These vegan apple ginger oat cakes are single-serve portions of baked oatmeal that you make in a muffin pan. They’re nutritious, filling, and a portable, make-ahead breakfast option for busy days.
Another semester of my RD program starts today (well, technically tonight). For the most part, I’m excited for new courses and a busy schedule (I get the most done when I have the most to juggle). What I don’t welcome is having less time to cook: the nicest thing about this winter break has been little baking breaks, the chance to make some more time-intensive recipes, and other small kitchen luxuries that I don’t have when school is in session. With the knowledge that grab-and-go options will soon be especially useful to me, I’ve whipped up a new, portable breakfast that’s as convenient as it is delicious: vegan, gluten free apple ginger oatcakes.
These oatcakes were initially inspired by the Scottish oatcakes that my grandmother used to keep stocked in her kitchen; these were hardly cakes, at least not as I knew “cake” to be. They were crispy and only mildly sweet, more like a dry cookie or biscuit. In spite of the fact that I tend to prefer dense and moist baked goods to crispy ones, I came to really love them, especially with tea.
So I was intrigued when I recently came across an oatcake recipe in Myra Goodma’s book Straight From the Earth. These oatcakes, made with rolled oats and dried fruit, were much more cake-y and substantial than traditional oatcakes, andt they looked great to me.
I eat oats for breakfast often, but it’s hard to sit down to a bowl on days when I’m running quickly to meet a morning nutrition client. I like baking muffins for snacks, but most muffin recipes don’t fill me up for very long.
I love the idea of something that’s portable like a muffin, but with the heartiness and fiber of baked oats. These apple ginger oatcakes are a perfect oat/muffin hybrid, and I have a feeling that they’re going to become a thing around here, with lots of different mix-ins and flavor combinations.
For this batch, I kept it simple, with applesauce and ginger flavors taking the lead. I also stirred in some currants (raisins would be fine, too) for sweetness and some hemp seeds for a little protein and healthy fat. But there are so many ways to customize this easy recipe. No fussy ingredients or complicated steps: just stir, mix, pour into muffin cups, and in about 15 minutes you have eight nutrient-dense, portable oatcakes for the week ahead.
Pair these with fresh, seasonal fruit for a quick breakfast, or enjoy them for a more substantial snack. I think they’re sweet enough to be perfectly enjoyable plain, but a little bit of apple butter, Earth Balance, or almond butter would definitely be a nice addition. These are easy enough that you can whip the whole batch up and bake it even on a busy day (for real: the whole thing took me 30 minutes), but you can also make these over the weekend and store or freeze them for whenever you need them. I don’t have much morning class this semester, but I’m sure they’ll come in handy for snacking through long library study sessions, and I can’t wait to pack them up along with my portable meals.
To all of the students reading–college, grad school, lifelong learning, self-teaching, and more–I wish you a wonderful semester. And I hope that these oatcakes will be appealing to all of my busy readers as a quick, sweet, and nutritious option. I’ll see you this weekend for Weekend Reading!
xo
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We love these muffins! I make them with cranberries. SO yummy and filling! I am look for the nutritional content but I don’t see it. Just curious. They are delicious!
These are the best!! Filling and delicious, full of flavor. The full package! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hooray! I’m so glad.
Is this my Bess? xoxo If it is my daughter she directed me to your wonderful recipes! I am making your Vegan Cauliflower Gratin for Sunday dinner! Sounds perfect!
Can I make these gluten free using a 1 to 1 flour mix?
Absolutely, Pat!
I am currently enjoying one of these oatcakes with a cup of tea. I love how hearty they are, and lightly sweetened. I subbed extra applesauce for half of the oil, which worked just fine. Iโll definitely be making these again!
So glad that you’re enjoying them, Coby!
Do you think the oatcakes would suffer if I were to substitute the almond milk for soy or oat milk? I’ve been trying to avoid almond milk for environmental reasons (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042).
Any non-dairy milk will work well!
