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This Baked Zucchini Oatmeal with Nutella Spread is quite literally what healthy meal prep breakfast dreams are made of. It’s full of fiber and protein and topped with my healthier Nutella spread. So good you can eat it for dessert!
About This Recipe
Is there a better breakfast meal prep than baked oatmeal? You’re gonna have a hard time convincing me otherwise! There is so much to love about it, the most important part being that it’s a delicious and filling breakfast, snack, or dessert!
I know you’re going to love this Baked Zucchini Oatmeal with Nutella Spread. It’s perfectly sweet and spicy thanks to some delicious snickerdoodle protein powder—and topped with my homemade Nutella spread? Come on! It’s a no-brainer. And if snickerdoodle isn’t your favorite flavor, add your own! Vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream…the choice is yours!
This recipe calls for zucchini to add volume without adding a whole lot of calories. It blends in so well that you can’t even taste it, I promise! It’s also packed with fiber and protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied for hours. I highly recommend making it once and enjoying allllll week long.
You can also choose to omit the Nutella spread and eat the oatmeal bake by itself if you wish. (But I really think you should try it!) I won’t deny that it’s delicious on it’s own or with just some nut butter on top, too! You can spread whatever you wish on top of the oatmeal bake like shown in the photos OR store separately in the fridge. That’s usually what I do.
Why You’ll Love This Baked Zucchini Oatmeal with Nutella
- It’s PERFECT for meal prep.
- A great option for breakfast, snack, or dessert!
- The oatmeal AND Nutella recipes are staple recipes to have in your back pocket!
- It’s protein packed, low calorie, and macro-friendly.
- Seriously so incredibly cozy and delicious!
- Zucchini – We’re adding this for a little more volume. You cannot taste it because it blends in so well!
- Egg whites
- Milk of choice – I used almond milk, but fat-free milk, 1% milk, cashew milk, or any other milk would work!
- Unsweetened applesauce – You can also substitute mashed banana or pumpkin.
- Oats – Quick or old-fashioned work great.
- Protein powder – I used PEScience Snickerdoodle. A vanilla flavor would also work here. If you want to use another brand, just make sure it is also a whey + casein blend. Not all protein powders bake the same, so just make sure you use a protein powder you know bakes well. You can use my affiliate code Laurenfitfoodie to save 10% off your purchase of any PEScience products.
- Sweetener – I used Swerve. Any sweetener or sweetener substitute works.
- Peanut butter powder
- Baking essentials – Salt, ground cinnamon, and baking powder.
- Extracts – Vanilla and hazelnut go so well together in this recipe!
- Nut butter – Hazelnut or cashew butter would work best.
- Cocoa powder
- Pancake Syrup – I used sugar free.
To make gluten-free: to make gluten-free just be sure to use certified gluten-free oats.
To make dairy-free: use dairy-free milk and a plant-based protein powder.
Equipment Needed
How To Make
- Peel your zucchini (if desired) and shred with a grater. Do not drain excess liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13” baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray.
- To a large bowl, add all the wet ingredients (zucchini through liquid stevia). Then, using a hand mixer, mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients (oats through salt) and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown and the center is set.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before adding the homemade Nutella spread. You can also just store the spread separately and add it when it’s time to eat. This is usually what I do.
- To make the Nutella spread, add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Store in the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken.
This oatmeal bake is BEST eaten after chilling in the fridge for a few hours, or even better, overnight! I love to top it with some vanilla yogurt and nut butter if I’m not using the Nutella spread. 😋 A perfect breakfast, afternoon snack, or healthy dessert!
Keep your Baked Zucchini Oatmeal stored in the fridge, covered, for up to a week. You can spread the Nutella spread over the baked oatmeal OR keep it stored separately. The Nutella spread will stay fresh in the fridge covered for up to 2 weeks.
The Nutella Spread
No, it’s not real Nutella, but it does taste pretty darn similar! And for a lot less sugar and calories, you can get your sweet chocolate fix in a much healthier way! Here are some things to know before you make it:
- For the most similar taste as Nutella, use hazelnut butter. Other nut butters work just fine! It just might have more of the whatever kind of nut butter you use taste!
- If you don’t have hazelnut butter, I would say sunflower butter or cashew butter would be the next best thing because they are more neutral tasting butters. But this spread still tastes amazing with almond butter and peanut butter, too!
- If you need to use something nut-free, use sunflower butter.
- Normal cocoa powder works best for this recipe as opposed to dark cocoa powder for best taste and flavor.
- Store it in fridge for 30 minutes after making to thicken.
- Keep stored in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
For more details and instructions on making Healthy Nutella, check out the recipe here!
Can I freeze this recipe?
Yes you can freeze this recipe! To freezer, store in an airtight container or wrapped in tin foil (my preferred method) in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. I prefer to freeze this bake without the Nutella recipe and just add it real quick when I’m ready to eat.
What type of oats should I use for this recipe?
You can use old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats for this recipe! The texture will be slightly different depending on which one you choose (a little nuttier and heartier if using rolled oats) but both work well! I would not use steel-cut oats for this recipe.
Is this recipe gluten-free?
Yes, this oatmeal bake is gluten-free. Just be sure to use oats that are certified gluten-free.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure leave a review, tag me on Instagram or TikTok at @LaurenFitFoodie or hashtag #LaurenFitFoodie so I can see your creations!
Baked Zucchini Oatmeal with Healthy Nutella Spread
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini (400g) shredded
- 1.5 cup egg whites (360g)
- 1.5 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (240g) or milk of choice
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (240g) can sub mashed banana or pumpkin
- 1 tsp liquid stevia or to taste
- 1.5 cups quick or old-fashioned oats (120g)
- 2 scoops protein powder (62g) I used PEScience snickerdoodle (a vanilla would also work)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar substitute (48g) I used Swerve
- 1/4 cup peanut butter powder (32g)
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Nutella Spread:
- 1/3 cup nut butter* (84g) hazelnut or cashew butter would work best
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder (35g)
- 1/3 cup sugar free pancake syrup (80g)
- 2 Tbsp granular sweetener (24g) I used Swerve
- 1 Tbsp water (15g)
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp hazelnut extract
- 1/2 tsp liquid stevia optional for sweeter spread
- Pinch of salt
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Instructions
- Peel your zucchini (if desired) then shred with a grater. Do not drain excess liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13” baking dish with parchment paper and/or spray with cooking spray.
- To a large bowl, add all the wet ingredients (zucchini through liquid stevia). Using a hand mixer, mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, add all the dry ingredients (oats through salt) and whisk to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown and the center is set.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before adding “nutella” frosting. You can also just store the nutella frosting separately and add it when it’s time to eat (this is usually what I do)
- To make nutella spread, add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Store in the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken.
BEST eaten after chilling in the fridge for a few hours (or even better – overnight!) and topped with some vanilla yogurt and nut butter 😋 A perfect breakfast, afternoon snack, or healthy dessert!
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition is hand-calculated and accurate. No autocalulations! However, note that values can vary based on the brands you use and if you substitute ingredients.
