Blueberry Cottage Cheese Breakfast Bake (Printable View)
Warm breakfast casserole with juicy blueberries and creamy cottage cheese on a tender baked oat base.
# What You'll Need:
→ Wet Ingredients
01 - 1 cup cottage cheese, full-fat or low-fat
02 - 2 large eggs
03 - 1 cup milk, dairy or unsweetened non-dairy
04 - 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
05 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
→ Dry Ingredients
07 - 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, certified gluten-free if needed
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Fruit
11 - 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, do not thaw if frozen
→ Topping
12 - 2 tablespoons sliced almonds or chopped walnuts
13 - 1 tablespoon coarse sugar or brown sugar
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9x9-inch baking dish with butter.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, eggs, milk, maple syrup or honey, vanilla extract, and melted butter until completely smooth and well blended.
03 - In a separate medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to evenly distribute the leavening and spices.
04 - Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir gently until just combined, being careful not to overmix.
05 - Gently fold in the blueberries, taking care not to crush them. If using frozen berries, add them directly from frozen.
06 - Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Use a spatula to smooth the top evenly.
07 - Sprinkle the almonds or walnuts and coarse sugar or brown sugar evenly over the top, if using.
08 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden brown. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean.
09 - Allow the bake to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into squares. Serve warm or at room temperature, optionally topped with yogurt or additional maple syrup.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The custard-like texture makes it feel like dessert for breakfast but keeps you full for hours thanks to all that protein
- You can assemble it the night before and wake up to something that tastes like you put in way more effort than you actually did
02 -
- The center might still look slightly jiggly when you pull it from the oven but it will firm up as it cools so trust the timer
- Frozen blueberries do not need thawing first and actually hold their shape better than fresh ones during baking
03 -
- Use full-fat cottage cheese if you want the richest texture but low-fat works perfectly fine if you are watching calories
- Letting it cool completely before refrigerating prevents condensation from making the top soggy