Chewy Oat Cakes
Several years ago I saw some little oat cakes at La Montañita Coop. They were sold singly in plastic wrap. I bought one, liked it, saved the ingredient list, experimented with making my own. This is my current version. They are chewy and dense. Good to take on a hike or on the run for breakfast. Fast and easy to make. Quantities are approximate. You can experiment with proportions. Makes 15 cakes 1/2" tall and 2-1/2" diameter.
Servings 15 cakes
Ingredients
- 2-1/4 cups uncooked oatmeal (old-fashioned, not quick oats)
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1-1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1/2 t. cloves
- 1/2 t. ground cardamon (optional)
- 7 oz tofu, mashed with a fork
- 1 cup mashed banana (approx 1 very large, 2 medium, or 3 very small bananas)
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped raisins or craisins or chopped prunes (a very nice optional addition, but don't overdo; 1 cup raisins overpowers the other ingredients, but 1/4 to 1/2 cup is good)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. (Toaster oven works well.)
- Mix together the oatmeal, salt, and spices in large bowl till spices are evenly distributed.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients. Mix well with your clean hands, mushing everything together well.
- Let sit for 5 or 10 minutes to allow the oatmeal to absorb some of the moisture from the wet ingredients. Refrigerate if you wish.
- Place the dough on clean surface. I like to use parchment paper on the counter to put the dough on.
- With your hands, flatten into a slab about 1/2 inch thick.
- Use a biscuit cutter (or some such) and cut into circles.
- Put the cakes on a lightly greased cookie sheet or on a cookie sheet lined with clean parchment paper. You don't have to leave any space between the cakes if space is tight such as in a toaster oven. They don't tend to spread out as they cook.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes at 300 degrees till very lightly browned. They should come out dense and chewy. Don't overcook. (This time is for a convection oven. Might take a little longer in non-convection oven??)
- After they are cool, store in the refrigerator.
Variations:
- Instead of banana, use approx. 2/3 cup milk plus 4 T. honey.
- Instead of, or in addition to, pecans or walnuts, use sunflower seeds or chopped almonds or ground flax seed or other nuts or seeds.