Once upon a time, I might have turned away from a recipe entitled Spiced Oatmeal Pudding Bake.
Once upon a time, I might have thought, “Who needs spiced oatmeal? Who ever heard of oatmeal pudding?” and “What on Earth is a pudding bake?
Fortunately, those days have long since passed. I have grown to love oatmeal and am always interested in finding delicious, unusual ways to incorporate more of it into my diet. That’s why, when I ran across a recipe for Cottage Cheese Oatmeal Pudding in Marion Cunningham’s The Breakfast Book, I knew I had to experiment with this comforting dish—it’s a tasty way to incorporate heart-healthy oatmeal, as well as calcium and protein, into my morning meals. If that weren’t incentive enough, this Spiced Oatmeal Pudding Bake is more than just a perfect accompaniment to breakfast or brunch, it’s a healthy alternative at snack time too!
Similar to bread pudding in overall consistency, Spiced Oatmeal Pudding Bake goes together in a flash and requires about an hour of baking time (words cannot describe how good this makes your kitchen smell while baking)…the end result is hearty, creamy and satisfying. Pleasantly spiced with a hint of sweetness, I urge you to give this recipe a try in your home or inn. After making it once, as-is, feel free to adjust the amount of spices or sugar up or down according to your own unique tastes and preferences.
Spiced Oatmeal Pudding Bake
(recipe featured on InnCuisine.com, adapted from The Breakfast Book)
- 2 cups cooked oatmeal (made with low-fat milk, omitting salt)
- 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup low-fat or skim milk
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- salt – lightly, to taste
- optional – in equal ratios, a blend of cinnamon & sugar to garnish
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, blend oatmeal, cottage cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, nutmeg, allspice and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Poor into prepared, 2-quart baking dish and place in a 325 degree F oven; bake for approximately 1 hour or until edges are golden and center is set. Note – Since oven accuracy can vary, I suggest checking this dish at about 45 minutes, and re-checking every 5-10 minutes thereafter until edges are golden and center is set. Serve hot or cold, with fresh milk or cream if desired. For those who prefer their oatmeal a bit sweeter or made with cinnamon, garnish with an equal blend of cinnamon & sugar before serving—it adds a nice touch.
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This looks so yummy – oatmeal in any form is a favorite of mine. Thanks for sharing!
This actually sounds really good. I would have thought to shy away from a recipe like this too, to be honest. Anythinng I can bake, though, that sounds healthy souns good to me!
I bet this is great for a cold morning. Can you make it the night before and just pop it in the oven when you wake up?
Ginny – You are welcome!
Maris – I’ve not tried assembling it the night before, then baking…but you could always experiment. The thing you might want to consider though, is how much more moisture the pre-cooked oats could soak up prior to being baked. That might change the consistency of the baked dish entirely.
This is such a great idea for a brunch. I too have found my way with oatmeal and love it. This just might make it to the Easter brunch buffet!
Question…for your cooked oatmeal do you use quick cooking or regular?
Noble Pig – For this recipe, I used old-fashioned (regular) oats, but I’m not sure it matters. I would suggest using old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, but not instant.
It does sound good Sandie:D
I love oatmeal but have never added spices to mine before. Looks and sounds really delicious.
Wow, what an intriguing recipe Sandie! I saw oatmeal pudding bake and wasn’t sure what it would be like and then I saw cottage cheese in it. Looks very moreish and comforting and a great way to start the day (you probably wouldn’t need to eat for a few hours after that!).
This looks great! I bet it’d be incredible with some mashed or sliced bananas folded into the mix.
I admit, in the past I would have passed this one up too but not anymore!!! Could you use another cheese, like say ricotta? I’m not sure about the cottage. I really think my oatmeal loving children will enjoy this!
~ingrid
Val – Surprising, isn’t it?
PigsPigsCorner – The spices are what make this dish so delightful—I couldn’t imagine it without them!
Lorraine – I have to agree—this recipe is better than what I expected it to be and it’s VERY soothing & filling (plus, it reheats well too). What more can you ask of an oatmeal dish?
Ashley – I thought of that too (but I’m saving any additional ingredients for another variation, coming soon).
Ingrid – I prefer the cottage cheese to ricotta in this particular recipe, but if you prefer ricotta overall, I say go for it. You really have nothing to loose. If you do try this recipe substituting ricotta, be sure to let me know how it turns out for you—my curiosity is piqued!
you come up with some great stuff! this sounds great, especially for my hungry oatmeal eaters. The boys love it for any meal
Sandie, I have never seen an Oatmeal bread pudding and I love Oatmeal. Not sure, but I think I would use brown sugar in it. Put some in a bowl with fresh cream poured over top. Yummy, I can taste it now!
Oats are great in any way you can use them. Your pudding looks incredibly creamy, I’d top it with some berry jam and you’d never be able to take the spoon out of my hand LOL
This is right up my alley! Perfect for a holiday morning breakfast!
oatmeal pudding? forget rice pudding or bread pudding, or even butterscotch pudding (okay, that may be taking it a bit far…). this is awesome, sandie!
