Tasty treats with oats or other whole grains give you more energy to conquer the day or your next workout.
What’s old is new again — especially with some of the staples our grandmothers kept on hand without fail. Oats are one such ingredient.
Oats are very versatile, and they are good for you. You can bake them, boil them, grind them to use as flour — you can even get oat “milk!” But here’s the thing: They’re also deliciously sweet. They are recommended for maximizing heart health and are naturally gluten-free.
For lifestyle changes to hold over time, you’re going to need go-to foods to fill you up the way oats can and satisfy your sweet tooth while providing nutrition.
Allow us to suggest these oat-centric recipes to help you feel good about the food choices you make.
- 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup almond butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1½ cups mashed bananas (around 6 bananas)
- 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch square pan with parchment paper, hanging 2 inches over the sides. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, almond butter, maple syrup and bananas. Stir until well mixed. Fold in ¾ cup of the chocolate chips. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Add the remaining chocolate chips to the top. Bake for 15–17 minutes or until golden around the edges. Let stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan and placing on the wire rack to cool completely.
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup walnuts
- ⅛teaspoon salt
- ⅛teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 (12–16-ounce) package turkey breast tenderloins
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Place oats and walnuts in food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Add salt, black pepper and ginger; pulse two more times to mix well. Remove from food processor; place in pie plate. Place egg whites in another pie plate. Dip turkey in egg, then in oat mixture. Place turkey on baking sheet a few inches apart, rounded side up. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. Remove from oven; let cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Slice turkey about ¼ inch thick and serve warm.
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro or dill
- ½ cup buttermilk
- Preheat oven 325 degrees. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, blend the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add shallots and cilantro, stirring to blend. Add half of the flour mixture, blending well. Add the remaining flour and blend. Slowly add ⅔ of the buttermilk. Continue adding until the mixed dough is sticky.
- On a well-floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin sheet. Cut into desired shapes (square or rectangle) with a pastry wheel or knife. Transfer to the baking sheet and prick with a fork. Bake for 23–25 minutes or until the crackers turn golden. If desired, brush with butter and cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup orange juice
- ½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup blueberries (if frozen, do not thaw)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the oats, juice and zest. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in the oil and egg, blending well. Add the oat mixture, and fold in blueberries. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
- Mix the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle evenly over the tops of the muffins. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack or serve warm.
- 1¼ cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¾ cup peach spreadable fruit (or flavor you desire)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, extending over edges of pan.
- Stir together the flour, 1 cup of the oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Stir in honey and coconut oil until smooth. Reserve ½ cup of the oat mixture and press remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread fruit spread evenly over the top. Crumble reserved oat mixture over fruit spread. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oats. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup plus 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 egg whites
- 1 egg
- 1⅓ cups mashed ripe bananas (around 2 large bananas)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon banana extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the brown sugar, oil, egg whites and egg in a large bowl. Blend well and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the bananas, oats, milk and extract, whisking to combine. Add to brown sugar mixture, beating well.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to brown sugar mixture, beating just until moistened. Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on the wire rack.
Oats 101
- Rolled oats are also called old-fashioned oats. The name comes from the processing method where they have been steamed and rolled flat.
- Steel-cut oats have simply been cut, which means they are crunchy and take longer to cook. These are sometimes called Scotch or Irish oats.
- Quick oats start out the same as rolled oats, but after steaming and rolling, they are cut into small, uniform pieces, which helps them cook faster.
- Instant oats are quick oats that are cut even smaller so the cooking is even faster. These generally have flavor additives, so they shouldn’t be used in cooking.
Ask Chef Tammy
Email your cooking questions to Tammy Algood: [email protected].
Emily Roberts asks: “I have been trying to cook more stews this year and have hit-or-miss success. Can you give me a suggestion for what to do when my supposedly chunky stew looks more like a soup?”
Emily, sometimes a stew will cook itself to death if the cooking time is too long and at too high a temperature, so start by decreasing both. But there is nothing wrong with serving it as a soup. Or you can serve it over cooked rice or noodles, and it becomes a great dinner.
Robbie Echols writes: “I love cherry pie, and my first attempt at one was disappointing as well as quite bland. I am using frozen sour cherries and hope you can help. Many thanks!”
Robbie, while I love frozen cherries for some things, I don’t use them for making pie. Instead, I like to use jarred sour cherries that are packed in a sugar syrup versus those that are canned and packed in water. Look for them! Also, a few drops of pure almond extract does wonders at pumping up the flavor of cherries in recipes.
Ellen Washburn asks: “How can I tame the flavor of cooked beets? My husband loves them but says the flavor is bitter. Is this the beets themselves or how I am preparing them? I boil them in water.”
Ellen, start by adding salt to your cooking water if you aren’t doing so already. Treat it as if you were about to boil pasta. Also, add a couple of tablespoons of either lemon juice or vinegar to the cooking water. This helps tamp down the assertive flavor.
