This Chocolate Pretzel Baked Oatmeal reminds me of those chocolate-covered pretzels snacks bought at the store! Today, I brought you a Baked Oats version that tastes literally the same which is vegan, easy, and fast to make!

You can eat it for dessert, breakfast, or when craving something sweet & salty. It’s super filling and high protein because is made out of OATS!

I mostly chose clean ingredients to make this recipe. So feel free to indulge yourself!

Have you ever craved something salty, then sweet, and therefore salty again? Well, I gotchu!! I’ve been there, my friend. But, don’t worry because this recipe will cure that cycle.

The texture of this Baked Oats is “ooey-gooey” and I baked it for less time on purpose to reach this consistency. But if you prefer a cakey texture feel free to leave it a bit more in the oven.

The ingredients to make Chocolate Pretzel Baked Oatmeal

We have a lot of your favorite ingredients and here’s what you’ll need:

• Oat flour – aka blended rolled oats. Feel free to use any kind of oats but if gluten-free make sure that it’s certified!
• Liquid sweetener of choice – In my case, I used honey but you can use another alternatives like, agave, date or maple syrup!
• Cacao powder – Feel free to use any! In my case I added 100% unsweetened cacao powder. No sugar-added would be the best option as you will be adding a natural sweetener.
• Chocolate Protein Powder – It’s completely optional but it gives a chalky texture which I like. It also gives a protein boost!
• Baking powder
• Plain Yogurt – I used 0% greek yogurt. But, you can also use any plain yogurt. If you are vegan, use any other plant-based alternative like soy yogurt.
• Milk of choice – I used unsweetened almond milk but you can use any other kind of plant-based or dairy milk. The type of milk does not affect the flavor of this baked oats.
• Chocolate – I used hazelnut butter! Feel free to use nutella, a 90% chocolate square or any of your choice!
• Hazelnut butter – For the chocolate filling, I used hazelnut butter but you can replace for a chocolate square as well.
• Himalayan salt – Adding a pinch of salt to chocolate recipes is key! It enhances the flavor tremendously!! So don’t forget to add it.

How to make Chocolate Pretzel Baked Oatmeal?

The Instructions

• Prepare – Gather and measure all ingredients by starting to mix the oat flour, unsweetened cacao powder, chocolate protein powder, baking powder and a pinch of Himalayan salt in a bowl. Therefore, add-in the plain yogurt, liquid sweetener and milk of choice. Stir until well combined.

• Transfer – Once you have combined everything up, transfer the oatmeal batter into an oven-safe container or ramekin, make sure to leave 1/8 of it as you will be using it to cover the hazelnut butter or chocolate square we are adding in the next step.

• Add – Now, fort the chocolate filling, spread out evenly the hazelnut butter or add any chocolate square to the center.

• Cover – Consequently, cover the hazelnut butter or chocolate square you added with the remaining batter we saved previously.

• Toppings – Last step and not less important on assembling this recipe, add the pretzels and chocolate chips. THE MORE, THE BETTER (trust me)
• Bake – Once you have added the toppings, it’s time to bake at 180C for 15 minutes if wanting a ooey-gooey consistency. For a cakey texture, bake for 25 minutes in total.

How big is this recipe?

I used a 6 oz ramekin. So this recipe is just for YOU! Feel free to double portions if making for more people!

You will feel that the ramekin is a bit small, but trust me it won’t spill!

Storing and reheating tips

• To store: If you prepare multiple batches of this baked oatmeal, store it in the fridge covered, for up to 4 days. You will need to thin it out with extra milk before reheating.
• To reheat: Microwave for 55 seconds. Make sure to add extra milk to moisten it, as the oats will have thickened up.

Can I prepare all the recipe the night before?

The answer is YES! You can mix all the ingredients together except for the baking powder and leave it overnight to bake the next morning. When ready to bake in the morning, make sure to add the baking powder to the oatmeal batter.

The reason I don’t recommend adding the baking powder the night before, it’s because it will lose effect and therefore the baked oats won’t rise.

Ingredients substitutes and notes

• No oat flour? Use rolled oats and add all the ingredients into a blender.
• Gluten-free? Make sure to use a certified oats!
• No protein powder? No worries, it’s completely optional but highly recommended.
• For the cacao powder, I used 100% unsweetened cacao. Feel free to use any of choice with no sugar-added,
• If Vegan, make sure to add a plant-based, liquid sweetener, yogurt and milk. The type you use, won’t affect the flavor of this baked oats.