Hi Do you have the nutritional info for the Apple Ginger Oatcakes? thanks
Great recipe, thanks so much for sharing! I tried it today for the first time and used a square baking dish, so I cut them into little squares. I used fresh ginger, frozen blueberries (sub raisins) and Greek yogurt (sub apple sauce). It took around 30 min at 350ยฐF and turned out SO good. I couldn’t wait and tried one warm out of the oven and can’t wait to have them for breakfast this week. ๐
I just made these and they came out great!!
Hooray!
Very Interesting article. I would show my wife this recipe and add maca root. Its an experiment that would make sense.
Just made these – they are easy and delicious. I made them 99% sugar-free by switching out the maple syrup for an extra half cup of applesauce plus 1 TBS Coconut Nectar (very low glycemic) and 3 TBS golden Lakanto (zero glycemic. Probably would have worked just fine using 4-5 TBS golden Lakanto alone = sugar free.) Will def make again, and add some chopped pecans next time!
My mother in law used to make oatcakes and I always loved them, but haven’t been able to eat them since I had to go gluten-free and never thought to experiment. I love how easy yet hearty and delicious these look Gena! I’ll plan to make a batch soon!
I love them, Christine, and so far a lot of readers have had good success with them, too. Let me know how they turn out! (And I know you know this, but be sure to get GF certified oats.)
I just made these and am now eating two of them with a cup of tea for a study break. So delicious! I made mine with stevia and they still turned out great. Thanks for another great recipe Gena.
So glad you liked them, Denise!
These are definitely going to come in useful. I almost always have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. But that’s because I wake early. These are going to come in VERY useful when I have breakfast at 6 and lunch isn’t till 14. They’ll be great for eating in-between lectures!!!!!! Have a wonderful semester yourself!!!
Your recipe is really amazing. I wish to make this and add it to my blog.. Had a great time here..
Keep Posting..
Ooooh Gena! I love it when I find something that is super hearty and whole, like these oatcakes. I’ve been lacking breakfast inspiration this week, this sounds like a good project for the weekend- and then I’ll get to eat them for the rest of the week! <3
Can’t wait to try these; I always need on-the-go breakfast options. My favorite is leftover tofu scramble wrapped in a tortilla with hummus and greens but unfortunately I don’t typically have the time for such undertakings! These seem more realistic.
It’s so great to read about your program; beyond the fact that I’m interested in the curriculum there’s an obvious difference between how you write about your previous program and your current one. It seems like you’ve found your happy place! Enjoy the semester ๐
Thanks, Amy! Yes, there is a world of difference in how I feel about school now vs. then. It’s still a big challenge (I know Advanced II will be tough), but I’m so much more emotionally engaged.
I love tofu scramble too, but yes, it’s not always time-efficient! I do lots of leftovers for savory breakfasts. These aren’t as filling as those options, but with fresh fruit, they’re so, so easy to grab-and-eat. Enjoy!
Another RD, yeay! It’s such a great field! Good luck in your RD program! I teach Advanced Nutrition at my local University!
I love it so far! Great to “meet” you, Beth!
This recipe sounds absolutely healthy and delicious. I’ll try adding maca root powder(may be a spoon) and see how it comes out. Thanks for sharing.
Gena, these look wonderful and remind me of what I call my “breakfast cookies,” which are just oats (and sometimes cooked millet or quinoa processed in the food processor with fruit (banana, dates, citrus) a few nuts and/or seeds and raisins stirred in, Yum yum. Hardy, easy to eat and good for you. I guess your Scottish grandmother knew what she was doing. ๐ Good luck with your new semester. Your line-up of classes sounds fascinating and I look forward to hearing more about what you learn and how you apply it. xoxo
Your breakfast cookies sound fantastic — and as you can see, I like “hardy” baked goods the best. Lots of texture and so filling ๐
Yummy, this is such a delicious combo of flavors:)~
They look yummy!!
When you say ginger, is it fresh or powdered?
Powdered (thank you for clarifying!) though 1 tablespoon grated would be lovely in the recipe, too.
Thanks! I will make these right now!
I love how these combine the best of muffins and baked oatmeal! Perfect for breakfasts on the go ๐
These muffins look really good. And healthy too! I wish it was me who was taking those classes. They sounds really interesting!
these look absolutely scrumptious ๐ can’t to try
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What is a good milk substitute? I usually don’t drink nut/ seed/ dairy milks.