Cashew, pear and chocolate baked oats by Fearne Cotton

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp ground flax seeds
• 3 tbsp boiling water
• 200g rolled oats
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder extra for dusting
• Pinch of sea salt
• 2 bananas, peeled
• 3 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 300ml cashew milk
• 4 tbsp cashews, roasted
• 3 tbsp cashew butter
• Coconut milk yoghurt, to serve

Special equipment needed

18-20cm round or square casserole dish or cake tin

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6. Grease the casserole dish or cake tin. 
2. Place the ground flax seeds and water in a small bowl and set aside for at least 3 minutes. In another bowl combine the oats, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt.
3. Put the bananas, half the pears, milk and flax mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into the dry mix and stir to thoroughly combine. 
4. Pour half the oat mixture into the dish or tin, layer with half the remaining pear and cover with the rest of the oat mixture. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until just set. Leave to cool, in the dish or tin, for 10 minutes. 
5. To serve, spoon out into bowls and top with the remaining slices of pear, roasted cashews, cashew butter, a dollop of yoghurt and a little dusting of cocoa powder. It is also delicious served cold and will keep in the fridge for 2 days.

Serves 4

TIP: Don't be afraid to skip the salt and savour the other flavours. It's a heart healthy habit

TIP: Choose fortified dairy alternatives, including coconut yoghurt that is lower in fat like Alpro’s product

Happy Vegan by Fearne Cotton is out now in hardback (Orion Spring)

Photography: Andrew Burton (for the Orion Publishing Group Ltd)