Aunt Kim's Blueberry Baked Oatmeal (Vegan & GF)

1 ripe banana 
1/4 C. almond butter
1 C. almond milk
1/4 C. real maple syrup
1/4 C. applesauce (original calls for melted coconut oil)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 C. whole rolled oats
1 C. chopped pecans
1 C. blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 Tbsp. brown sugar, for topping
2 Tbsp. coconut flakes, for topping

1) Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 baking dish or similar. (I use parchment paper and no oil. If you crumple the parchment paper, it will mold better.)

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, almond milk, almond butter, maple syrup, and applesauce. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, sea salt, and whisk again.

3) Fold in the oats, 3/4 C. of the pecans, and 1/2 C. of the blueberries. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth into an even layer.

4) Top with remaining 1/2 C. blueberries, the remaining 1/4 C. pecans, the brown sugar, and the coconut flakes.

5) Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until topping is crisp and the middle part is set. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

The original recipe (and photo credit!) can be found online at Love & Lemons.

COOK'S NOTES:

* This recipe is very forgiving and versatile with substitutions. I use applesauce instead of oil. In a pinch, I've used peanut butter instead of almond butter and oat milk instead of almond milk. I've substituted a frozen berry blend of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries for the blueberries. I've used a blend of chopped walnuts, cashews, and almonds when I didn't have pecans.

* The "batter" always seems very runny to me, for what it is supposed to be. I get this impression from the original post's photos (where the mixture looks thicker than mine when I follow the recipe exactly) and from her words to "spread the mixture evenly." When made as written, the recipe is runny enough to pour, for sure. So I always add some more oats, probably about an extra 1/4 C. or more per recipe (1/2 C. when I'm doubling it). It works great, as far as I can tell. I should probably try it once as written, but I haven't yet!

* I've used sweetened and unsweetened coconut flakes, and brown sugar and coconut sugar, for the topping. They all work fine, with differing levels of final sweetness, of course.

* I've stirred all the main ingredients together (without putting some of the berries and nuts on top) and it's worked fine.

* When I double this, I put it in a large metal pan I have that's larger than a 9x13, or in my Pampered Chef bar pan. (This pan is discontinued, much to my dismay! We love it. I'm nor sure of its dimensions, but it's a little smaller than a standard jelly roll pan.) The main difference will be how thick your final product is, and therefore how crunchy/crispy or moist it will be in the end.

* We like to serve this with some sort of nut milk or oat milk available as a topping. Extra syrup or something sweet like that is not needed. Enjoy!