I've enjoyed oats a thousand different ways in my life, and this is my favorite. A layer of fruit lines the base of a well-buttered baking dish. The fruit is then topped with a blend of rolled oats, nuts, and spices. A wet mixture of milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla is drizzled over the dry ingredients before baking to a golden-topped, fruit-scented finish. Be sure to use rolled oats and not instant oats.

　　

Ingredients

Serves 6 generously, or 12 as part of a larger brunch spread

　　2 cups/7 oz/200 g rolled oats

　　1/2 cup/2 oz/60 g walnut pieces, toasted and chopped

　　1/3 cup/2 oz/60 g natural cane sugar or maple syrup, plus more for serving

　　1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

　　2 cups/475 ml milk

　　1 large egg

　　3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

　　2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

　　2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch/1 cm pieces

　　1 1/2 cups/6.5 oz/185 g huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch/20cm square baking dish.

　　

Step 2

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

　　

Step 3

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.

　　

Step 4

Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.

　　

Step 5

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

　　Cooks' Note

　　Although I love this huckleberry version, feel free to substitute your favorite in-season berries, or any other fruit for that matter. Another version I love is made with plump, amaretto-soaked golden raisins in place of the berries and sliced almonds in place of the walnuts.

　　Reprinted with permission from Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swason. Text and photographs copyright © 2011 by Heidi Swanson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Writer, photographer, and designer HEIDI SWANSON is the creator of 101 Cookbooks, the award-winning culinary blog and recipe journal. She is also the author of Cook 1.0 and Super Natural Cooking. Her work has appeared in Food & Wine, Saveur, Glamour, the Washington Post, Time, Fast Company, Utne Reader, and the Vegetarian Times, as well as on Salon.com and NPR.com. Heidi lives, cooks, and writes in San Francisco.Visit www.101cookbooks.com and www.heidiswanson.com.