemon juice 

The Prep Work

Fill the canning kettle with enough water that the jars will be covered by at least 2 inches of water. More is better in this case so over estimate. Begin to heat over high heat. Place the canning rack so that it is hooked over the side of the canner and put clean jars on it to keep them warm. Note: You don’t have to keep the jars in the rack, although it is helpful to keep them warm. You want the jars warm to prevent breaking when they are being filled. 

Set the clean rings aside. I like to simmer my lids on low low heat in a small saucepan. Not necessary, but I like to think it helps them seal better. 

If you have not already done so, clean 1 cup of gooseberries for every ½ pint jar of jam you intend on canning. To clean, you need to remove both the stem and the flower portion of the berry. See the picture below. 

The Gooseberry Jam Making

In a large, preferably shallow, kettle, smash the gooseberries with a potato masher. Then, for every cup of berries, stir in ½ cup sugar and a ½ tablespoon lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. I like to smash the berries more as they are cooking down. 

Your end goal is to reach the gelling point. There are lots of tests for this, but I prefer the temperature test. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees. For me, the gelling point is 218 degrees. Don’t have a decent food thermometer? Check out the National Center for Home Preservation website for other ways of testing for the gelling point. 

It takes longer to reach the gelling point than I think it should. It also goes from needing 3 degrees to reaching the gelling point fast. You can get complacent while you are waiting and suddenly hit the temperature, so I am trying to warn you 🙂 

The Canning

Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner, placing on the counter. Listen for the ping of the lids over the next 12 hours. Sealed jars are self stable. If any jar doesn’t seal, simply place it right in the refrigerator. 

Note: You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf. 

Gooseberry Jam

Three little ingredients (lemon juice, sugar, and gooseberries) combine to make this wonderful sweet-tart jam.
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canning
Servings 12 per jar

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup gooseberries cleaned, per 1/2 pint jar
  • 1/2 cup sugar per 1/2 pint jar
  • 1/2 tbsp lemon juice per 1/2 pint jar

Instructions
 

  • If you have not done so, clean and measure gooseberries by cutting off the stem and tail on each berry. You will need 1 cup of berries per 1/2 pint of jam you want to create.
  • Wash and sanitize jars, rings, and lids. Keep warm. Fill the canner with enough water to cover the jars by at least 2 inches of water. Cover and heat on high. Watch the temperature, you want a simmer but not a boil when you place the jars in the water.
  • In a large, shallow kettle, smash gooseberries with a potato masher. For every cup of berries, stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice. Begin to heat over medium-high heat, stirring often. Smash more as they are cooking down.
  • Heat to 8 degrees above the boiling point of water. If you are at sea level, the gelling point is at 220 degrees. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you subtract 2 degrees.
  • Once the jam has reached the gelling point, remove from heat. Ladle into prepared jars, leaving ½ inch head space. Wipe rims of the jars with a damp cloth, add lids and rings, tightening to fingertip tight. Place in the canner, increasing the heat to high. Once the canner reaches a boil, process for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow jars to cool in the canner over 5 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to rest for 12 hours before storing.

Notes

You can skip the processing step all together if you feel more comfortable. If you do so, the jam will need to be stored in the refrigerator. The process of water bath canning creates a self-stable jam. That is, a jam that can be stored on the shelf.
Keyword gooseberries, gooseberry, gooseberry jam, Jam, Waterbath Canning
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other berry inspiration?

Check out any of the recipes below!

Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

Friends! My blueberry bushes are FINALLY producing enough blueberries to actually create with them. It brings me such joy to see these little splashes of blue among the sturdy green bushes. And while it seems to take a long time to harvest, I find it to be meditative. I do it silently and alone, taking in the sounds and smells; experiencing a nature bath. Once I harvested a pint, I got to work at creating lemon zested blueberry muffins. I have been so excited to share with everyone. 

