For the past three years, nearly every time I flew to Northern California to visit my parents, I asked if they’d be willing to make a trip to our favorite brunch spot. Although the restaurant was located nearly 45 minutes away, they always agreed to go. Everyone in our family thought the food was definitely worth the drive!
Whenever we arrived, we scanned the room to search for our favorite waiter. Even when the hostess seated us at another server’s table, he always came over to say hi, give us hugs, and ask how we were doing. We loved seeing him just as much as the brunch food!
As creatures of habit, we picked the same menu items nearly every time: country-style hash browns for my brother, an omelet or fried eggs for Dad, huevos rancheros or scrambled eggs with cheese for Mom, and steamed veggies and grilled chicken for me. Aside from my brother with his egg allergy, the rest of us always ordered towering slices of the restaurant’s signature coffee cake too.
Those coffee cake slices usually appeared at the table first, a few minutes before the main dishes. They were supremely tall and incredibly moist, each tender square slice filled with fresh juicy blueberries and topped with a thick layer of cinnamon sugar streusel… Along with a generous amount of butter, which quickly melted into the hot streusel and bound it all together.
Pure bliss… Although I learned many years ago to take my slice home and save it for an after dinner treat so I wouldn’t end up with a sugar crash at lunchtime!
The restaurant usually offered a second seasonal coffee cake flavor in addition to their classic blueberry. They had cranberry during the holidays, raspberry around Valentine’s Day, and pumpkin walnut for the fall. However, we knew better than to order one of those… You just couldn’t beat those juicy blueberries!
Yet one summer, we noticed a peach-flavored coffee cake on the menu. As one of our favorite summer fruits (we’re totally obsessed, especially with my grandma’s buttery peach pie!), we nearly changed our standard blueberry coffee cake order…
Until we noticed one little detail.
Those slices also included walnuts.
The rest of my family is allergic, and I just don’t like nuts in my cakes, muffins, or brownies. As a little kid, I always picked them out to eat separately, and I still do that as an adult! So we defaulted back to blueberry that morning, but I still couldn’t shake the thought of that peach coffee cake from my mind.
So I finally created my own recipe for this Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cake! It’s much healthier than those indulgent slices from our favorite brunch restaurant, yet it’s still just as moist and tender. Each slice is full of sweet juicy peaches, soft oats, and warm spices — such an irresistible combination! (And no nuts!)
Even better, this healthy breakfast cake is easy to make and great for meal prepping, quick grab-and-go breakfasts, or midday snacking. It’s so summery and such a fun treat!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST HEALTHY PEACH OATMEAL BREAKFAST CAKE
Let’s go over how to make this healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake!
You’ll start with a combination of instant oats and whole wheat flour. Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats. (They’re not the kind that comes in those individual brown paper packets with flavors like apple cinnamon or maple brown sugar!)
Both instant oats and traditional old-fashioned rolled oats contain the same single ingredient: oats! Instant oats are simply smaller and thinner than rolled oats. That allows them to soften faster, which gives your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake its incredibly moist and tender texture!
Tip: You can usually find instant oats in containers right next to the old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store!
Hint: I also included my favorite gluten-free options in the Notes section of this recipe, if you prefer to make your healthy peach oatmeal snack cake gluten-free. Just remember to use certified gluten-free instant oats, like this!
Also, it’s really important to measure the oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either ingredient will make your breakfast cake dry, instead of moist and tender. This is especially true of the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up lots of liquid from the batter. I promise it’s worth taking the few extra moments to measure your ingredients correctly — you’ll end up with the best healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake imaginable!
You’ll also whisk cinnamon and nutmeg into your flour and oats. Nutmeg was one of my grandma’s secret ingredients in her famous peach pie, so I sprinkle it into just about every peach-flavored baking recipe that I create. It adds such a lovely richness to the flavor profile!
As for the cinnamon, I highly recommend this kind! It’s stronger and sweeter than the regular cinnamon that you most commonly find at the grocery store. It’s basically the only cinnamon I use in my baking recipes now, and I actually buy mine online here because it’s so inexpensive and affordable!
Whereas traditional breakfast cakes or snack cakes contain at least ¼ cup of oil or butter (if not ½ cup or more!), you only need a mere ½ tablespoon for this healthy recipe. That small amount really helps keep your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake low calorie and low fat! Yet it’s still incredibly moist and tender, thanks to…
Greek yogurt! If you’ve looked through my recipes before, you already know how much I love baking with Greek yogurt. I’ve used it to make muffins, scones, quick breads, brownies, cakes, cupcakes, and even frosting! Here, it adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it also gives your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake a protein boost!
Then this healthy snack cake gets an additional protein boost from egg whites! Three of them, to be exact. Because someone always asks if they can use two whole eggs instead of the three whites, here’s the nerdy reason why you need all three egg whites…
It all comes back to protein! The protein in the egg whites, along with the protein in the Greek yogurt, helps prevent your breakfast cake from collapsing while cooling. If you didn’t use all three egg whites, your breakfast cake would sink some, especially in the center, and turn out pretty dense. (Trust me — I just might know from personal experience! 😉 ) The flavors remain the same! It’s just the texture that’s different.
