Breakfast time has never been this exciting with this delicious vegan baked oatmeal with chocolate and zucchini! Naturally gluten-free, kid friendly, and packed with healthy goodness, you’ll be looking forward to having this baked oatmeal for breakfast!
Packed with healthy fats and veggies, when enjoying this vegan baked oatmeal for breakfast, you might think it’s actually a dessert! Thanks to the fibre rich ingredients and veg, this baked oatmeal will keep you full all morning long. Plus, any reason to have some chocolate chips for breakfast is a win! Who’s with me?
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
Like I mentioned earlier, this vegan baked oatmeal is a healthy way to start off the day as it’s packed with healthy fats and fibre. On top of that, is simple plant based breakfast is also:
- Gluten-free
- Tasty AF
- Has plenty of chocolate
- Has sneaky vegetable serving
- Meal prep friendly
- Family friendly
Key Ingredients
Oats — We use some old fashioned rolled oats to help bind the sweet potato bars as well. They’re packed with fibre as well.
Zucchini — You’d be surprised about what zucchini can do. It keeps our vegan oatmeal bake nice and moist while adding nutritional value.
Bananas — A ripe banana adds in extra naturally sweetness as well as replaces the need for butter.
Ground flaxseed – This is not only packed with heart healthy omega 3s, protein and fibre, but makes a vegan alternative to eggs when mixed with water. Our walnuts and hemp hearts also adds extra omega 3s to the oatmeal. The more the merrier!
Chocolate — Chocolate is definitely a key ingredient for this oatmeal bake. We’ve got chocolate chips on top of them as well as cocoa powder mixed in!
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease two 9″ square baking dishes. Then in a large bowl, mix together the oats, cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
Step 2: In another, mix the almond milk, maple, flax eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, banana, zucchini, and walnuts. Mix into the dry ingredients.
Step 3: Transfer mixture to the two baking dishes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and hemp hearts. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown on the outsides and firm to the touch. Allow to cool before cutting into pieces.
Expert Tips
The best bananas for this vegan oatmeal bake is the spottiest bananas you can find. The more ripe the bananas are, the sweeter it’ll be for your oatmeal.
The easiest way to shred your zucchini is by using a box grater or with an attachment in your food processor.
Zucchinis have a high water content. After you’ve grated them, you can wrap it up in a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid from them as possible. This prevents them from releasing the liquid while it bakes in the oven, resulting in a watery oatmeal bake.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Assuming you use a certified gluten free oat brand, you will have a completely gluten free Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Baked Oatmeal that is safe for people with celiac and gluten intolerance.
It can be! If you want to include the walnuts, just mince them SUPER fine (or pulse in a food processor). Otherwise, you can sub in some almond flour or more hemp hearts. You can also add apple sauce or more banana in place of the maple syrup and avoid the chocolate if you want it to be completely sugar free. It’s super versatile to make this baked oatmeal baby friendly, and you can also check out my BLW baked oatmeal fingers here.
To make this zucchini baked oatmeal meal prep friendly for the freezer, I suggest letting the baked oatmeal cool, then cut it into strips or squares and wrap each in foil or plastic wrap to freeze. Then you can easily just pull one or two pieces out as you need them throughout the week.
This zucchini baked oatmeal will stay pretty fresh for about 4 or 5 days. Just be sure you are storing it in an airtight container so it doesn’t go stale and stays fresh. If you think you can’t go through it fast enough, then I suggest cutting it up and freezing it.
More Recipes You Might Like
Want MORE delicious oatmeal recipes to kick start your mornings? Try these reader favourites:
- Cherry Almond Baked Oatmeal Fingers
- Patriotic Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Chocolate Zucchini Bread Oatmeal Zoats
- High Protein Oatmeal with Crème Brûlée Crackle
So loves, let me know- what some of your favourite easy fast breakfast options? Leave me a comment below with your ideas and be sure to share this!
Vegan Baked Oatmeal with Chocolate and Zucchini
Ingredients
- 2½ cups rolled oats
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt or less for babies
- 1¼ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 flax eggs 2 tbsp ground flax + 1/4 cup water set in fridge 1 hour
- 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 small ripe bananas mashed
- 2 medium zucchini grated and liquid squeezed out
- ½ cup walnuts finely minced
- ¼ cup dark mini chocolate chips
- 3 tbsp hemp hearts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease two 9″ square baking dishes.
- Mix together the oats, cinnamon, cocoa, nutmeg, baking powder and salt in one bowl.
- In another, mix the almond milk, maple, flax eggs, coconut oil, vanilla, banana, zucchini, and walnuts. Mix into the dry ingredients.
- Transfer mixture to the two baking dishes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and hemp hearts. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown on the outsides and firm to the touch. Allow to cool before cutting into pieces.
Video
Notes
- The best bananas for this vegan oatmeal bake is the spottiest bananas you can find. The more ripe the bananas are, the sweeter it’ll be for your oatmeal.
- The easiest way to shred your zucchini is by using a box grater or with an attachment in your food processor.
- Zucchinis have a high water content. After you’ve grated them, you can wrap it up in a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out as much liquid from them as possible. This prevents them from releasing the liquid while it bakes in the oven, resulting in a watery oatmeal bake.
Nutrition
Updated on June 3rd, 2021
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Navyanjali says
10/10 for sure! I absolutely love it! Great way to sneak in some veggies.
Victoria says
Can you freeze this? I live alone and even half the recipe would be to much. And if one can freeze them. It is better to do it before or after backing ?
Abbey Sharp says
Yes you can
Katie says
This is delicious. Used dark chocolate curls and when I warm it up for breakfast in the morning its so good. Cozy and chocolate-y and filling!
Abbey Sharp says
yay! happy you enjoyed
Tricia says
Can I prep this the night before and bake in the morning?
Abbey Sharp says
yes you can
Elena says
If i omit the walnuts due to an allergy, can i replace with them same amount of almond flour?
Abbey Sharp says
I would omit them all together or add in sliced or chopped almonds
Claudia says
Hi Abbey,
Is my 11 months 1/2 daughter too young to eat chocolate in this recipe?
How many eggs do I need to replace 2 flax eggs? I don’t have any flax right now and I would like to make this ahead for tomorrow. Thank you.
Abbey Sharp says
you can omit the chocolate! I would also grind the walnuts super fine or omit them. and two eggs = 2 flax eggs!