Happy Sunday everyone! Today I’m sharing this Chai and Pear Baked Oatmeal, a perfectly meal-preppable breakfast for the week. I love chai spices and they just scream holidays to me. They bring such a great warmth in this cooler weather, plus they pair so well with the pears in this baked, sliceable oatmeal.

To reheat from frozen: The best way to reheat from frozen is to remove the wrapped slice from the freezer the night before you plan to eat it and place it in the refrigerator. It will mostly thaw overnight, then when you’re ready to eat it, place the unwrapped slice of baked oatmeal on a microwave safe dish and microwave it at 30 second intervals for 1-2 minutes. To reheat the entire baked oatmeal, cover it with foil and stick it in the oven for about 20 minutes at 350°F.

Hot or cold: I prefer to eat my baked oatmeal warm, so I just reheat it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds before serving. You can totally eat it cold if that’s what you prefer though! I also love to serve mine with some nice cold almond milk in a bowl with fresh berries.

Here’s what you’ll need to recreate this Chai and Pear Baked Oatmeal at home:

• Rolled oats – I love to see the whole oats in my baked oatmeal, but don’t worry – they’re baked to perfect tenderness! Other types of oats like quick oats or steel cut oats will behave differently, so I don’t recommend swapping this ingredient.
• Milk – Use whatever neutral tasting milk you prefer! I used almond milk, which doesn’t have a strong flavor. Some non-dairy milks have a really strong flavor or are overly sweet – I’d stay away from those in this recipe.
• Applesauce – Adds volume, sweetness, and moisture without watering the batter down.
• Eggs – These are the glue that bring the dough together and add a bit of protein too. Like the melted butter, egg yolks also add some much needed fat to keep the baked oatmeal tender.
• Pears – I recommend Bosc pears for this recipe since they are sweet but firm and hold up well in baking applications. You could also use apples if you prefer.
• Protein powder – I used a plant based protein powder for this recipe, but you could also use a whey/casein blend. If using dairy protein instead, just be sure to decrease the amount of almond milk by about 1/4 cup.
• Spices – To achieve that chai flavor here, we’re using lots of spices AND a few tea bags brewed into the almond milk. Don’t be shy with the spices!
• Baking powder – This gives the oatmeal bake a good rise as it cooks, plus helps add air in the final product, meaning it’s less dense.
• Maple syrup – For a touch of sweetness, plus maple syrup helps make the baked oatmeal more tender. You could also use honey or light brown sugar if you prefer.
• Melted butter – Adds some much needed fat to the baked oatmeal, keeping it from being dry and crumbly. You could also use peanut butter or coconut oil if you’d prefer to stay away from butter. If you’re not worried about the macros, throw in an extra tablespoon for even more tender and delicious baked oatmeal.
• Maple extract – You could always use vanilla instead if that’s what you have on hand, but I love how maple extract helps to reinforce the fall flavors in this baked oatmeal.