Enjoy dessert for breakfast with this soft and doughy Almond Joy Breakfast Bake! Vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free, it’s a healthy and delicious way to start the day!
The promise of dessert for breakfast is the reason I get out of bed in the morning.
Okay, maybe not the reason, but it’s definitely one of the highlights of my day. The real reason I get out of bed in the morning, I’d guess, is… well… because I get bored of being in bed, if you know what I mean. I almost always wake up feeling super energetic, and I just want to get up and get started with my day.
Granted, things weren’t always this way. Definitely not. Throughout most of my teens and early twenties, my mornings consisted of repeated snoozes, plenty of grumbling, and lots of dragging feet. Oh, and a caffeine IV. But lo and behold, it’s a handful of years later and I’ve somehow become one of those annoying morning people. You know… the kind you just want to smack for being so damned happy and peppy at such an ungodly hour? Hi. That’s me.
And honestly? I wish I could tell you how it happened…
Being a morning person seems to be “in” these days, with plenty of tips and tricks out there on how you can train yourself to become one too. Whether or not they work, I have no idea… Like I said, it just kind of happened without any rhyme or reason for me. One day I started waking up without an alarm clock at the crack of dawn, and it’s been a handful of years since I’ve had the pleasure of having that annoying beeeeeeeep, beeeeeeeep being the first thing I hear in the morning.
I think a big part of it has to do with the fact that I fell in love with the early mornings, making my brain crave them to the point where it wakes me up so that I don’t miss out. It’s not a horrible problem to have.
The mornings are my happy time. They’re a chance for me to enjoy some peace and quiet and get my head on straight before the craziness of the day sets in. A time for blogging, journaling, meditating, and whatever else might strike my fancy. Oh, and a time for breakfast, #obviously…
It may not be the reason I get out of bed in the morning, but that doesn’t mean I don’t look forward to it like a crazy person. But I’ve professed my love for [sweet] breakfasts countless times on the blog before, so we’re just going to skip ahead and talk about the actual recipe instead.
An Almond Joy Breakfast Bake, aka: a reason to get out of bed in the morning. You’ve got the awesome flavours of almond, coconut, and chocolate combined in a soft and doughy oatmeal bake that has a texture similar to that of a muffin or quick bread. It’s packed with a good dose of fibre, healthy fat, and plant-based protein. It’s also vegan as long as you use dairy-free chocolate chips, and can easily be made gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour. I’ve made various breakfast bakes with all-purpose, whole wheat, spelt, rice, coconut, and almond flours before, and never really noticed a huge difference between them. It’s all up to you and your individual needs. I hope you enjoy!
I’d love to know if you make this recipe! Leave a comment and rating down below to let me know what you think, and subscribe to our mailing list to receive new recipes in your inbox!
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Almond Joy Breakfast Bake
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (20 g) rolled oats
- 2 Tbsp (14 g) oat bran
- 2 Tbsp (15 g) flour of choice*
- 1 Tbsp (6 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tsp (2 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2–1 Tbsp (7–15 ml) agave or maple syrup**
- 1/8 tsp almond extract***
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C), and lightly coat an individual-sized ramekin (16 oz/500 ml) with coconut oil.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine oats, oat bran, flour, coconut, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add almond milk, maple syrup, and almond extract, mixing until well combined.
- Transfer dough to your greased ramekin, topping with a few chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on desired consistency.
Notes
* I usually use an all-purpose or whole wheat, but this recipe works with most flours, including gluten free and grain free ones. ** If you don’t have almond extract, you can use 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Looking for more breakfast bake recipes? Try one of these!
Brownie Batter Breakfast Bake
Blueberry Muffin Breakfast Bake
Oatmeal Cookie Dough Breakfast Bake
Cinnamon Bun Breakfast Bake
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Breakfast Bake
Baking question: is the consistency supposed to be kind of runny before you put it in the oven? or rather a bit thick?
My taste buds are grumbling after seeing this delicious recipe. I don’t know whether if I could resist long to taste this dish 🙂
10/10 would recommend! I didn’t have oat bran so subbed an extra tbsp of oats and a tbsp of milled flax. Subbed a tsp of virgin coconut oil and 1/2tbsp of Splenda since I didn’t have runny syrup of any kind and it all came out beautifully!