This sounds wonderful. A nice warm and filling breakfast. I can’t wait to try it out. Thanks for sharing, you always have the best ideas!
I just tried steel-cut oatmeal for the first time this morning. Love it! Two kinda dumb questions (I swear I looked to see if anyone else asked these before posting!): 1) Can I use leftover steel-cut oatmeal? and 2) They were only cooked with water. Assuming you think they would be okay, should I try to add some milk or cream to the recipe?
Thanks for the recipe. I’ll be trying it either way.
Baked oatmeal sounds really good!
Charlene – Aren’t steel-cut oats great? I’m glad you discovered them! Now let’s see if I can answer your concerns:
(1) Yes, you could substitute steel-cut oats in this recipe. It is going to change the finished texture of this dish, but only in the way steel-cut oats differ from the old-fashioned variety.
(2) I personally prefer cooking oats in milk (versus water) because I feel it makes them creamier. That said, the choice here is yours. You are going to add 1 cup of milk to the recipe regardless of how the oats were cooked, so you’ll be fine there (as far as adding additional milk). Also, this pudding is meant to be served (topped) with additional milk or cream (if desired), so why not just try the substitution of pre-cooked steel-cut oats (make sure they are creamy to begin with—not too thick) and add the extra milk or cream at the end if you feel you need it.
Thanks for your questions, I hope this helps!
Kristen – Thank you! I hope your boys enjoy this recipe too!
Chuck – Definitely add the fresh cream on top (that’s suggested with the recipe), but I think your addition of brown sugar sounds delightful! (Really love the flavor of brown sugar, especially in baked dishes like this.)
Lore – Ooo…berry jam on top sounds good too! Thanks for that suggestion—I don’t know that I would have come up with that idea myself, but it sounds delicious!
Leslie – Agreed. This dish is ideal for a holiday breakfast.
Grace – Yes, don’t go as far to forget butterscotch pudding (it’s one of my favorites too), but oatmeal pudding certainly gives rice or bread pudding a run for their money!
Hayley – Thank you. That’s a sweet thing to say
Kevin – It does, doesn’t it?!
About the oats…
Is it 2 cups oats, and then cook them or cook the oats and then measure out 2 cups?
Blair – Thanks for your question. The recipe calls for 2 cups cooked oatmeal, i.e. cook the oatmeal and measure out 2 cups.
What an unusual recipe! I loove anything oatmeal, so this one might just be right up my alley!
This made a lovely breakfast. I followed the ingredient list but halved the quantity, as there are only two of us. I used traditional old fashioned rolled oats. I mixed up everything the night before and portioned it into 4 baking ramekins. Come morning I cooked them for one hour, topped ‘em with the cinnamon sugar plus slivered almonds and fresh blueberries. They were light and tasty and wholesome. I served the oatmeal along side some maple sausages.
The next morning the remaining two portions were reheated in the microwave and they were just as tasty.
Thanks for the great recipe.
Oh, by the way, I’ve worked up the nutritional information on this if anyone is interested. The news is good.
Mary – This is fantastic—thanks so much for sharing your own experience with this recipe. Love that you made this in individual ramekins and topped with slivered almonds and fresh blueberries…it sounds absolutely delicious! It’s always fun to take a great dish to the next level
Y -I hope you enjoy this recipe when you get around to trying it. If you like oatmeal as much as you say you do, then I’m sure you will—it’s a fun and easy way to mix oats up a bit.
With a teenage athlete and his bottomless appetite and protein needs in the house, you can bet I’m bookmarking this recipe! Thanks, Sandie!
I’ll admit, the title did perplex me. Oatmeal pudding sounded strange, but you had me sold at the photo. This sounds like it would really be something–I’ll definitely have to give this one a try
Oatmeal is my favorite food! This one is a definite must try! Sounds and looks delicious!
Hi! I just tried making this, and wonder if I messed something up. It took an hour ad 15 minutes for the center to set, and I have a fair amount of clear liquid when I scooped out the first bowlful. I was also expecting a firmer, more solid consistency. To be honest, when I make my “standard” oatmeal (thick cut oats, 1 part oat to 3 parts water, soaked overnight with the dried fruit and a cinnamon stick in it, then cooked for 10 minutes), it comes out thicker, creamier, and more pudding-like than this did.
The only changes I made were using brown sugar in the recipe, and I used 2 and a half cups of oatmeal, since that’s what I had. I also blended until everything looked mixed, but I do not know if I would say it was “smooth”. I did do the oatmeal with 3 parts water (with a splash of powdered milk) to 1 part oats, and didn’t soak them overnight, so they weren’t quite as thick as I normally make them. Generally, after the oatmeal has cooled, I can turn it out of the pot in a solid piece, and this batch wasn’t that thick.
Any thoughts on what I can tweak to get this more bread pudding-like in consistency?
And the answer appears to be…. let it sit longer before cutting and serving. The part that I had the next day was very much bread-pudding-like. I do think that the recipe could do with something like raisins or dried apricots added to it.