So for the best ever healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake, one with the perfect moist and tender (but not soggy or dense!) texture, use all three egg whites. However, if you prefer to use whole eggs, then check the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve shared how to do so there!
Remember how I mentioned that nutmeg was one of my grandma’s secret ingredients in her peach pies? There’s a second one that I also love using in my peach-flavored recipes…
Almond extract! It’s actually my favorite baking extract. I love its sweet and sophisticated flavor! I don’t use it nearly enough… So I made a note in my recipe brainstorming file to change that ASAP. 😉
To sweeten your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake, you’ll use pure maple syrup instead of refined granulated sugar. You want the kind that comes directly from maple trees! The only ingredient on the label should be “pure maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).
Hint: I don’t recommend substituting pancake syrup or sugar-free maple syrup. They affect the texture of your healthy peach oatmeal cake — especially the latter! Sugar-free maple syrup is often water-based, and that will make your cake collapse while cooling and turn out really dense. For the best taste and texture, stick with pure maple syrup!
Of course, it’s impossible to make this recipe without one key ingredient… The peaches! Both fresh peaches and peaches that have been canned in 100% juice will work. I love how that means I can bake this healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake all year round!
However, it’s extremely important to thoroughly drain your peaches before adding them to the batter (especially if using canned ones!). Remember how I said your oatmeal cake would collapse while cooling if it didn’t have enough protein? It will also collapse if there’s too much liquid in the batter… aka if there’s too much peach juice!
I intentionally devised this recipe so the batter is on the thicker and drier side before you fold in the peaches. Yet because they’ll release lots of juice while the cake bakes, you also need to drain off all of the excess juice before adding the diced peaches to the batter. If you add your diced peaches to a colander at the very beginning of the recipe, before measuring and mixing together all of the other ingredients, they should be all drained and ready to go when it’s time to fold them in.
Now all that’s left to decide is…
Will you eat this for breakfast, snacks, dessert… Or all of the above?? 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy peach oatmeal breakfast cake!
Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (150g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free, if necessary)
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp almond extract
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 6 tbsp (90mL) pure maple syrup
- 5 tbsp (75mL) nonfat milk, divided
- ¾ cup (150g) diced peaches, thoroughly drained (see Notes!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat a 9”-square pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg whites, and almond extract. Add in Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps of yogurt remain. Stir in the maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of milk. Alternate between adding the oat mixture and remaining 4 tablespoons of milk, beginning and ending with the oat mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the oat mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the peaches.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until the center feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before slicing and serving.
Notes
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Peach Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy One-Bowl Peach Muffins
♡ Healthy Double Chocolate Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ Healthy Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ Healthy Carrot Cake Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ Healthy Banana Oatmeal Breakfast Cake
♡ Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy oatmeal cake recipes and healthy peach recipes!
Yum yum!! I have to try this as soon as we go after our boxes of peaches. We will possibly go next week if our variety is ready. We drive down to a friend’s house and visit her a couple of days then drive to SC and pick up a truck load of peaches for family and friends. As it stands down we will get 28 boxes. Can’t wait to try this cake.
Oh my goodness — 28 boxes of peaches?? That sounds incredible, Charlotte — and like such a fun trip and experience too! You’re so sweet to pick up peaches for your family and friends too. I’m sure they really appreciate it! 🙂 I hope you have a safe and wonderful drive, and I’d love to hear what you think of this cake if you do end up trying it!
Can one use oat flour instead of the whole wheat flour?
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe! I typically don’t recommend that substitution in my cake recipes, including this oatmeal breakfast cake. This is because gluten is the protein in wheat-based flours that helps baked goods rise and maintain their shape while cooling. Oat flour lacks that, so when you substitute it for wheat-based flours in my recipes that rise (like cupcakes, cakes, muffins, quick breads, etc!), your baked goods will often turn out denser and may collapse while cooling. Does that make sense?
However, if you don’t mind that texture difference with oat flour (where your breakfast cake may collapse and turn out denser), the flavors will still remain the same! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you decide to try making this breakfast cake!
Thanks for the detailed response. I guess I’ll see what happens if I do end up doing that! I don’t mind a denser cake in general.
It’s my pleasure — I’m always happy to help! (And I don’t mind denser oatmeal cakes either!) 🙂 I’m really excited to hear how it turns out if you do end up trying that!
Hi Nicole, your peach coffee cake looks delicious but I was wondering if I could substitute something else for the Greek yogurt to make it a vegan cake. Thanks lots. Julie H.
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Julie! Non-dairy yogurt (ie soy-, almond-, coconut-, or even oat-based!) would be the best alternative. For the egg whites, I recommend Ener-G! My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute and the one I’ve found that works the best in my recipes. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white (and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of coconut oil or Earth Balance for each egg yolk, although that doesn’t apply to this particular recipe!).