I have been wondering Amanda, I’m surprised you don’t use milled flax more in your recipes, aside from the flax eggs? Has that health trend sailed? I’ve heard it can also replace some portion of oil in recipes as well but have yet to try that. I just like adding it for the flavor, texture, and overall healthiness.
I made some alterations to the recipe, and although I was very happy with the texture, I felt that the breakfast bake wasn’t quite sweet enough. I was a bit surprised by this, because I used sweetened shredded coconut and the full tablespoon of maple syrup, and I even added extra coconut and mini chocolate chips. I made a few other changes to the recipe, using skim milk instead of almond milk and extra oatmeal instead of oat bran. I’m not sure how that would have impacted the sweetness, though. If I make this again, I might try it with vanilla extract instead of almond extract to see if the extract flavoring had an effect.
I tried this the morning and followed the directions perfectly. It looked nothing like the picture. Also, it wasn’t sweet. However, I did love the texture of it and I think it would be better with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or even more.
Hello! I was wondering if I could make this into a larger size and just reheat it in portions? Not sure if reheating would throw off the texture too much! Has anyone tried this? I like to have meals done ahead of time per busy schedule 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Laura! I haven’t had any issues reheating mine when I made it the night before, so I’m assuming it’ll be fine! I would probably multiply the recipe 4x to get multiple servings out of it!
Thank you so much! 🙂 I am about to bake this puppy up right now!
Hey Amanda
This is the 2nd time I have tried one of your recipes. I love baked oatmeal and this one is definitely one I will be regularly making. So good, I put choc chips on top as you suggested.
Thanks again for another delicious recipe.
Sarah xx
I’m glad you like it, Sarah! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
Almond Joys….mmmmmm….I’m definitely a night owl. 2am is a usual time I head to bed, tho I don’t have the luxury of sleeping past 7:30 on any given day. I was wondering if you had measurements to make multiple servings. I don’t have a ramekin dish, so I was thinking I could make it in a pie plate or a square dish…or better yet, a 9 X 13! Thanks for the recipe! I pinned it on my breakfast board!
I like the use of Oat Bran. What a clever addition.
Also, I love my mornings. The quiet, the calm, the solitude. They are perhaps my favorite part of the day.
You know what was an epically good morning? That first one at Blend in Utah where we were all sitting around the table chatting in the wee hours of the morning. Good times. And the beginning of even better ones <3
Just wondering, what is the white substance on top that I see in your photos? Is it coconut cream?
Close! It’s actually melted coconut butter.
Uh yum! Can you just stop by and drop this off at my house? K, thanks.
Well, I feel I’ll be the odd one out here but I’m most definitely a night owl. Don’t get me wrong. Early mornings – especially now in summer – are wonderful in all their silence and slow awakening of the world around. It’s just that my inner clock doesn’t usually roll that way … Luckily, breakfast is breakfast no matter what time you eat it 😉 and this sounds like a particularly good first meal of the day. I’ve never had an Almond Joy [not sold over here] but chocolate + coconut + almonds are a surefire winner of a combination.
We don’t have Almond Joy up in Canada either, so I had to pick up a bar on one of my trips down to the States to know what I was trying to replicate 😛 And the summer turns me into both an early bird AND a night owl, which makes me start to wonder when the sleep deprivation is going to kick in…
I have a thing for oatmeal, also breakfast makes me happy so this recipe is HEAVEN
I’m like you when you were a teenager, lol. I could sleep for 12 hours if I could get away with it!
But food is definitely one of the main reasons I get out bed and this looks like just the thing to motivate me. The coconut, almond, and chocolate combo sounds so good!
I’ve turned into a early bird everyday of the week! And I go to bed super early…GAH! It works for me though and I’m okay with it. Smoothie in a bowl on this early Sunday morning! 🙂
I love ALL of the Almond Joy recipes you post! That used to be one of my favorite candy bars!
Baking question: what is the purpose of oat bran in some of your (and others) recipes? Is it for consistency or does it have a chemical effect like baking soda?
It’s just for texture, Ellie. Oat bran tends to cook differently than quick oats, so it adds a little variety to the consistency of the recipe. If you’re not too picky about that kind of thing, then it’s fine to use all oats.