I dig using oatmeal as a base in quick breads and muffins for the added nutrition and texture. However, I don’t see it mixing well with blueberries. Maybe I am wrong, but this recipe doesn’t use them. (You can check out some that do by checking out my baking page here.) In order to attempt to add some nutrients, I went with coconut oil and some Greek yogurt. I cut the sugar slightly as well. And don’t be afraid to try a quality whole wheat for some of the flour. You may be surprised! Now let’s get baking those lemon zested blueberry muffins. 

Your Ingredients for Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

  • ½ cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, room temperature (about 70 degrees) 
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon 
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (If frozen, measure frozen)

Your Steps

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut should be solid but soft).  Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined. Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in blueberries. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!

Lemon Zested Blueberry Muffins

Does it get more classic than lemon and blueberry? These lemon zested blueberry muffins are more nutrient dense with all the flavor!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 15 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup sugar
  • cup coconut oil room temperature (about 70 degrees)
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries If frozen, measure frozen

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and preparing two muffin baking tins by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream sugar and coconut oil (Note: the coconut oil should be solid but soft).
  • Add in vanilla and eggs, whisking until well combined.
  • Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and zest.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix into the wet ingredients until just combined.
  • Fold in blueberries.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-24 minutes until baked through. Serve them with a warm cup of coffee or tea!
Keyword blueberry, Breakfast, currant muffins, lemon, lemon blueberry
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Red Currant and Lemon Muffins

A crazy amount of years ago, I was at a farmer’s market and tasted a small red berry. It was tart and delicious. I promptly brought a container. I remember loving them so much. What I don’t remember, however, is what type of berry they were. I was sure they were gooseberries, so I bought some bushes. Nope, not it. Then I was sure they had to have been currants. I planted a few bushes of currants, and now that they have come to fruition (haha, see what I did there? Fruition? Fruit. I am not that witty), I am still not sure that was it. So who knows what fruit I loved. But what I know is that I now have currant bushes and with them, I have created these beautifully light and sweet-tart red currant and lemon muffins. 

I developed this recipe by tweaking and adjusting my favorite strawberry bread. You can find that bread by clicking here. These muffins started as currant, but screamed for some lemon zest. I dropped the cinnamon in the strawberry bread and adjusted the moisture just a little bit. 

I hope you enjoy them as much as my family and I did. They were a delight to enjoy over the Fourth of July and bring me joy with a perfectly creatd cup of coffee. (I mean, is there much better than a well baked breakfast sweet with a cup of coffee? I think not.)

Your Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup Vanilla Greek yogurt (I dig Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt for zero added sugar)
  • Zest of one large lemon
  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • 1 cup currants

Your Steps to Red Currant and Lemon Currant Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 12-16 muffin wells by spraying with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time. Whisk in yogurt and lemon zest until well combined. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just blended in. Fold in currants. 

Divide the batter among the 12-15 muffin cups, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Allow to cool in the tin a few minutes before removing. I think these are best served warm with a cup of coffee.

Looking for other great baking recipes? Check out my baking page by clicking the button below!

Red Currant and Lemon Muffins

The zest of lemon and tartness of currants combine to make a red currant and lemon muffins that are moist and full of pockets of delight!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 15 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ¼ cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • ¾ cup Vanilla Greek yogurt
  • Zest of one large lemon
  • 1 ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup currants

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 12-16 muffin wells by spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add vanilla. Mix in eggs one at a time.
  • Whisk in yogurt and lemon zest until well combined.
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until just blended in.
  • Fold in currants.
  • Scoop batter into the muffin tins, filling the wells ¾ of the way full.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until baked through.
Keyword currant muffins, currants, lemon, muffins
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Easy Breakfast Tortilla Bake

I believe so many great recipes get created out of necessity or the cleaning of the fridge. A cook looks through the pantry, sees the ingredients they have on hand and simply create. Or perhaps they have a recipe in mind, but forgot to pick up an item or two so they create on the fly. This breakfast tortilla bake is a product of both of these. I couldn’t believe just how good it turned out! 

Most breakfast bakes make huge cake pans worth of food. Too much for most  families unless you are cooking for a huge crowd. The recipes I have also often start with crescent rolls. I don’t mind them, but sometimes I struggle with getting it cooked all the way through. The crescent rolls can also make the bake a little heavy. The tortillas in this bake help lighten it up a little. 

