Banana Baked Oatmeal is a recipe everyone needs! A healthy vegan breakfast great for meal prep. No sugar added, simple ingredients and easy to make. Plus there are endless ways to flavor this oatmeal, like adding fresh fruit, peanut butter, chocolate chips and 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 Recipe
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. Full of whole grains, healthy fats, fiber and protein – a satisfying meal to keep you full for hours.
The Main Ingredients
- over ripe bananas – the spottier, the better. See notes below regarding added sugar.
- flaxseed meal – Also known as ground flaxseed. 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 such as almond milk, cashew milk, oat milk, etc. 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 – Be sure to use rolled oats (also known as “old-fashioned oats” versus quick oats or steel cut oats. Using quick oats will make the texture too thick and steel cut oats won’t cook the same. Use gluten-free oats as needed for a dietary friendly recipe.
- 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.
- fine sea salt – to enhance 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 flavor ideas below.
Mix-In Ideas
You can flavor the base recipe in different ways, depending on what you’re in the mood for, or ingredients you have on hand.
Blueberry Banana
- 1 cup blueberries
Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip
- 3 Tablespoons peanut butter
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (or ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips)
Walnut Banana Bread
- Increase cinnamon to 1 ½ teaspoons, or more if you really love cinnamon.
- Add ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
How to Make Baked Oatmeal
Step 1 – Mash Bananas & Add Flaxseed
In a large bowl mash bananas until only small clumps remain. Add in flaxseed meal, vanilla and milk, stirring into the mashed bananas. Then allow the mixture to rest for a few minutes.
Step 2 – Add Dry Ingredients
Add rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt into the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Then add your desired mix-ins – blueberries, peanut butter, chocolate chips, etc.
Step 3 – Transfer batter & Bake
Pour the oat mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and middle is set.
More Flavor Combinations
You could use peanut butter or almond butter as well as add blueberries, strawberries or raspberries…
Combine chopped walnuts with blueberries…
Add just chocolate chips...
You could also do rows of each flavor on top, as shown in the pictures.
Or, leave plain and put out bowls of toppings if serving a crowd.
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 25-30 minutes, or 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 pure 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.
Serving Suggestions
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 for individual servings, you can grab and go, 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, covered, 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. You can also freeze individual squares.
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 per piece.
More Healthy Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal
- Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
- Espresso Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
Let me know if you make this banana baked oatmeal recipe by leaving a comment and star rating below! It helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
PrintBaked Banana Oatmeal
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. Try three different flavor varieties: blueberry, walnut, and peanut butter chocolate chip.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Baked Oatmeal Recipe Base
- 2 medium over-ripe bananas, mashed equal to 3/4 cup (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk of choice
- 2 1/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Walnut Banana Bread
- 2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- 1 additional teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Blueberry
- 1 heaping cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
- 3 tablespoon 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.
- Mix wet ingredients: 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 dry ingredients: Add oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Then add your desired mix-ins.
- Bake: Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until edges are golden and middle is set.
- Serve: 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.
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!
Keywords: baked oatmeal recipe, banana oatmeal, healthy baked oatmeal
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!
★★★★★
Tori says
I made the base recipe. Really simple and so easy to substitute ingredients you already have. I cut into bars and froze to eat during the week. Very moist and not too sweet.
★★★★
Jenna says
This is so tasty and I’ve been making batches to freeze when baby gets here for easy access!
Ashley says
Love that! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Peggy says
This is my favorite meal prep breakfast recipe! I make the banana bread style as a double recipe. I cut it into 15 pieces and freeze them individually. I pull them out, defrost a bit in the microwave, and then cook for about 2 minutes. I skip the milk (they are almost bread consistency), put a little honey on it and am ready to go! It’s also great to send with my husband in his truck for the week! (HEADS UP: I did print the 2x recipe the second time I made them. All of the items on the base recipe except bananas did not double the measurements).
★★★★★
Stacy says
Great way to use those left over bananas without making a cake, or bread! Added peanut butter and chocolate chips this time, think I’ll go blueberry peanut butter next! PBJ?
★★★★★