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Healthy almond butter baked oatmeal made with oats, applesauce, almond butter, and a touch of maple syrup. Topped with ripe fresh figs for a sweet, jammy bite. Perfect for meal prep or serving guests at weekend brunch. 

Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Figs

Almond butter and fresh figs are one of the best flavors combinations. If you haven’t tried splitting open a fresh fig, slathering it with almond butter and a sprinkle of flakey sea salt, you’re missing out! Since I can’t get enough of this almond butter-fig flavor combo, I’m constantly looking for ways to use these two ingredients in recipes.

Enter in, almond butter baked oatmeal.

It’s the perfect way to combine the irresistible almond butter and fresh fig flavor into a healthy breakfast. It’s warm and gooey straight from the oven with pockets of jammy figs studded throughout—an actual slice of heaven, if you ask me. It makes for the perfect weekend brunch recipe or to make for guests. If you go this route, I recommend baking right before your guest arrives. The cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup create a lusciously warm and inviting scent. No candles needed.

Baked oatmeal is also great for meal prep. Make a batch on Sunday and have breakfast ready to go for the week ahead. I recommend pairing baked oatmeal with yogurt or nut butter for a more filling balanced breakfast.

Ingredients in this healthy baked oatmeal

    • Rolled oats – create a hearty, chewy texture. I don’t recommend quick oats for steel-cut oat fo this recipe. These oats will likely require a different liquid ratio.
    • Unsweetened applesauce – helps keep the baked oatmeal moist while adding a touch of natural sweetness and fiber.
    • Almond butter – adds healthy fats, protein, and a boost of flavor. Feel free to use any nut or seed butter—peanut, pecan or cashew butter, etc.
    • Eggs or Flax eggs – act as a binder, holding the oatmeal together. Eggs add protein whereas the flax adds plant-based omega-3s. Both options are great!
    • Maple syrup – just a touch of maple syrup for flavor and sweetness. You can substitute honey or another liquid sweetener. For sweeter oatmeal use 1/4 cup maple syrup or simply add a drizzle when serving.
    • Almond milk – the oats need liquid to expand and hold together. The 1 1/2 cups of almond milk will seem like a lot of liquid. That’s okay! This makes the oatmeal moist versus dry and crumbly. Let the oatmeal sit and absorb some of the liquid before transferring to the oven. Feel free to use any milk of choice.
    • Cinnamon and vanilla – warm and cozy flavors that pair wonderfully with almond butter and maple syrup.
    • Baking powder and salt – for a little rise and flavor boost!
    • Fresh figs – look for ripe fresh figs that are slightly soft and squishy to the touch. They create the most delicious sweet, jammy pockets on top of the baked oatmeal.
  • Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Figs

Fresh figs not in season? Here’s what to use instead:

Fresh fig season is only around for a few short months. You can typically find fresh figs from August to October. They’re not always easy to find, but I typically have good luck with finding them at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. If you live in an area where figs grow, you may also find them at your local farmer’s market.

If you can’t get your hands on fresh figs, you have options! These are the best substitutions for fresh figs.

    • Dried figs – fund dried figs in the dried fruit or bulk section fo the grocery store. They’re the best option of replacing fresh figs in this recipe. Simply chop up the dried figs and top the oatmeal before baking. You could also mix a handful into the oatmeal mixture for hidden pops of sweetness with each bite.
    • Fig jam – commonly used as an addition to a cheese board or as a spread for toast. After the oatmeal has absorbed some of the liquid, swirl about 1/4 cup of jam on top of the baked oatmeal before placing it in the oven.
    • Another fruit – get creative with other fruits! You really can’t go wrong here. Berries, banana slices, apples, or pears would be delicious.

How to Make Vegan Baked Oatmeal?

Most of my baked oatmeal recipes are naturally vegan using ground flax. This recipe calls for eggs but it’s an easy swap to make vegan baked oatmeal.

You can use flax “eggs” (2 tablespoons of ground flax mixed with 5 tablespoons of warm water) or simply add 2 tablespoons of ground flax to the oats before adding the liquid called for in the recipe. Both work wonderfully! Since the oatmeal and flax absorb the liquid so well it’s not absolutely necessary to make a flax egg and wait for it to gel before adding it to the wet ingredients.

Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Figs

Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Figs

Nourished by Nutrition Facts:

Fresh Fig Nutrition

This small teardrop-shaped fruit packs in nutrition and health benefits. Figs are unique in that they contain more calcium, potassium, and iron than many other fruits. They’re also a good source of B6, vitamin K, antioxidants, and fiber. A serving of 3-5 figs contains 5 grams of fiber. (1) Research shows that consuming figs regularly can help support regular digestion and elevate constipation. (2) Another benefit of the fiber in figs is it acts as a prebiotic. Prebiotics support healthy gut bacteria by providing them with food to help them grow. This helps the gut bacteria produce nutrients and leads to a healthier digestive system

Fresh figs are not easily found in supermarkets unless they’re in season August through October, but dried figs can be purchased year-round and still contain the amazing nutrition benefits!

More Oatmeal Recipe:

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe below to let me know how you liked it. You can also tag #nourishedbynutriton on Instagram with your creations!

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Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal with Fresh Figs

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Healthy almond butter baked oatmeal with fresh figs is perfect for meal prep or serving guests at weekend brunch.

  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 45 min
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

1 ½ cups almond milk

2 eggs or flax eggs*

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup almond butter

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

5–6 fresh figs, thinly sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease an 8×8 or similar sized baking dish with avocado or coconut oil. I use a smaller 7.5×5 Staub baking dish.

Mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, maple syrup, almond butter, eggs (flax eggs), and almond milk until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the oat mixture. Let stand for about 5 minutes so the oats have time to absorb some of the liquid.

Pour the mixture into the baking dish and top with the sliced figs. Place in the oven for 40-50 minutes. The larger your baking dish the less time it will take for the oatmeal to set. Check after 35-40 minutes. It’s ready when the top starts to brown and the middle is set. You can test this by poking the center with a toothpick or knife. It will come out clean when it’s ready. Remove and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

While the oatmeal cools, coat the back of a spoon with maple syrup and coat the top of the figs and baked oatmeal. While this is optional it locks in moisture and enhances the flavor of the figs.

Serve with a splash of milk or top with yogurt or nut butter of choice. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Notes

Vegan option: Replace the 2 eggs with flax eggs. To make the flax eggs, combine 2 tablespoons of ground flax with 5 tablespoons of warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes to gel before combining with the wet ingredients. Or simply add two tablespoons of ground flax to the bowl of dry ingredients. Both options work wonderfully.

To Reheat: Reheat a single portion in the microwave for 25-20 second or on the stove-top with a splash of almond milk. To reheat the entire dish, covered with foil, and place in a 350F oven until warmed through, 15–20 minutes.

 

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