We are a family of four and this was perfect for us with guests of another family four. It cooked up quick, had just a few dirty dishes, and everyone cleaned their plates. Hey, and notice that I snuck a few vegetables in too (you wouldn’t expect anything less from me, would you?!). Let’s get cooking! 

Your Ingredients for a Breakfast Tortilla Bake

  • 4 round flour tortillas (10 inches)
  • 1 pound ground breakfast sausage 
  • 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil 
  • ½ cup diced onion 
  • 1 cup diced sweet peppers (any color) 
  • ½ cup diced button mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon pepper 
  • 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
  • 8 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk 
  • ¼ teaspoon each of: pepper, salt, onion powder, paprika 
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Your Steps to Breakfast Tortilla Bake 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a shallow 2 ½ quart casserole dish with 2 of the flour tortillas. Add ½ tablespoon olive oil to a deep saute pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, add breakfast sausage. Break apart and brown until just cooked. Remove from the pan, but leave the oil. 

Add diced peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes. While the peppers are cooking, thaw the hash browns in the microwave on the defrost setting. Add hashbrowns to softened peppers and onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until they are cooked through and hot, but not browned. 

Remove peppers and hash browns from the pan. If enough oil remains, great. If not, add ½-1 more tablespoons of oil to grease the pan for the eggs. Whisk eggs, milk and pepper, salt, onion powder, and paprika. Add to a hot pan and scramble the eggs. Cook until JUST cooked through. Leave them with more moisture than not. Remove from the pan. 

Layer sausage, hash browns and peppers, and eggs in the casserole dish. Add ½-¾ cup cheese. Top with remaining tortillas. Layer sausage, hash browns and peppers, and eggs once more. Top with remaining cheese and sliced green onions. 

Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve it up!

Looking for some other breakfast inspiration? Check out my cooking or baking page by clicking the buttons below:

Easy Breakfast Tortilla Bake

Breakfast sausage, hash browns, eggs, and tortillas form the base of this simple breakfast bake perfect for a few weekend guests or a large family!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 8 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 round flour tortillas 10 inches
  • 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
  • 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced sweet peppers any color
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • ½ cup diced button mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 3 cups frozen shredded hash browns
  • 8 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ¼ teaspoon each of: pepper salt, onion powder, paprika
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a shallow 2 ½ quart casserole dish with 2 of the flour tortillas.
  • Add ½ tablespoon olive oil to a deep saute pan. Heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, add breakfast sausage. Break apart and brown until just cooked. Remove from the pan, but leave the oil.
  • Add diced peppers, onions, and garlic. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 6 minutes.
  • While the peppers are cooking, thaw the hash browns in the microwave on the defrost setting. Add hash browns to softened peppers and onions. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until they are cooked through and hot, but not browned.
  • Remove peppers and hash browns from the pan. If enough oil remains, great. If not, add ½-1 more tablespoons of oil to grease the pan for the eggs. Whisk eggs, milk and pepper, salt, onion powder, and paprika. Add to the hot pan and scramble the eggs. Cook until JUST cooked through. Leave them with more moisture than not. Remove from the pan.
  • Layer sausage, hash browns and peppers, and eggs in the casserole dish. Add ½-¾ cup cheese. Top with remaining tortillas. Layer sausage, hash browns and peppers, and eggs once more. Top with remaining cheese and sliced green onions.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Keyword bake, breakfast bake, breakfast casserole, casserole
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Cherry Almond Glazed Donuts

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you likely know that I often declare, “I don’t like donuts, but you’ll always get me at a good scone.” I’m changing my tune just a little: “I don’t like donuts besides a beautiful cherry almond glazed cake donut.” 

My family loves donuts. Any stop at Kwik Trip results in a box of glazers coming home with us. They have to count and make sure everyone gets their fair share. This mom isn’t included in the count. I even joined a district where a certain group provides donuts every Thursday. I never took a one. 

Then we were in Door County this last fall and some Door County cherry donuts were calling my name. We bought some and they were heavenly. More recently, Kwik Trip started carrying some plain cherry cake donuts. They were no Door County cherry, but they were dang good. And I knew I had to make my own version.

