Warm, custardy baked oatmeal studded with soft pear and fresh ginger, topped with crunchy toasted walnuts.
Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant (2–3 minutes). This step is essential for flavor and crunch. Choose ripe but firm pears; very soft pears will break down too much during baking. Dice them just before mixing to prevent browning.
Make-ahead: Assemble the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Add 5–10 minutes to bake time if baking from cold. Mince fresh ginger finely so it distributes evenly; large pieces can be overpowering.
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick oats work)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 medium ripe pears
- ¾ cup walnuts
Ingredients
Scale
Measurement units
- 2 cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick oats work)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 medium ripe pears
- ¾ cup walnuts
Instructions
Toast the walnuts
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 0.75 cup chopped walnuts.
Stir frequently until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2–3 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Equipment: skillet
Prepare the baking dish and preheat oven
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
Equipment: 8-inch square baking dish, oven
Mix wet ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 large eggs (2 large), whole milk (1 ½ cup), unsweetened applesauce (½ cup), maple syrup (¼ cup), 3 tbsp melted butter, 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (1 tbsp), and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) until smooth.
Equipment: whisk
Combine dry ingredients with oats
In another bowl, stir together rolled oats (2 cup), baking powder (1 ½ teaspoon), ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon), and salt (¼ teaspoon).
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Equipment: 8-inch square baking dish
Fold in pears and toasted walnuts
Gently fold in 2 medium diced pears and 0.75 cup toasted walnuts until evenly distributed.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
Equipment: 8-inch square baking dish
Bake until set and golden
Bake in the preheated 350°F oven until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30–35 minutes.
Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Equipment: oven
Serve
Scoop warm oatmeal into bowls and serve as is, or with a drizzle of maple syrup or a splash of milk on the side.
Before you cook
Cook notes
- • Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant (2–3 minutes). This step is essential for flavor and crunch.
- • Choose ripe but firm pears; very soft pears will break down too much during baking. Dice them just before mixing to prevent browning.
- • Mince fresh ginger finely so it distributes evenly; large pieces can be overpowering.
- • The oatmeal will continue to firm up slightly as it cools; it should be custardy and moist, not dry.
- • Make-ahead: Assemble the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate up to 8 hours. Add 5–10 minutes to bake time if baking from cold.
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