Strawberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal

So, I realize that hot breakfasts seem like a thing of winter and cooler weather, not days of 90 degree heat and 80% humidity. Not to me! I spent two summers in college working as a camp counselor at Camp Tecumseh, so I woke up to a hot breakfast six days a week, enjoyed in the freezingly cold air conditioned dining hall. It was glorious. Well, some breakfasts anyways. French toast, bacon, hashbrowns, coffee cake, fruit salad. Rubbery eggs… not so much. You can bet that the onlyonlyONLY reason us counselors looked forward to sleep-out nights was getting to sleep in a little later while enjoying breakfast in bed, aka sugary cold cereal, powdered doughnuts, and apples.

By far, the breakfast that Camp Tecumseh is known for is their baked oatmeal. I’ve shared the basic recipe before, but this time I’ve jazzed it up… made it a little more flashy, a little more flared.

This version combines juicy, sweet strawberries with the tropical coconut to make a phenomenal baked oatmeal that will really wake up your morning [and wish you were at the beach… sigh.]. I used coconut milk and coconut flakes to double the nutty fun of my new favorite flavor. If I had had coconut extract, you can bet that some of that would have been included too!

I mixed up the fruit and oat mixture the night before, then baked it in the morning while I was getting ready for the day. After I finished doing my hair, breakfast was ready with time to spare. If your mornings are a little more rushed, this Strawberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal can always be baked ahead of time and heated up in individual servings in the microwave. Since no additional toppings are needed, this is a great breakfast to take to the office instead of the usual yogurt and granola… and if you’re in the air conditioning, as most of us are this time of year, hot breakfasts don’t have to be avoided in the summertime.

What have you been eating for breakfast lately?  I need some new ideas, cause I can’t eat this oatmeal everyday!

Strawberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal [adapted from Camp Tecumseh Baked Oatmeal]
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Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced strawberries, divided [fresh or frozen, I used frozen]
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons coconut flakes, divided [sweetened or unsweetened, your choice]
• 1 1/4 cups coconut milk [I used lite]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray. Place 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.

In a large bowl, beat together oil, sugar, and egg. In a small bowl, stir together oats, baking powder, chia seeds, and 1/3 cup coconut flakes. Fold dry ingredients into the wet, then pour in coconut milk and stir until just combined. Mixture should be the consistency of thick cake batter. Pour over strawberries in pan, then top with remaining 1/2 cup strawberries and 2 tablespoons coconut flakes.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm and golden brown.

Time: 40 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Note: Can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.