I generally try to make my versions of recipes healthier. This will not be one of those. These cherry almond glazed donuts are airy and perfectly pink. My son declared them the best donuts he’s ever eaten. I don’t know if that’s true, but I sure know I ate two of them and wanted two more. And I “don’t like donuts.” 

Your ingredients for the cherry almond donuts 

  • 1 cup maraschino cherries, primarily drained and blended with an immersion blender until smooth (save the syrup!) (I love my Kitchen Aid blender!
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted 
  • 1 tablespoon oil 
  • ¾ cup white sugar 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract 
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt 
  • 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour 
  • 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 
  • ¾ teaspoon salt 
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda 
  • additional cherry syrup 

Your ingredients for the cherry glaze 

  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar 
  • ¼ cup cherry syrup 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

And Finally, Your Steps to Cherry Almond donuts 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular donut pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and yogurt. Whisk until smooth. Stir in blended cherries. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir until fully incorporated. You may want to add just an additional ½ tablespoon of cherry juice here to amp up the flavor a little more if you’re a guy or gal that gives the batter a taste test. 

Divide the batter among 16 donut cavities, filling ¾ of the way full. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until firm to the touch or passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place on a cooling rack. 

While the donuts finish cooling, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cherry syrup for a glaze. If you dig a thicker glaze, add a touch more powdered sugar. Dig a thinner glaze? Add more cherry syrup. Whisk until smooth. 

Dip cooled donuts in the glaze. I only did one side, but you can totally flip them to fully coat. If you choose to do both sides, you will need to double the glaze recipe. Best enjoyed within 48 hours of baking, but I bet they won’t last that long! 

Tools of the Trade

I have a couple tools I love for these donuts. I totally dig my Kitchen Aid Immersion blender for all things. My banana nice cream, you name it. And if you are going to make donuts, you need a good donut pan, right?

Cherry Almond Glazed Donuts

You can't go wrong with the combination of almond and cherry in these light and airy almond cherry glazed donuts that are a cinch to make!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Cooling Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 16 donuts

Ingredients
  

Batter Ingredients

  • 1 cup maraschino cherries primarily drained and blended with an immersion blender until smooth (save the syrup)
  • 6 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • additional cherry syrup

Cherry Glaze Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup cherry syrup from cherries
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a regular donut pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and yogurt. Whisk until smooth. Stir in blended cherries.
  • In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to wet ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.
  • You may want to add just an additional ½ tablespoon of cherry juice here to amp up the flavor a little more if you’re a guy or gal that gives the batter a taste test.
  • Divide the batter among 16 donut cavities, filling ¾ of the way full. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until firm to the touch or passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and place on a cooling rack.
  • While the donuts finish cooling, mix softened butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cherry syrup for a glaze. If you dig a thicker glaze, add a touch more powdered sugar. Dig a thinner glaze? Add more cherry syrup. Whisk until smooth.
  • Dip cooled donuts in the glaze. I only did one side, but you can totally flip them to fully coat. If you choose to do both sides, you will need to double the glaze recipe.
Keyword almond, baking, cherry, donuts
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for other sweet treats?

Here are a couple I love!

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

I am back with another baked oatmeal recipe: carrot cake baked oatmeal! After I tried my first baked oatmeal recipe, I was itching to try another. I generally say that I don’t love breakfast. I have a few stand by things I eat and that’s it. When I ate at McDonald’s, I used to be so annoyed when I got there 20 minutes before their breakfast menu switched to lunch and I had to get breakfast. Now, I still don’t dig breakfast, but I am starting to branch out and discover new, healthy meals!

In a recent post, I talked about my favorite things: cooking from scratch, using what is on hand, and finally, inserting vegetables whenever I can. Which I did here, but we will call it a cake to trick our brains, right? 🙂 

Rather than buy oat flour, I made my own using my food processor. It’s so simple my friends. Just put some old fashioned oats into your processor and hit blend until your texture is very coarse flour (I use my Kitchen Aid 7 Cup and it’s grand!). I poured a few cups of oats into my mixture, ground them up, and stored them in an air tight container. 

