Homesteader's Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS:

For the Baked Oatmeal

• 1 and 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats​
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour​
• 1 tsp baking powder​
• 1/2 tsp sea salt​
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice​
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon​
• 1 cup cinnamon applesauce​
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree​
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten​
• 1/4 cup sorghum syrup (sorghum molasses, AKA soppin' syrup)​
• 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk ​
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract​

For the Glaze

• 4 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
• 3 Tbsp sorghum syrup
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Optional: Powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar) for a light dusting on top of the glaze

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Grease a 9 x 9 baking pan, set aside.

3.) In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - oats, flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Set aside.

4.) In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce and pumpkin puree.

5.) Add the egg and sorghum syrup until combined.

6.) Add the almond milk and vanilla extract and stir until combined thoroughly.

7.) Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until completely combined.

8.) Pour ingredient batter into prepared baking dish.

9.) Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes (until the top is set and slightly browned). Adjust based on your oven, and keep a close eye on the bake around this time to avoid burning.

10.) Remove from the oven and let the oatmeal bake cool to room temperature.

11.) At the end of the oatmeal's bake time, or while cooling, add your glaze ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk/beat until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

12.) While you can add this glaze to the oatmeal when cooled, it can also be added when the oatmeal is still warm. Drizzle or spread the glaze on top. Cut and serve, with the optional addition of sifted powdered sugar on top when served.


Notes: The texture of the bake is not crunchy, despite the "baked" part of the name. It is quite soft, and will give you the taste and flavor of a pumpkin pie and oatmeal together. It should cut and serve relatively smoothly, without a runny texture.


Photo #1: Most of the ingredients together, minus the egg (hidden in back) and cream cheese


Photo #2: Dry ingredients together in the bowl on the right, and the first of the wet ingredients in the bowl on the left.


Photo #3: Combining all of the oatmeal bake ingredients before pouring into pan.


Photos #4 and #5: The before and after of the bake during oven time. The photo on the left is as the bake went into the oven. The photo on the right is when it came out of the oven. Notice the browning, and the slighty cracking to the top texture.



Photo #6: The ingredients of the glaze together in a small bowl.


Photo #7: The glaze added to the top, with some powdered sugar already sprinkled and melted in to the glaze.



Photo #8: The finished result, ready to eat.