For some reason, getting up early has been tough for me lately but normally I love an early start on the day. Plus a good breakfast helps motivate me! Thanks for the recipe.
I am definitely a morning person! I love all of your breakfast bakes. Dessert for breakfast is always something to look forward to.
I never eat breakfast, but the first thing I ate were a bunch of dried figs. So delicious. I am SUCH a morning person. I woke up at like 4:45 for years to run, so now my body is programmed to be WIDE AWAKE the minute I wake up. I wish I could sleep in sometimes, but my mind just turns on the minute I get up to pee. TMI? lol
It’s the same for me. There are days when I see 4:30 and just wish I could roll over and go back to sleep, but I’m pretty much done for as soon as I open my eyes. Le sigh.
I can’t get my life straight, so I switch from being a morning bird to a night owl…and then being straight up sleep-deprived as a result. Maybe after college I can become a more permanent morning bird, because I do love those quiet hours, and I feel most productive in the morning!
Gah another genius breakfast bake. I love Almond Joys, so I’m all heart eyes over this.
Breakfast this morning was classic banana oatmeal with chia seeds and egg whites + pb on top 🙂
I think early mornings creep up on most of us at one point or another…just for some, it takes until WAY later (I’ve never heard of an old person who sleeps in for example). For me, it sort of started in college but I didn’t want to give in until the past year or two in law school, after I became a runner and realized it was time to start living according to my own body clock. And then I found November Project, which consists of people who jump around and hug and scream at 5:30 or 6:30am year round before working out, which is WAY peppier than me!
Holy guacamole. Almond Joys are one of my favorite candies and breakfast is my favorite meal of the day… this recipe is pulling at my heartstrings 😉
Can you believe that I’ve only ever tried an Almond Joy -once-? We don’t have them up here in Canada, so I had to make sure to pick up a bar when I was in the States so I knew what I was trying to replicate for recipes 😆
I hear you on being the overly chipper person in the AM. I was at work this morning and I asked my co-worker what was bothering him and he said “it’s 6 am”. I carried overnight oats to work this morning, but this oatmeal bake seems like a great breakfast for one of my days off!
This looks absolutely incredible! It is definitely on my breakfast to-make list! Yum!
Mornings are already my favorite, but when you add something like this we’re in a whole new ball park.
I’m just like you when it comes to being a morning person. Although I wasn’t always like this, I wake up ready to get the day started. Why waste time in bed when there’s fun to be had!?! The breakfast bake looks absolutely delish and I’ve pinned to try soon.
Early mornings are my favorite. I like seeing the sun rise and the day really “start”. And there’s nothing more satisfying than having a handle on the day and your to-do list before most people have had their morning coffee 😉
😆 So true. I actually don’t know what to do with myself if I happen to sleep in and miss out on the chance to get things done. It’ll be like 7:30am but I’ll feel like I wasted my day 😆
I am a morning person through and through… I’m like you, up and out of bed with tons of energy! I had a banana and Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter as a pre-run breakfast… TBD on breakfast afterwards!
I should try dessert for breakfast more often! I’d definitely win mom points, no question, and I could always have bacon on the side, right?
I am all about the mornings! It is definitely my most productive time of day and after noon hits and I eat lunch, my productivity goes down. Being that I am a morning person, breakfast is my favorite meal and a chocolately dessert like breakfast sounds pretty good to me.
I am all for the dessert-y breakfast! As for whether or not I’m an early bird or a night owl…well, you know how my schedule can get so it really depends on that. If given the option, I’d rather be somewhere in between….getting up at like 8 and going to bed around 12. That’s pretty ideal for me.
Breakfast this morning: oatmeal at like 1 am. Speaking of a crazy schedule…
😆 I gotta give you made props, lady. I seriously have no idea how you manage without losing your marbles. You’re my hero.
haha true, coffee and breakfast are what get me out of bed. i love s slow morning with a good bowl of goodness! and almond JOY is my favorite. I totally forgot about oat bran, must get more!
The earlier the better! And the more desserty the breakfast the better too! I love my breakfasty bakes 😉
Today I made some yummy cocoa buckwheat/banana flour blueberry pancakes! AH YES!