Family Favorites - November 2018: Gluten-Free Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal (Soy, Wheat, Egg and Fish-Free, Can Be Milk and Nut-Free)

This year, I decided to list a family favorite recipe from the blog (with any adaptions that we use regularly, if applicable) on the fourth Friday or Saturday of every month.  This recipe will be one that we make quite often and that we all enjoy greatly.  This post is the eleventh Family Favorites recipe of 2018.

If you have a recipe on your blog that you consider a family favorite that you'd like to share, please comment below with a link to the recipe, and I'll make sure to pop on over and visit your site to check it out (and leave a comment), and hopefully some of my other readers will, too.

This month's Family Favorite recipe is Gluten-Free Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal.  This is essentially a re-post of my original Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal recipe, only with extra tips and tricks listed, and with slight modifications listed that I use regularly.

In the autumn, winter and spring, I make this recipe quite often.  It goes together in a snap, and the warm oven helps warm the house when it is cooler (or downright cold!) outside.  It is great eaten hot or cold, and the leftovers are wonderful on busy school mornings.  It is hardy, filling, and delicious too.  It is also soy, wheat, egg and fish-free (if all your ingredients are), and can be milk and nut-free (see variations).  Win-win-win for simple, healthy and delicious!  I can honestly say, too, that this is one recipe that everyone has enjoyed from day one, and it is always a welcome sight in my home.

Gluten-Free Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

3 Cups gluten-free quick cooking oats

(Do not use instant oatmeal or old fashioned oats!)

1/3 to 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar

(We always use cane brown sugar, and I normally use the 1/2 Cup amount.)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

(Our favorite brand is Hain.)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 to 1 Cup soy-free peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)

(We normally use JIF Natural Creamy or Smucker's Natural Creamy, and almost always use 3/4 Cup.)

1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla

1 to 1 1/2 Cups milk

(We normally use whole milk, but you can use whatever you have on hand.  We also almost always use 1 Cup of milk.)

1. Preheat oven to 350^oF.
    
2. Grease a 9x13 glass pan and set aside.  (Note: Use whatever grease fits your allergen needs.  You can use butter, oil, lard, etc.)
     
3. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt until all ingredients are evenly distributed.  (Note: The amount of brown sugar you use is based on personal preference.  If you like it sweeter, use the 1/2 Cup.  If you want it less sweet, use the 1/3 Cup.  I nearly always use the 1/2 Cup.)
     
4. Add peanut butter, vanilla and milk to the oat mixture and mix until well-blended.  (Note: The amount of peanut butter and milk are based on personal preference.  If you like it more peanut buttery and a bit more fudge-like texture, add more peanut butter.  If you like the idea of bits of peanut in your oatmeal, use the crunchy peanut butter.  If you like it more chewy, add more milk.  If you like it a bit drier, use less milk.  My personal favorite is to use closer to 3/4 Cup creamy peanut butter and to start at 1 Cup milk and add a little more if needed to give it a soft cookie dough looking texture.)
     
5. Scoop mixture into the prepared pan, spread the mixture evenly, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the middle is set.  (Note: You do not have to bake this oatmeal beyond having the middle set, which is more toward the 20 minute mark, sometimes even as little as 15 minutes.  If you like your oatmeal a little more crunchy/dry (though it won't be completely like that - it will be more like soft oatmeal cookies with a slight crunch on the edge), bake it a bit longer, though you shouldn't have to bake it past 30 minutes.  I normally bake mine for 25 minutes to get a soft bottom with a slightly crunchy, cookie-type top.)
    
6. Enjoy hot, warm or cold.

Makes anywhere from 12 large servings to 24 small servings.

Variations (Please keep your individual allergy and dietary needs in mind when using substitutions!):

• Peanut-Free or Nut-Free:  If you cannot have peanut butter, you can sub any tree nut or seed butter for the peanut butter with success.  It will have a slightly different flavor, but should still be equally delicious.
    
• Milk-Free: If you cannot have milk, you can sub any non-dairy milk, water or juice for the milk.  I've made it with juice before, and it makes it taste like peanut butter and jelly.  We even liked it better than when it was made with milk!
    
• Grain-Free: If you have trouble with all grains, including oatmeal, sub quinoa flakes for the oatmeal and make as directed.
     
• Alternative Sweeteners: If you do not like brown sugar or don't have any or cannot use it, you can sub white sugar.  You can also sub 1/4 to 1/3 Cup honey, molasses or maple syrup.  You can even use Stevia or another sugar-free, approved for baking alternative, too.  Use this chart to help you determine how much Stevia to use in place of the sugar/honey.  Here is one for determining how much Splenda to substitute with.  Here's another conversion chart that may be useful: Sweetener Equivalency & Usage Chart  
    
• Alternative Flavors: For a chocolate version, see my Baked Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal recipe by clicking here.
    
• Topping Ideas: This oatmeal is great plain, but it is even better with jam on top.  You could also top it with raisins or anything that you like on top of oatmeal that would go well with peanut butter.  You could even melt some chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is a great allergy-friendly choice) and drizzle them on top, or even top it with caramel sauce if you wanted a more "dessert" type feel.

I hope you will give this recipe a try soon and that it becomes a family favorite for you, too!