I have a few other recipes that call for ground oats like these simple energy balls, banana nut baked oatmeal, and this great banana bread, so having some on hand isn’t a bad idea. 

Ready to get mixing and baking? I hope so! Let’s make some carrot cake baked oatmeal!

Your Ingredients for Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal 

  • ⅓ to ½ cup grated carrot 
  • ⅓ cup oat flour
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk 
  • ⅛-¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional 

Your Steps to Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a ramekin with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing until well combined. Pour into greased ramekin. Bake on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes, depending on the texture you want your oatmeal to be. I like it to feel more like a bread than goo-ey, so I shoot for the 20 minute mark. 

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal

Cake and vegetables for breakfast?! Why not?
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • ⅓ to ½ cup grated carrot
  • cup oat flour
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
  • cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ⅛-¼ teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a ramekin with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing until well combined.
  • Pour into greased ramekin. Bake on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes, depending on your texture preference.
Keyword baked oatmeal, Breakfast, carrot, carrot cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal

Well friends, I jumped on the bandwagon. I had to give the single serving baked oatmeal a try, and boy, I was not disappointed! After looking through a few different recipes, I came up with my own take it. I don’t love chocolate in the morning (after lunch, totally different story), so I went with a banana nut baked oatmeal. Holy…yum. 

If you haven’t noticed or you’re new to my little cozy corner of the Internet (Welcome!), you know I am a fan of a couple things: food from scratch and cooking with what I have on hand. Generally speaking, you won’t find nichy ingredients here, and I think this recipe holds true. 

Rather than buy oat flour, I made my own using my food processor. It’s so simple my friends. Just put some old fashioned oats into your processor and hit blend until your texture is very coarse flour (I use my Kitchen Aid 7 Cup and it’s grand!). I poured a few cups of oats into my mixture, ground them up, and stored them in an air tight container. 

I have a few other recipes that call for ground oats like these simple energy balls or my banana bread, so having some on hand isn’t a bad idea. 

Anywho, banana nut baked oatmeal is quickly becoming my go to breakfast on the weekend when I have a touch more time. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a great weekday breakfast; I am just a fine oiled machine in the morning during the week, and overnight oats are my jam. 

Ready to get mixing and baking? I hope so! Let’s make some banana nut baked oatmeal!

Your Ingredients for Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal

  • ½ banana, mashed
  • ⅓ cup oat flour
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk 
  • ⅛-¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, optional 

Your Steps to Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a ramekin with non-stick cooking spray. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing until well combined. Pour into greased ramekin. Bake on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes, depending on the texture you want your oatmeal to be. I like it to feel more like a bread than goo-ey, so I shoot for the 20 minute mark. Either way, it’s filling and delicious; something you can feel good about putting into your body. Yum!

Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal

A wholesome, simple breakfast sure to fill your belly with good for you food and make your tastebuds do a little dance!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • ½ banana mashed
  • cup oat flour
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
  • cup unsweetened almond milk
  • ⅛-¼ teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a ramekin with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, mixing until well combined.
  • Pour into greased ramekin.
  • Bake on the middle shelf for 15-20 minutes, depending on the texture you want your oatmeal to be.
Keyword baked oatmeal, Banana, banana nut, oatmeal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins: Clean Eating Style

Recently, I put together some delightful sourdough pumpkin muffins. However, all my friends who aren’t sourdough bakers yet (You know you want to! Here’s a great link by King Arthur’s Flour on how to get started!) requested a non-sourdough pumpkin muffin, preferably of the healthy persuasion. After a little bit of testing and trying, here it is! Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins (with chocolate chips!). 

This Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffin pairs well with a warm cup of coffee in the morning. I love that it isn’t overly sweet and that it’s a baked good I can feel good about putting into my body. While it pains me at times, I just can’t do too much sweet in the morning. It leaves me a feeling out of sorts and not fueled the right way to tackle all the big goals I have! 

