Chewy, fudgy, nutritious brownies for breakfast? Yes please! Rolled oats and cocoa powder create the chewy, chocolaty body that you expect from brownies, while sweet potatoes and dates provide complex sweetness, with low/moderate glycemic index. These chocolate baked oats are a gluten-free, optionally vegan/dairy-free, treat that you can make ahead and enjoy hot as a quick breakfast, or a sweet snack any time.
Ingredients & Nutrition
I think this is an amazing recipe. Some recipes like my tortilla recipe play hard to get, others like this one seem to find you. One morning I craved chocolate. I need to eat something with a low glycemic index in the morning so I looked for chocolate baked oat, luckily I found this Chocolate Baked Oat recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie. It’s doesn’t have much added sugar, so I thought that dates would work well, and I was intrigued by using sweet potatoes, but I wanted them to be more brownie like, so I increased the cocoa powder, and added vanilla and cinnamon. The result was everything that I wanted, rich, chewy brownies, that provide long lasting energy, not a sugar crash.
Dates and sweet potatoes complement the chocolate with just enough complex sweetness . They also contribute to the goey, but not too dense texture. Dates are high in potassium, fiber, iron, and magnesium. Sweet potatoes are a nutrient powerhouse – rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and especially vitamin A (from beta-carotene). Their antioxidants support eye health, immune defense, gut function, and may help lower inflammation and chronic disease risk, may increase blood flow to the brain and support cognitive function,
Although these brownies have a quite a bit of of sugar (13 grams/serving), it has a surprisingly low fairly glycemic index (45-50 low/moderate). Dates and sweet potatoes have a lot of fructose which has a much lower glycemic index than glucose. More importantly oats, dates and sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber (6.8 g – 24% USDA RDA).
Oats help to create the chewy the body with a little nutty flavor and are rich in soluble fiber (especially beta-glucan), iron, magnesium, and complex carbs. Cocoa powder provides the chocolate flavor, and is one of the richest sources of anti-oxidant polyphenols, especially flavanols, which may help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow to the brain supporting cognitive function, and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Nutrients per serving 1/8 of the recipe based on USDA recommendations for a 2000 kCal diet.
| Nutrient | Per Serving | %DV* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 211 kcal | — |
| Protein | 8.4 g | 17% |
| Total Fat | 5.1 g | 7% |
| Carbs | 37.8 g | 14% |
| Fiber | 6.8 g | 24% |
| Sugars | 13.2 g | — |
| Calcium | 77 mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2.1 mg | 12% |
| Magnesium | 66 mg | 16% |
| Phosphorus | 138 mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 321 mg | 7% |
| Zinc | 0.9 mg | 8% |
| Copper | 0.4 mg | 44% |
| Manganese | 1.1 mg | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 146 µg RAE | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 0.8 mg | 1% |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) | 0.14 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.09 mg | 7% |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 0.45 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.10 mg | 6% |
| Folate | 17 µg | 4% |
Oatmeal Breakfast Brownies
Equipment
- 1 large sauce pan
- 1 8"x8" baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cup rolled oats
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cup milk your choice see note
- 1 cup sweet potato about 1 large sweet potato see note
- 9 dates 110 grams
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts optional
- ¼ teaspoon grated dark chocolate optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Bake 1 sweet potato in microwave for 6 minutes on high until soft.
- Add enough water to cover the bottom of to a large sauce pan.Chop 9 datesSimmer on medium low until the dates soften and most of the water is absorbed.Mash dates. It should make a thick paste.Continue to cook until if it's watery.
- Peel sweet potato.Add 1 cup sweet potato to the sauce pan with the dates and mash.
- Add 2 cup milk.Mash/stir until blended.
- Stir in 2 cup rolled oats, ½ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Lightly oil 8×8 baking pan.Pour batter into baking pan.
- Optionally, top with ¼ teaspoon grated dark chocolate.
- Optionally, sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts.
- Bake at 350℉ for 35 minutes.
- Serve hot or cold.
- Store leftovers covered in refrigerator for up to three days.