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this breakfast cake if you try making it! 🙂
Thanks Amy I just bought peaches today so I will let you know how the cake turns out when the peaches ripen and I am able to make the cake. I must tell you that I very much enjoy reading your stories that go along with your recipes. They are always relatable and a nice touch to accompany the recipes. Take care, julie
You’re so sweet Julie — that truly means the world to me!! I’m so honored that you take the time to read my stories. You just made my entire day! ♡ I hope your peaches ripen quickly; I’m really excited to hear what you think of this breakfast cake!
This looks so good! This is a perfect breakfast for me. I love any kind of oat-breakfast and if it feels more like dessert, it makes mornings so much better.
You’re so sweet, Christine! Thank you! I wish I could send a pan of this breakfast cake your way! 😉
I used to go to Seattle JUST to eat at some of my favorite restaurants, and this was at least a two hour journey EACH way. So I completely understand wanting to drive out of the way for a good meal. I also don’t like walnuts, or really any nuts (unless peanuts because peanuts are everything) in my food. I can’t say I am a big peach fan when it comes to dessert, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t help myself to a large slice of this!
You are SUCH a trooper to trek 2 hours each way for restaurants, Brittany!! And yet somehow, I’m not one bit surprised… Good food is always worth the journey, right?? (Yet another reason why we’re friends! 😉 ) I’m fine with nuts in salads or plain as snacks, but I actually hate them in just about everything else… including most baked goods. But that’s SO true about peanuts, especially peanut butter! And if you decided you wanted to try a bite of this, I’d do everything in my power to make it Brittany’s-tummy-friendly so you could enjoy the biggest slice you possibly could! ♡
This looks so delicious. I want to make them, but I have regular oats not the instant oats. Would it be okay to use it or instant oats is better?
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I’m honored that you’d like to try making this recipe, Albertina! I’ve actually covered the answer to this in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of this breakfast cake if you try making it!
I just made this and cut back on the maple syrup and added a little stevia powder. I only used 1 tsp. of the almond extract. I would like it a bit sweeter. I also used 2 whole eggs and it really had a good rise and never fell. I added more peaches also. Can’t have too many peaches. I used almond milk for the milk.
Thanks for your hard work putting the WW points up.
I’m so glad you tried my recipe, Charlotte! It means a lot that you appreciate my recipes and the WW points. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! 🙂 I appreciate you sharing your recipe modifications too. It sounds like a little extra powdered stevia would definitely do the trick to add more sweetness and make this perfect for your tastes! 🙂
Amy, I made this yesterday, it’s delicious. I used the almond extract, it goes so well with peaches. I took some over to our temporarily bachelor neighbor, he loves it too. I am munching on it now before I go out to start the day. Thanks! I am sharing this recipe today too!
I’m so excited that you loved this cake, Bobbi! You’re so kind to share some with your neighbor. He’s really lucky to have you — and I’m glad he liked it too! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. That truly means a lot!!
The best breakfast! We love making oatmeal and the peaches were such a great flavor!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this breakfast cake, Rasbhari! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
I followed this recipe exactly as it is. The cake turned out so dry, I ended up throwing it away! I reread the recipe this morning and can not figure out what went wrong. I did use fresh peaches and even added about 1/4 more of them.
I didn’t have quick oats so I put my old fashioned oats in the food processor, just a touch.
What could I have done differently? Why is it so dry?
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Valarie! That sounds disappointing and not like how this cake is supposed to turn out, so I’d love to work with you to figure out what happened. In order to do so, I have some questions for you! 🙂
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? (Other than using old-fashioned rolled oats and an extra ¼ cup of peaches!)
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons to measure all of the ingredients — especially the oats, flour, Greek yogurt, and pure maple syrup?
If the latter, can you describe how you used them to measure the flour and oats? (For example, did you dip them directly into the containers? Or did you gently nudge them back and forth while filling them at all, to “level off” the mound at the top of the measuring cup?)
Which flour option did you use — whole wheat flour or the blend I provided in the Notes section?
Did you use the full amount of oil/butter, Greek yogurt, pure maple syrup, and milk? (Some people have reduced the amount of one or more these, so I just like to double check! Especially if they’re worried about the cake turning out too sweet and try using less maple syrup. 😉 )
Did you measure the peaches before or after dicing them?
How did you drain the peaches? Did you use a colander, pat them dry with paper towels, or something else?
Can you describe the consistency of the batter prior to baking? If you scooped it up with a spoon, was it liquidy enough to immediately fall off of the sides? Or was it thick enough to mostly hold its shape?
When you measure your 9″-square pan, what are the dimensions around (a) the top rim and (b) the bottom edge?
How many rack positions does your oven have, and which one did you use? (For example, your oven has 5 rack positions, and you used the 4th one from the top.)
How long did you bake your cake, and how did you determine it was done?
How was the flavor? Was that okay, and it was only the texture of the cake that was off?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea of the culprit (and how to fix it!) once I know your answers to all of them! 🙂