One more note: This recipe was created using a home roasted pumpkin. If you haven’t tried roasting your own pumpkin yet, I highly recommend it and the time is still right. Pick up a pumpkin or two from the local market, roast them up using the directions you can find here. Then freeze some so you can have fresh pumpkin baked goods all year round!

Okay, enough talking, let’s get baking some Oatmeal Pumpkin muffins my friends! 

Your Ingredients (about 18 muffins)

  • 2 cups pumpkin puree 
  • 2 eggs, room temperature 
  • ⅓ cup real maple syrup (if you like things on the sweeter side, up this to ½ cup) 
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted 
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour 
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice (or a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg with a dash of clove)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ⅓ cup chopped walnuts 
  • ⅓ cup chocolate chips 

Your Steps to great Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two muffin tins with muffin cups or by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. 

In a large bowl, combine puree, eggs, and maple syrup. Combine flour, oats, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in the walnuts, and chocolate chips. Add coconut oil and stir once more. 

Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling approximately ¾ of the way. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked all the way through. Marvel at the beautiful texture and promptly pop one in your mouth. Aren’t the melty chocolate chips just the best?!

Tools of the trade

If you’re baking, you need a great muffin tin. If you are fortunate enough to have a pumpkin to roast, I recommend a nice thick baking sheet lined in foil. Looking to get a new one? Check out the links below!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins: Good for you ingredients combine in these pumpkin muffins made from freshly roasted pumpkin!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 18 muffins

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • cup real maple syrup if you like things on the sweeter side, up this to ½ cup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • ¾ teaspoon pumpkin spice or a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg with a dash of clove
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup chopped walnuts
  • cup chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two muffin tins with muffin cups or by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a large bowl, combine puree, eggs, and maple syrup.
  • Combine flour, oats, pumpkin spice, baking soda, and salt. Add to wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
  • Fold in the walnuts, and chocolate chips.
  • Add coconut oil and stir once more.
  • Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling approximately ¾ of the way.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cooked all the way through.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Oh So Good Banana Bread (Gluten Free!)

I have this great banana bread recipe. In fact, I had declared it THE best banana bread. It was clean and gluten free, which, let’s be honest, when combined can mean it doesn’t taste that great. But my friends and family will agree, it is darn good banana bread. You can get the recipe by clicking here

However, THE best banana bread requires the baker to create oat flour by putting all the dry ingredients in a food processor. I love my food processor, but the other evening, I was not interested in heading to the basement to grab it to make banana bread. Yes, I know this is slightly lazy. Okay, a lot lazy. But out of my refusal to grab an appliance, another great recipe was born. 

This recipe is STILL gluten free. While I am not gluten free myself, I dig being able to create for my friends who are. It still doesn’t have refined sugar. While I still love me some sugar, I enjoy finding good substitutes for my friends who try hard to cut extra sugar from their life. So if you are gluten free, watching your sugar, or you’re like me who really just loves a great banana bread recipe, I hope you give this a try. My husband (who doesn’t love banana bread) definitely went for seconds. And thirds. 

Ready? Let’s get baking!

Your Ingredients

  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (olive oil would do fine too!)
  • ¼ cup real maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups almond flour
  • ¾ cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt 
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts 
  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips 

Your Steps for Great Banana Bread 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 quick bread pan. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in oil. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the wet mixture. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. If you want it to look extra beautiful, sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until cooked through. 

Looking to bake other delicious treats? Head on over to my baking page for more inspiration!

Tools of the Trade

There isn’t much you need for a quick bread, but I want to share out the tools I love when I am baking!

Oh So Good Banana Bread

Oh So Good Banana Bread (Gluten Free!): Clean eating doesn't have to be flavorless. This banana bread is to die for and is gluten free too!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 3 very ripe bananas mashed
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted (olive oil would do fine too!)
  • ¼ cup real maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups almond flour
  • ¾ cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×5 quick bread pan.
  • In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.
  • Stir in oil. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the wet mixture.
  • Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top.
  • Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until cooked through.
Keyword Banana Bread, bananas, Breakfast, Quick Bread
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!