This pink strawberry baked oatmeal is blended and baked to a cake-like consistency with an optional hidden cheesecake center! All you need is just 7 ingredients and under 30 minutes for this, gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, and optionally dairy-free strawberry oatmeal!
Preheat the oven to 355ºF/180ºC. For the instructions on how to make this in a microwave, read past the oven method.
Add the oats to your food processor and blend into a floury consistency. If you're using oat flour then skip this step.
Add all of the remaining ingredients apart from the cream cheese to the food processor and process until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust the sweetener if preferred.
Pour the strawberry oatmeal into a heat-proof bowl or ramekin and then spoon the cream cheese into the center, gently pressing it down so it's hidden in the center of the oatmeal.
Bake the strawberry cheesecake oatmeal at 355ºF/180ºC for around 15 minutes - it's okay if the oatmeal is slightly gooey still. Feel free to increase the time by 2-3 minutes for drier results.
You can then serve the oatmeal immediately or top with more sliced strawberries and optionally a little coconut whipped cream or white chocolate drizzle.
To Make In The Microwave:
Make sure to use a heat-proof, microwave-safe dish with higher sides for when the oatmeal puffs up.Heat for between 1:30-3:00 minutes on full power until it's baked through - this will depend on your microwave power so start at 1:30 minutes, check, and increase in 15-20 second spurts.
How To Store
Store: for the best results, this strawberry cheesecake baked oatmeal is best consumed when warm, fresh from the oven. However, any leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days (potentially longer, but I haven't checked).To freeze: wrap the strawberry baked oatmeal well and store for up to 1 month. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.To reheat: you can reheat the strawberry baked oatmeal in the oven or microwave until warmed through. I suggest 45-60 seconds on high power in the microwave, increasing if needed or 10-15 minutes in the oven.
Notes
Optional Add-Ins
White Chocolate: for a more decadent treat, you can drizzle a little white chocolate over the top of the baked oatmeal. For a healthier option, you could use sugar-free/ low-sugar dark chocolate.
Extra strawberry: if you want a stronger strawberry flavor, feel free to use strawberry powder within the batter or even a natural strawberry flavoring. You could also add a small spoonful of strawberry jam to the center on top of the cream cheese (yummy!) or swirled it into the top of the batter (warm it first and optionally dilute with water if needed).
Chia/Flax: add 1/2-1 Tbsp seeds to add extra protein to the baked oatmeal.