Baked Oatmeal Bites

Did you know that September is Better Breakfast Month?

I had no clue until today. Upon discovering such a delightful piece of knowledge, I made it my goal to share with you a recipe & photo of my breakfast each morning. We'll see how long I can keep it up, but I'll do my best. ;)

This morning I was craving something warm, delicious, a tad bit sweet, and something resembling a muffin. I had wanted to make these baked oatmeal muffins from Chocolate Covered Katie, but the yield was greater than I wanted. I just wanted a simple, quick, single-serving oatmeal creation.

I turned to Taralynn to see what she might have for me. She had plenty of options, but sadly, nothing which I had the ingredients for (these looked so good though). I had almost given up hope when I saw that Sharee - that fancy lady - had made oatmeal breakfast cookies. She had posted a picture and a super simple recipe. Well, I modified mine a bit, but these were inspired by her. Actually, you could say that these baked oatmeal bites were a combination of inspiration from all these lovely ladies. Thank you, girls! :)

Well, without further ado, here are my baked oatmeal bites. :)

BAKED OATMEAL BITES

• 1 large over-ripe banana
• 1/2 c. dry oatmeal (slightly heaping)
• 2 tbsp. coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp. sliced almonds
• 2 tbsp. raisins
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• 1-2 tsp. cinnamon

With a fork, mash your banana in a bowl. Then, add your oatmeal, coconut, raisins, vanilla, and all those other ingredients. Mix well. Then, form into five little balls and place on a sprayed baking sheet. Slightly press the cookies down, then place in the oven to bake. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until slightly firm and set. I baked these in my toaster oven at 450 degrees, since that was the highest temperature setting. I wanted these ASAP. :)

When they were done, I let them cool a bit while I prepared myself a lovely cup of tea. It was a delicious, steaming mug full of Chai. Yum! This breakfast was so perfectly satisfying and absolutely delicious.

If you want them to be a bit sweeter, you could add sugar, chocolate chips, or any other type of sweetener you like. If you add chocolate or sugar, these are probably a great dessert. Please let me know if you make them this way. I would love to hear how they are as little desserts. :)

Well, thanks for reading! I hope you have a marvelous Thursday. May God bless you beyond anything you could ever imagine. Remember, He has plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Lots of Love,

Mariah