Banana Baked Oatmeal

I don’t know about you, but most mornings at my household are putting a toast in your mouth and running around, hard-pressed for time. So, weekends are a nice break from the hullabaloo, which means we prefer to sit down and enjoy a healthy, hearty breakfast. 

It is for these leisurely and relaxed mornings that I make my banana baked oatmeal. It’s a no-fuss, almost hands-off recipe that lets me serve a wholesome meal without putting any effort in the kitchen.

The combination of soft, caramelized bananas with cinnamon is always a winner. Add in the crunchy walnuts, a hint of vanilla, and sweetness of date syrup, and the banana baked oatmeal gives you a nutritious, yummy repast.

How to Make Banana Baked Oatmeal?

Making baked oatmeal is ridiculously easy. You toss in the ingredients in a 7” cast iron skillet (or baking pan or pie dish – pick your choice) and slide it in the oven. 

About half an hour later, you’re eating a breakfast that practically feels like a warm banana crumble. The best part? The dish is naturally sweetened, so it isn’t cloyingly or sickly sweet. But, of course, you can add more honey or syrup to up the sweetness.

To make the oatmeal, start by mashing ripe bananas (the ripest you can find because they are the best). Stir in coconut oil, vanilla extract, almond milk, cinnamon powder, and some peanut butter. As a sweetener, add in date syrup. 

To bind it all together, I used a mixture of psyllium husk and water. Mix 2 tablespoons of the husk with 5 tablespoons of water. Wait till the mixture is thick and gelatinous and then stir it in. 

Now put in the dry ingredients – rolled oats, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. The next step is entirely optional but highly recommended. Gently fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chips to give the baked oatmeal a texture you’ll enjoy with every bite.

Baking the banana oatmeal

You’ll have a thick mixture by now. Scrape it into your greased pan or skillet. Top it off with some sliced bananas, walnuts, and coconut sugar. As the oatmeal bakes, both the sugar and banana caramelize, imparting it a nuanced flavor. Bake till the oatmeal is firm and springy to touch, and then devour! 

Quick notes

I wanted to make vegan banana baked oatmeal. That meant no eggs. My go-to substitute is flax eggs, but I ran out of flax seeds. Hence, the Isabgol mixture. But you can go ahead and use regular eggs or even flax eggs. 

I made a batch of almond milk at home yesterday. So that’s what went into the oatmeal. But any milk will do – coconut if you’re making a vegan dish and regular if not. 

In case date syrup is not your cup of Darjeeling, then try honey, jaggery powder, or even maple syrup. Coconut oil can be swapped with any vegetable oil. 

I also recommend using only rolled oats. They give you unsurpassed texture and chewiness. Instant oats will just turn into a mush. Also, don’t over bake the oatmeal. It will dry out instead of being moist.

Variations of banana baked oatmeal

You can switch up the flavor profile of baked oatmeal in countless ways. 

Use any nuts that you’re partial to. To enrich your breakfast further, throw in some seeds like pumpkin or sunflower. For an intense taste, give cocoa powder a shot. 

Add in more chocolate chips or leave them out. But if you do choose to make the oatmeal chocolatey, find the best quality that you can. I always use dark chocolate when I add them to something that will be served as breakfast. If you can't get your hands on dark dairy free chocolate, use 70% dark variety, for an intense chocolate flavour that's far away from being cloyingly sweet.

Instead of bananas, try sauteed apples or applesauce. Pears and berries are excellent choices, too, because their juices make the oatmeal superbly moist. 

Finally, if you want to make the banana baked oatmeal as muffins or ramekins, knock yourself out. The recipe will hold good. 

Serving the Banana Baked Oatmeal

There is one must-follow rule if you truly want to enjoy any baked oatmeal. Serve it warm. I drizzled some peanut butter and served it piping hot for breakfast.  

The kids added some maple syrup to up the sweetness level. They also kept digging into it at all sorts of odd times, which tells me that this nice, hearty and cozy dish is a fabulous snack too!

You can plate it with some honey or date syrup on the side. A lot of people also enjoy it with milk. A dollop of freshly whipped, sweetened cream will work like a charm.

I have not been entertaining at home, but if you are, then the banana baked oatmeal is a definite crowd-pleaser for a weekend brunch. It’s quick to make, and there is no waiting for it to cool down. 

Prepare the ingredients beforehand (or even a night before) and set it in the oven the next morning, just when you're ready to eat. And in 30 minutes, you’ll have a lovely, healthy, and definitely delicious meal ready to be served and enjoyed. 

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