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Vegan zucchini bread baked oatmeal in convenient muffin form. They are oil-fee, gluten-free, flourless, and only 138 calories per big serving!
Turn Zucchini Into Portable Baked Oatmeal “Muffins”
Happy late summer, everyone! I hope you have been enjoying the final hurrahs of the season, including the remaining books on your summer reading list, the late-summer sun, and the mouth-watering fruits and vegetables from your garden or the farmer’s market.
I was lucky enough to raid my mother’s abundant garden while visiting in California. Her home-grown zucchini inspired these portable baked oatmeal “muffins.”
Use Your Big Zucchini for Baked Goods
With apologies for sounding like a vegetable size-ist, it is easy to love petite, tender squash. Slice them thin for raw, crisp salads, spiralize for flash-cooked “zoodles,” or quickly char on the grill with a slather of olive oil and sprinkle of salt. No recipe required.
Their baseball bat-sized brethren require some manipulation. Their middles are squidgy, their flavor tame from months of sunbathing. Yet you can turn these traits into attributes by cranking up the oven and getting your bake on.
For example, use them in 3-Ingredient Zucchini Soccatas (chickpea flour omelets), Healthy Zucchini Oat Bread, Chickpea Flour Zucchini Muffins, 4-Ingredient Zucchini Skillet Flatbreads, Coconut Flour Zucchini Cookies, Coconut Flour Zucchini Brownies, Zucchini Oat Breakfast Cookies, or Vegan Almond Flour Zucchini Muffins.
These baked Vegan Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal are also a perfect place to use your great big zucchini.
Recipe Benefits
If you need an expanded list of reasons to make this recipe, I have it, right here. These portable baked oat “muffins” are :
- vegan (egg-free & dairy-free)
- oil-free
- gluten-free
- only 138 calories each
- high in superfood goodness (vegetables, whole grain, & omega3 fat from the flax)
- filling
- portable
- cheap & easy
- and, of course, delicious!!!
They are exactly what you need to make a smooth transition from summer to fall, too.
Ingredients
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- rolled oats (certified GF, as needed)
- nondairy milk of your choice (e.g., almond milk, oat milk, soy milk)
- flaxseed meal
- shredded zucchini
- coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- salt (optional, or adjust as desired)
Vary with Add-Ins As You Like
You can vary these beauties to suit your tastes. Purists can make them plain. Raisin-lovers (we exist!) can add raisins or other dried fruit. And chocolate lovers (aka, everyone) should definitely consider a smattering of chocolate chips.
How to Make Vegan Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C).
- Line (recommended), grease or spray 6 cups of a standard size muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients (including stir-ins, if using). Let stand 15 minutes while oven preheats and then divide evenly between prepared cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes until the centers feel set to the touch and the surface appears somewhat dry.
- Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Remove the baked oatmeal cups and store as directed.
- Serve cold, room temperature, or rewarm in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, as desired.
Tip
I like these best when the zucchini is finely shredded, but big shreds will do the trick, too. Try other varieties of squash, or carrots–whatever floats your late-summer boat.
Happy gnoshing, everyone!
Related Recipes
Vegan Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal {oil-free, GF}
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups, 150 g rolled oats (certified GF, as needed)
- 1 and 1/2 cups, 355 mL nondairy milk
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
- 1 cup packed, finely shredded zucchini
- 1/4 cup 36 g coconut sugar (or sweetener of choice)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, adjust as desired
- OPTIONAL STIR-INS: 1/4 cup chopped dried fruit, chocolate chips, raisins, nuts or seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Line (recommended), grease or spray 6 cups of a standard size muffin tin.
- In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients (including stir-ins, if using). Let stand 15 minutes while oven preheats and then divide evenly between prepared cups.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 22 minutes until the centers feel set to the touch and the surface appears somewhat dry. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Remove the oat pucks and store as directed. Serve cold, room temperature, or rewarm in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, as desired.
Why?! I baked for so long and they were goopy, please help
Hi Chantelle,
I’m so sorry to hear that the baked oatmeal cups did not turn out well. I’m not sure what could have caused goopiness— these bake up very firm when I make them. Did the batter seem especially wet when you added it to the baking tin?
Hi and thanks for your delicious and healthy recipes. I love the steel cut oat muffins.
I need to use the chia seeds due to flax allergy. Do you mean to substitute ground chia seeds or whole? I am new to baking.
Looking forward to this! Thanks,
Gail
Hi Gail! For this recipe, you can use with whole chia seeds or ground chia seeds to replace the flaxseed meal. You can use 1.5 tablespoons of chia seeds to replace the 3 tablespoons of flaxseed meal (or about 3 tablespoons of ground chia seeds/chia seed flour). Cheers!
Hi—these sound fantastic! Do you need to remove the moisture from the zucchini first?
Hi Jill! No, you don’t— the moisture adds to the liquid needed in the recipe 😊
Love this recipe! My kids do not like green stuff so I peel the zucchini. Sneaky, but it works, especially if I add some chocolate chips. Thanks!
I ,ve made these with zucchini or carrots over the years, always so good and very satisfying!
Turned out great! I added even more zucchini and used dark chocolate chunks.
Can you replace the coconut sugar with maple syrup?
Hi Steph, Yes, definitely!
YUM! Made a triple batch these with one of our big zucchinis from the garden. So yum! Definitely add the chocolate chips. Great recipe.
Excellent Jordan, I envy your fresh from the garden zucchini 🙂
I am going to make these tomorrow– with chocolate! Thanks, Camilla!
Let me know what you think, Raja!