Vegan Gluten-free Baked Chocolate Oats

A delicious breakfast that tastes like a dessert! This vegan gluten-free baked chocolate oats recipe is perfect to enjoy on a chilled cold weekend day.

* This post is sponsored by FREEE*

I’m a huge fan of oats for breakfast in general, but during the colder months, nothing beats a bowl of baked warm oats straight out of the oven! 

Oats are a great source of fibre, vitamins (such as B vitamins), and minerals (like manganese, phosphorus, and magnesium). Baking them into a dish can help you make the most of these nutrients. They’re also a complex carbohydrate, which means they release energy slowly + will help regulate your blood sugar levels. This will help to keep you full and satisfied throughout the morning.

Like with porridge, baked oats are super versatile and can be customised with various toppings and different flavours so you never get bored.  You can add fruits, nuts, seeds, sweeteners, and spices to create a breakfast that you enjoy.

I’m sprucing up my morning porridge by adding chocolate, and instead of cooking it in a pan I’m baking it in the oven. The main difference in the end result is the texture. Porridge is lovely and creamy, whereas baking it in the oven turn your porridge into soft, chewy and creamy yumminess. Both are equally delicious, but it’s nice to change things up a little and baking your oats is a really fun way to enjoy your morning oats. 

What I love about this vegan gluten-free baked chocolate oats recipe:

I would consider baked oats a comfort food, especially during autumn/winter as I mentioned before. Add chocolate in the mix and you have yourself an even cosier and more comforting breakfast experience.

The texture of this vegan gluten-free baked chocolate oats reminds me of a cake, especially with the added cocoa and dark chocolate chips. It honestly feels like having dessert for breakfast, but one that’s actually good for your. Who can say no to that?

It’s a great source of fibre with 10g per serving. With a lot of us in the UK struggling to reach the daily recommended fibre intake of 30g per day, this vegan gluten-free baked chocolate oats recipe is an easy way to help you get there. 

The dark chocolate (in both the cocoa powder and dark chocolate chips) is a great source of antioxidants too, not that I need an excuse to enjoy dark chocolate regularly 😛

This vegan gluten-free baked chocolate oats is really easy to put together and you can bake it in advance and warm it up for 5 minutes in the oven in the morning for a speedier breakfast. You can half the recipe if you’re only making it for yourself or double it and use an 8” baking tin to make a bigger portion. You can also go crazy with the toppings and add chopped nuts, dates, dried fruit or whatever else you fancy! 

what you need to make this vegan gluten-free baked chocolate oats:

Oats – I used gluten-free porridge oats to make the recipe gluten-free. Regular oats will also work.

Banana – This will add some natural sweetness, but will also act as a binder to help everything hold together as the oats bake in the oven. 

Cocoa powder – To add a rich chocolate taste as well as lots of antioxidants. 

Tahini – This will add some moistness to the baked oats as well as some richness. You can use a nut butter instead like almond or peanut butter.

Maple syrup – I only used 1 tbsp for 2 servings for some extra sweetness. This is optional, so if you want a lower sugar option, feel free to omit it. 

Baking powder – To help the baked oats rise a little in the oven.

Salt & Vanilla – To enhance and bring all the flavours together.

This vegan gluten-free baked chocolate oats recipe is:

• Vegan
• Gluten-free
• Dairy-free
• Can be made nut-free (if you use tahini)
• A great healthy option for breakfast
• High in fibre (10g per serving!)
• Easy to make
• Great for meal prepping
• A great make-in-advance option for breakfast
• Really cosy
• And super delicious!

I’ve teamed up with FREEE to create some simple, fun and healthy breakfast recipes. Their range of breakfast products really does make starting your day with a vegan, gluten free and organic breakfast as easy as ‘one, two, FREEE’. Their cereals and oats are organic, naturally gluten free and vegan certified.

The FREEE Breakfast Cereals range includes:

• Porridge Oats
• Cereal Flakes
• Fibre Flakes
• Corn Flakes
• Organic Chocolate Stars