I’ve been waiting months to make this. I would have done it sooner–I even bought the cream cheese!–but I was waiting for raspberries to be more affordable. Even at Trader Joe’s, they’ve been around $5, and I was not willing to fork over the money for that.
But we must really be in reach of summer because raspberries are finally under the $4 mark!
Have you ever had a brownie swirled with cream cheese and raspberries? I have. Have you ever had a vegan one? I have. Let’s be honest: there is something totally satisfying about a plain, simple brownie (especially if it’s dense and fudgy, and not cakey, but that’s a personal preference ). But Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies are one of the few that I find even more satisfying than an original.
Good news: this baked oatmeal perfectly captures that.
Making this is a little different than your usual baked oatmeal. Because the raspberry-cream cheese mixture adds so much liquid to the batter, you need to make the oatmeal batter quite dry on it’s own. That way, once your swirl in the “cheesecake,” it doesn’t become goop that never bakes up.
I think strawberries could work instead of raspberries, but I believe raspberries do a much better job due to their ability to be mashed with a fork. When baked, they become so sweet and powerful, unlike strawberries, which can become ultra tangy. You could possibly experiment with raspberry preserves, too.
Random Recommendations:
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What you'll need:
- 1/2 cup’s worth of peeled and diced zucchini or yellow squash
- 3 tbsp liquid (milk or water)
- slightly rounded 1/2 cup rolled or quick oats
- 2 tsp maple syrup (adjust to preferences)
- 1 rounded tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp vegan cream cheese (I used Trader Joe's brand)
- 6-8 raspberries
How to make it:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a single-serving ramekin with non-stick spray.
- Puree all ingredients except cream cheese and raspberries in a food processor until combined. It will be on the drier side, so you may have to stir down the sides of the processor with a spatula once or twice.
- In a small bowl, mash cream cheese and raspberries together.
- Transfer brownie batter to the ramekin. Add dollops of the raspberry mixture to the batter and swirl into the brownie batter. (This should add enough moisture to the batter.)
- Bake for 22-25 minutes.
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