Mother's Day Brunch: Peach Cardamom Baked Oatmeal

When it comes to mothers I lucked out. I was blessed with two of the strongest women I know to take care of me.

Jenny (left) & Sall (right)

So when Mother's Day rolls around, it calls for double the celebration. And what better to celebrate with than baked oatmeal?! It's nutritious, energizing for all of your big day plans, and this variation is basically like eating peach cobbler for breakfast. IN BED! Awesome. 

Peach + Cardamom

What started out as 'Peach Cobbler Baked Oatmeal' got an elegantly refined makeover into 'Peach Cardamom Baked Oatmeal' after some well deserved feedback from my best friend Alix. That's what besties for-- to share great food with, love, laugh with, and force to take pictures of my step-by-step recipe process (photo cred to Lex on the above shot). She's the photographer in the family.

Cardamom: Tastes like.. Pair it with..

Girl was spot on, peach and cardamom pair beautifully for the taste of pure summer. Cardamom, native to India, is of the same family as ginger, though it has a unique flavor all it's own.. somewhere in the realm of clove with it's astringency, ginger with it's spice, and cinnamon with it's sweetness. You'll see it in savory dishes such as Indian curries, but I personally love it in sweeter dishes. It also pairs deliciously with pear, apple, orange, plum, chocolate, vanilla, almond, and coffee. At the retreat in Spain, we bought cardamom in the form of whole pods, which I would put it my morning coffee on occasion. This Ayruvedic recommendation is said to neutralize the overly stimulating effects of caffeine on the nervous system

Buying and Storing Cardamom

You can buy cardamom as whole pods, or already ground. Store both in cool, dry, airtight containers for the best flavor. Once cardamom is ground, it loses the intensity of it's flavor quickly. You'll see in the recipe, I noted that if you're grinding the pods fresh, to only use a pinch rather than 1/4 teaspoon. This is because the flavor is much more prominent in freshly ground spices. Both work well in the recipe.

Ripe peaches get layered on the bottom, followed by a mixture of thick rolled oats, crushed walnuts tossed in ground cinnamon and cardamom. Eggs, soy milk, and pure vanilla extract are whisked together and poured on top, settling in to hold everything together. Crushed walnuts, sucanat, and cinnamon are sprinkled on top for a cobbler-like topping. After 30 minutes in the over, you get to dig in to a chewy, crunchy, naturally sweet, dessert-for-breakfast-like dish. Even better with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. 

What's even more fabulous? This dish can be prepped a day in advance and sit pretty in your fridge until you're ready to get baking on Sunday morning! Does it get easier than that?

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is made to serve three, and is baked in a 6-inch circular dish. However, if you're hosting brunch or serving more people, the recipe can easily be doubled, or tripled and baked in a larger rectangular dish. 

Make ahead prep:

 Everything can be prepped, up until the baking step. Layer all ingredients, cover with plastic film, and place in the fridge until your ready to bake. Then pre-heat the oven, and enjoy morning coffee with your mom as the smell of peach cobbler fills your house!

Peach Cardamom Baked Oatmeal serves 3 

ripe peaches, cardamom, crushed walnuts, sucanat

•  1.5 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 small peaches 
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp walnut pieces, crushed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom, if using freshly ground, only add a pinch (freshly ground pods taste much more potent)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine-grain sea salt
• 2/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 1 farm fresh egg*
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup 
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp sucanat
• Greek yogurt and honey to garnish, optional

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350 F/175 C

Grease a 6-inch circular baking dish with coconut oil

Slice peaches, layer them on the bottom of the baking dish

In medium sized bowl, combine rolled oats, 3 Tbsp crushed walnuts, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, and sea salt, stir to combine, set aside

In a seperate medium bowl, whisk the egg, soy milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until frothy, set aside

Layer oat mixture into baking dish directly over the peaches, then pour the egg mixture on top. Tap it on the counter top to make sure the egg mixture settles evenly into the oats

Top with remaining 2 Tbsp crushed walnuts, sucanat, and ground cinnamon

Bake on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until the top turns golden brown

Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey. Optional, but recommended, serve with french press coffee and mimosas. Hello, child of the year award!

 *note: If doubling the recipe, use one whole egg+one egg white, if tripling, use one whole egg+two egg whites

Happy mother's day to all of the beautiful mamas out there, thank you so much for all that you do and as you continue to encourage our growth.