Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Snack Cake
This healthy oatmeal cake will brighten any day! It’s full of soft oats and cozy spices, and juicy blueberries add pops of sweetness to every slice. Yogurt keeps this cake supremely tender and moist, and it’s also quick and simple to make. Whether you enjoy a piece mid-morning or later in the afternoon, this blueberry cake is a fun break from your typical snack routine — and it’s perfect for breakfast too! Leftovers will keep for at least four days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (150g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free, if necessary)
- 1 ¼ cups (150g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3 large egg whites, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (180g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 6 tbsp (90mL) pure maple syrup
- 6 tbsp (90mL) nonfat milk
- 1 ¼ cups (175g) fresh blueberries
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, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Add in Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps of yogurt remain. Stir in the maple syrup. Alternate between adding the oat mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the oat mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the oat mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 32-36 minutes or until the top is a deep golden color, 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
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure the flour and oats correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will dry out your cake and give it a crumbly texture — especially the oats! They act like little sponges and soak up moisture from your cake batter.
IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to make the batter. This results in a gummy, chewy, rubbery, or tough cake. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else. (See the “mix by hand” header in the "How to Make the Best Blueberry Oatmeal Snack Cake" section above for more info!)
IMPORTANT BAKING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s important to let the cake cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving. This is because the cake’s structure hasn’t fully set until it has fully cooled. Do not cut the cake while it’s still warm!
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This cake isn’t overly sweet — and that’s intentional! It’s meant to have the sweetness level of breakfast bread, scones, or muffins. (It's not as sweet as a true "dessert" cake!) If you’d prefer a sweeter cake, then substitute an additional 2-4 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for an equal amount of milk. (For example, use an extra 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for a total of ½ cup, and reduce the milk to ¼ cup.)
For a stronger spice flavor, increase the cinnamon to 2 ½ teaspoons and the nutmeg to ½ teaspoon.
OATS NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. They’re also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats. They’re not the ones that come in individual paper packets with flavors like apple cinnamon or maple brown sugar. They only contain one ingredient: oats! You can find them in canisters right next to the old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store. (You’ll also use instant oats in all of these oatmeal cookie recipes and these snack cake recipes of mine!)
In a pinch, to make your own, add the same amount of old-fashioned rolled oats to a blender or food processor, and pulse 10-12 times or until the oats are about ¼ to ⅛ of their original size.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
SPICES NOTES: I highly recommend Saigon cinnamon! It’s stronger, richer, and sweeter than the regular kind commonly found at grocery stores. I buy it online here (it's really affordable!), and it’s basically the only kind I use in my baking recipes now. The nutmeg provides a gentle background warmth and richness. It’s very subtle, but it makes this cake taste cozier!
EGG WHITES NOTE: You must use all 3 egg whites. The protein in the egg whites helps prevent your cake from collapsing while cooling. If you didn’t use all of the egg whites, your cake would sink some, especially in the center, and turn out pretty dense and somewhat soggy in texture. (But the flavors will remain the same!) If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 3 whole eggs AND decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. Do not substitute sugar free maple syrup! It’ll make the cake collapse while cooling and turn out overly dense. (See the “pure maple syrup” header in the "Key Ingredients to Make a Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Snack Cake" section above for more info!)
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
BLUEBERRIES ALTERNATIVE: I haven’t tried them yet, but I think frozen blueberries should work — especially if they’re thawed and patted dry to remove the excess thawing liquid. (Thawed blueberries tend to turn the batter a gray color, but that doesn’t affect the cake’s flavor!)
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats (like these). For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following blend: ¾ cup (90g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ½ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.
HOW TO STORE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for at least four days (if not longer!). I highly recommend reheating individual slices in the microwave briefly before eating. I love what it does to their taste and texture!
{gluten-free, nut-free, clean eating, low fat}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.