I live for ripe bananas. We go through tons and tons of bananas in our house. I buy at least 3 bunches every single week. My husband and I each have a banana with breakfast almost every day of the week. So that’s 14 right off the bat. My two kiddos both love bananas and will have some with breakfast or snack throughout the week. At least another 6. So ripe bananas are hard to come by around here. (Sad because I have 25 ripe banana recipes just waiting to be made…) Usually, I resort to buying an entire extra bunch that we can’t possibly eat in time to have a few ripe ones on hand. I’ve also been known to hide some in our pantry. #dowhatyagottado
I make all manner of muffins, breads, snacks and desserts with ripe bananas. Spinach-banana mini muffins are a must-have at all times in our freezer – for school lunches – so those often come first. Followed quickly by this banana bread baked oatmeal. ❤️ When we were without an oven last month, I started to panic because I wouldn’t be able to make baked oatmeal. I mean, we have overnight oatmeal jars at least 3 mornings a week, but we also love this baked oatmeal. (We make tons of others too… blueberry baked oatmeal, peach baked oatmeal, carrot cake baked oatmeal and pumpkin chocolate chip baked oatmeal. Yes, we are obsessed.) Luckily, I had two half-batches stored away in the freezer and that just barely got us through, with a little rationing. (Husband didn’t get any - sorry!)
This banana baked oatmeal is melt-in-your-mouth soft, with big cinnamon flavor and just the right amount of sweetness for breakfast. And the glorious smell wafting from the oven will have you hovering nearby, anxiously awaiting the moment you can pull the pan out and start devouring it! And it’s gluten free, naturally sweetened with maple syrup and oh so filling with the hearty oats and walnuts. It’s also addicting. I note below that it makes 9 servings, if you cut the pan into 9 large squares. But I must admit, the kids (who are only 4 and 2) and I easily go through 6 servings between us in one sitting. And if I’m left alone with it, well, it’s over and done with. Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up for this recipe. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on banana bread baked oatmeal:
The batter is very liquidy and it will fill your pan almost all the way. Don’t panic, that’s just how it should be. The oats absorb that liquid and this doesn’t rise, so it’s not going to spill over. It’s helpful to let this cool for a while in the pan before you slice it so it doesn’t get too crumbly. I always use old-fashioned rolled oats for baked oatmeal. I recommend those over quick oats or steel cut oats for this recipe. You can use skim or 2% milk, soy milk or almond milk for this recipe.
Want to make a vegan baked oatmeal? Very easy to do.
- Substitute a flax egg for the egg.
- Use soy or almond milk as your milk.
- Use vegan butter, canola oil or melted coconut oil in place of the regular butter. You could also substitute applesauce or just leave it out.
Serving ideas for banana bread baked oatmeal:
This banana bread baked oatmeal is so cozy when it’s warm from the oven. However, I also love it cold from the fridge. I feel the same way about regular banana bread; you can really eat it at any temperature. If you are making it ahead and want to serve it warm, just pop a slice in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds (a little longer if it’s cold from the fridge). The recipe doesn’t call for it, and it’s certainly sweet enough on it’s own, but feel free to add some mini chocolate chips to make these even more fun! I’d recommend about a ½ cup of mini chocolate chips or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. Y’all know how I feel about chocolate for breakfast
How to store baked oatmeal:
This baked oatmeal will keep covered, on the counter, for up to 2 days. After that, as with all baked recipes that have banana in them, I recommend you move it to the refrigerator. It will keep there for another 2-3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers. Cut your baked oatmeal, once cooled, into squares. Place them in a freezer-safe ziptop bag (that’s labeled!) and freeze for up to 6 months. To thaw, just place in the refrigerator overnight. You can serve it cold from the fridge or warm it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. You can also warm it in the microwave from the freezer in a pinch. Start with 45 seconds and add time (and possibly turn it upside down) as needed.
If you haven’t tried baked oatmeal before, please give it a go! It’s a lovely weekend breakfast when you have a little extra time and it’s an easy make-ahead breakfast to have on hand for busy weekday mornings. Enjoy! XO, Kathryn P.S. Check out these other fun breakfast options:
Healthy banana bread (Family Food on the Table) Whole wheat peanut butter banana bread (Family Food on the Table) Gluten-free peanut butter cookies (Texan Erin) Banana bread recipe with chocolate chunks (Today’s Creative Life) Whole wheat apple cinnamon breakfast cookies (Family Food on the Table)
This is delicious warm and also great cold from the fridge. This baked oatmeal will keep covered, on the counter, for up to 2 days. After that, I recommend you move it to the fridge, where it will keep for another 2-3 days. You can also freeze the leftovers. Cut your baked oatmeal, once cooled, into squares. Place them in a freezer-safe ziptop bag (that’s labeled!) and freeze for up to 6 months. For a fun treat, you can also add ½ cup of chocolate chips to the batter. I generally cut this into 9 large squares but you could also make 16 smaller pieces if you prefer.
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