Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal

Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal has all the flavors of the famous muffins created by Pam McKinstry in the late 1970s.

The recipe for McKinstry’s muffins, named after her Morning Glory Cafe, appeared in Gourmet magazine in 1981. The combination of apples, carrots, pineapple, coconut, nuts and raisins was an overwhelming hit and soon bakeries and cafes across North America featured a version.

It was the tail end of the Cold War, in the era of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Sony Walkmans.

People could still smoke in restaurants.

They played Pong.

At arcades.

Despite all of that, the muffins are still one of my favorites, but they are also tinged with nostalgia, too.

What were we talking about so seriously all those decades ago, my bestie and I with our coffee and muffins on the table between us?

I can see the scene in my memory, but I’ve lost the sound file.

Flash forward to a different era, with my oldest daughter the age that I was then. Navigating through a different world: the land of one’s childhood is a country that no longer exists.

But still there’s always new days and breakfast.

And while I’ve never (for some reason I haven’t really thought much about) made the eponymous muffins for my gaggle of three, I have made this Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal. And I think I like it better.

You can prepare it the night before you need it, and leave it unbaked in the fridge until morning. Or you can bake it in advance and heat up as needed. Or you can slice it into bars and eat it cold (probably my favorite way).

So turn off your phone and crank up the Springsteen.

Enjoy.

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Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

You can prepare this oatmeal in individual muffin cups for freezing as individual portions. Grease the muffins pans well, and bake for 15-20 minutes until firm. Remove them from the pans and let cool completely, then store in airtight bags or containers freeze. Put parchment or wax paper between the servings if you are stacking them. Reheat them in the microwave as needed.

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Author: Mary Gillespie

Ingredients

• 2 cups / 500 ml oatmeal
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt
• 1 teaspoon / 5 ml cinnamon
• 1 medium apple: peeled cored and grated (about 1 cup / 250 ml grated apple)
• 1 medium carrot peeled and grated (about 1 cup / 250 ml grated carrot - I prefer to use the fine grater rather than the coarse one for the carrots)
• 1 cup / 250 ml crushed pineapple drained
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml raisins
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml chopped pecans or walnuts optional
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cups / 375 ml milk
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml pineapple orange or apple juice (you can use the juice drained from the crushed pineapple)
• 2 tablespoons / 30 ml vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F / 176 degrees C. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. In large bowl, stir together oatmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Add apples, carrot, pineapple, coconut, raisins and nuts (if using). Stir until thoroughly blended.
4. In separate bowl, beat egg with milk, pineapple juice and oil.
5. Add egg mixture to oats and stir to blend.
6. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and smooth top.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the oatmeal has firmed up and the edges are lightly browned.
8. Serve warm with syrup and milk, or let cool and cut into bars.

Recipe Notes

You can omit the 2 tablespoons / 30 ml brown sugar if you prefer, particularly if you are serving with syrup.