Banana Baked Oatmeal is a recipe everyone needs! A healthy vegan breakfast great for meal prep. No sugar added, easy to make. Three different ways to make: blueberry, walnut, and peanut butter chocolate chip, plus more!
Are we tired of healthy oatmeal recipes yet?
I sure hope not because this baked oatmeal is going to be on repeat!
Why? Because it’s a great recipe base with a variety of ways to change the flavors, based on what mix ins you add.
Baked Banana Oatmeal Recipe Base
If you’re looking for easy breakfast recipes that can be thrown together in less than five minutes, or made ahead of time for some breakfast meal prep, this baked oatmeal is for you.
The Main Ingredients
- over ripe bananas – the spottier, the better. See notes below regarding added sugar.
- flaxseed meal – adds a boost of healthy fats while keeping this recipe vegan. Alternatively, one tablespoon of chia seeds might also work (though I haven’t tested this).
- vanilla extract – always a good idea
- non-dairy milk of choice – Any milk will work here. If you’d like to keep this recipe nut-free, use something like soy or hemp. If you’d like a richer texture and flavor, opt for half canned coconut milk.
- rolled oats – rolled is best here so the texture of the baked oatmeal doesn’t get too gummy.
- ground cinnamon – for a warming spice. Brands have different flavors depending on what you get. I’ve found that store brands are spicier, while name brands (i.e. Watkins) are more mild.
- baking powder – the leavening agent to help the oatmeal rise a bit.
- salt – to balance flavor.
The above ingredients are what will be your base recipe. You can make banana baked oatmeal using the above ingredients as is, or use any of the mix-in flavors below.
Mix-In Flavors
Blueberry
- 1 cup blueberries
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- 3 Tablespoons peanut butter
- ½ cup chocolate chips (or ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips)
Walnut Banana Bread Style
- Increase cinnamon to 1 ½ teaspoons, or more if you really love cinnamon.
- Add ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
How to Make
Step 1 – Mash Bananas & Add Flaxseed
In a large bowl mash bananas until only small clumps remain. Add in flaxseed meal, vanilla and milk. Allow to rest for a few minutes.
Step 2 – Add Dry Ingredients
Add oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Then add your desired mix-ins.
Step 3 – Transfer batter & Bake
Pour oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are golden and middle is set.
What about a combination of flavors?
Definitely! You could use peanut butter and add blueberries…
Do walnuts with blueberries…
Chocolate chips without the peanut butter…
Have fun with it!
Can I double the recipe?
Doubling the recipe is easy! Just double the ingredients (you can use the scale feature in the recipe card below) and use a 9×13 pan. Bake at 375ºF for about 30 minutes, until edges are golden and middle is set.
Notes about the Sugar
I opted for no added sugar in this recipe because I used very brown bananas. The more brown your bananas, the sweeter this baked oatmeal will be. If you’re using unsweetened milk and your bananas are not over ripe, I would suggest adding 3-4 tablespoons of brown sugar to bananas while mashing.
Alternatively you could add maple syrup, but I wouldn’t add more than 3 tablespoons. OR you could just serve this warmed baked oatmeal with a little maple syrup.
How to Serve
You can serve this oatmeal immediately and portion into bowls, adding toppings like fresh fruit, your favorite nut butter, maybe some hemp hearts or chia seeds.
If you’d like to serve this baked oatmeal as bars, allow the pan to cool for about 20 minutes (chill in the fridge to speed things up) then slice and serve.
This banana baked oatmeal works great for meal prep too!
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover baked oatmeal in the fridge, and enjoy within 3-4 days for best flavor.
To freeze, place completely cooled oatmeal in an airtight container and freeze up to three months.
Reheating
To reheat, allow the frozen baked oatmeal to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then you can reheat the (thawed) oatmeal in the toaster oven at 350ºF for about 10 minutes.
It can also be reheated in the microwave, for about 20 seconds.
Let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a comment and rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
How to Make…
Baked Banana Oatmeal (3 Ways)
Banana Baked Oatmeal is a recipe everyone needs! A healthy vegan breakfast great for meal prep. No sugar added, easy to make with pantry staples. Three different flavor varieties: blueberry, walnut, and peanut butter chocolate chip.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Diet: Gluten Free
- Yield: 9 1x
- Scale:
Ingredients
Baked Oatmeal Recipe Base
- 2 medium over ripe bananas, mashed equal to 3/4 cup (see notes)
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups non-dairy milk of choice
- 2 ¼ cups rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Walnut Banana Bread Style
- 2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 1 additional teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Blueberry
- 1 heaping cup fresh blueberries
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- 3 Tbsp all-natural creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Lily’s)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF and line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a large bowl mash bananas until only small clumps remain. Add in flaxseed meal, vanilla and milk. Allow to rest for a few minutes.
- Add oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Then add your desired mix-ins.
- Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are golden and middle is set.
- Allow oatmeal to rest for 30 minutes before serving if you’d like bars. Or feel free to serve with a spoon immediately. Add favorite toppings like nut butter, blueberries, chocolate chips and/or maple syrup.
Recipes Notes:
Sugar – I did not include any added sugar in this recipe because I used very brown bananas. The more brown your bananas, the sweeter this baked oatmeal will be. If you’re using unsweetened milk and your bananas are not over ripe, I would suggest adding 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar to bananas while mashing. OR you could just serve with a little maple syrup. Adjust according to your sweetness preference!
Milk – Feel free to use your choice of milk here. Whether you use cow’s milk, goat’s milk or a dairy-free alternative. For a richer flavor, you could also do part half & half or canned coconut milk.
Half the recipe – For a smaller batch, cut the ingredients in half, mix as directed and bake in a 8×4 medium loaf pan; 375ºF for 20-25 minutes.
Double the recipe – To feed a crowd, double the ingredients and mix as directed; bake in a 9×13 pan for 25-30 minutes, until edges are golden.
Mix-Ins – Feel free to do a combo of any of these mix-ins as well. For example, blueberries + walnuts. Or blueberries + peanut butter. Or include peanut butter in all three variations. This recipe is a great base – have fun with it!
Randi says
Love it- easy- I made the half recipe in loaf pan and it came out great. Thank you!
★★★★★
Katie says
This is going to be my go-to baked oatmeal recipe!
★★★★★
Becky says
This recipe is amazing!! We make the blueberry version 2-3x per week and it disappears every time. (Also great with other frozen fruits) Super toddler friendly and healthy.
★★★★★
Veronique Phelps says
Loved this recipe. Simple ingredients, quick to throw together, and most importantly, a healthy breakfast that the entire family can enjoy (including my 10 month old). Substituted flax for chia seeds and it worked wonderfully. Thanks Ashley!
★★★★★