Warm, wholesome, and made for mornings on the move, Chef Deb’s Cinnamon Maple Breakfast Rounds bring cozy, camp-inspired comfort straight to the cafeteria. Featuring whole grain oats, warm cinnamon, Zee Kitchen Cinnamon Applesauce, and chewy Zee Kitchen Dried Fruit Mixzees®, then finished with an maple cinnamon yogurt glaze, this batch-friendly recipe is designed to serve 90 with ease.
Developed by ACF-certified Chef Deborah Ferguson, the District Chef for Hillsborough County Public Schools, these handheld baked oat rounds were created with real school kitchens in mind. They are simple to portion, easy to grab, and built to travel, making them a perfect fit for breakfast in the classroom carts and grab-and-go service alike.
Each 6.2 oz round provides 2 Grains and ¼ cup Fruit and can be standardized as a 1 GRN or 2 GRN recipe option to flex with your meal pattern needs, helping you easily meet breakfast requirements.
An ACF-certified chef, Deborah Ferguson is committed to making a positive impact on people’s lives through food and education. With a special passion for student nutrition, she focuses on creating meals that are both nutritious and appealing to students, believing that healthy food experiences help shape lifelong eating habits.
The idea for the Baked Oat Rounds started with a memory. Chef Deb’s dietitian fondly recalled a baked oat bar she loved at summer camp as a child, and the team set out to recreate that comfort in a version that meets school nutrition guidelines. The project became a true team effort, blending her inspiration and nutrition expertise with Chef Deb’s culinary craft.
Getting there took some reinvention. The concept first appeared as a baked oat bar at an annual food show, but it did not land the way the team hoped. Chef Deb transformed it into a round, which improved consistency and created a more appealing, handheld, on-the-go option. When the Breakfast Rounds were tested through a HOST summer program, students loved them, and the success didn’t stop there. Served as the dessert at an end-of-year celebration for managers and production coordinators, they were such a hit that several guests came back for seconds, confirming the recipe’s broad appeal.
The standout components in these breakfast rounds are Zee Kitchen Dried Fruit Mixzees® (#624809) and Zee Kitchen Cinnamon Applesauce (#A3910).
Zee Kitchen Cinnamon Applesauce blends seamlessly into the batter, adding natural sweetness, moisture, and warm cinnamon flavor without extra prep. Zee Kitchen Dried Fruit Mixzees® bring chewy texture, pops of color, and just the right amount of natural sweetness that students love, while helping deliver the ¼ cup fruit contribution in every round.
Beyond flavor, these Zee Kitchen bulk ingredients make preparation simple and efficient while maintaining quality and consistency. Their ease of use helps streamline production in busy school kitchens, keeping this recipe practical for large-scale service.
These are the kind of cozy, camp-inspired rounds students will be raving about long after breakfast, and they’re just as easy for your team to make on repeat.
Here is why it works so well:
Chef-developed, student-tested
Created by ACF-certified Chef Deb and proven with real students, these rounds are built on genuine kitchen expertise and kid-approved results.
Made for breakfast in the classroom
Handheld, portable, and utensil-free, the round format travels beautifully on breakfast carts and grab-and-go lines for fast, low-mess morning service.
Finish it your way
Ribbon Chef Deb’s optional maple cinnamon yogurt glaze across the top for an extra-special touch, or keep it simple and serve the rounds on their own.
Bulk, done better
Zee Kitchen bulk ingredients streamline production and deliver consistent quality batch after batch, making scratch-style baking manageable at scale.
Loved across every age group
From summer program students to the adults who came back for seconds at an end-of-year celebration, these rounds have broad, crave-worthy appeal.
Here is what you will need for 90 servings:
This cozy breakfast favorite comes together with pantry-friendly staples and trusted Zee Kitchen components.
- 12 lb - Quick Oats, whole grain
- 1 lb 6.5 oz - Light Brown Sugar
- 8 oz - Baking Powder
- 2 cups - Ground Cinnamon (reserve ½ cup for topping)
- 2 tbsp - Granulated Salt
- 2¼ qt - Whole Liquid Eggs
- 3 cups - Canola Oil
- ½ cup - Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups - Skim Milk
- 4 lb - Zee Kitchen Dried Fruit Mixzees® (#624809)
- 1 #10 can - Zee Kitchen Cinnamon Applesauce (#A3910)
- 3 lb - Maple Cinnamon Yogurt Glaze (optional; see recipe card)
For Chef Deb’s optional Maple Cinnamon Yogurt Glaze, whisk together 3 lb vanilla Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup ground cinnamon, and ⅓ cup maple syrup, then cover and refrigerate below 40°F until service.
Ready To Serve It Up?Bring a cozy, delicious comfort option to your breakfast menu with Chef Deb’s Cinnamon Maple Breakfast Rounds. A couple of Chef Deb’s own tips make all the difference. After combining the wet and dry ingredients, let the mixture rest for 10 minutes so the oats can absorb moisture and build structure. Stir thoroughly to coat the dried fruit, and stir again between batches to prevent sinking and keep every round consistent.
From there, portion the batter with a #8 scoop (6.2 oz) into sprayed 18” x 26” x 1” pans, top each round with about ¼ tsp cinnamon, and bake at 350°F for about 18 minutes, rotating halfway, until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Ribbon ½ oz of glaze across each round just before serving.
The full Scratch Batch Recipe Card, complete with step-by-step instructions and serving guidance, is ready for you to download and put into action. From its whole grain oats to its warm cinnamon finish, this chef-developed breakfast delivers the comfort students love with the operational ease your team needs.
