Banana Baked Oatmeal boasts the delicious flavor of banana bread, but it's made with wholesome oats, pecans, and coconut oil for a healthy, filling breakfast!
Happy New Year, friends! I hope this finds your 2017 off to a fantastic start. My kids don't head back to school until Wednesday, but I'm already mentally preparing for the early rising and lunchbox packing and homework helping and activity chauffeuring that's about to hit us full force once again -- sigh. But first thing's first...breakfast!
Since we usually do a bit more indulging than usual over the holiday break, I always like to get off to a good start in the New Year. And this year, that means I'll be baking a big pan of Banana Baked Oatmeal to reheat for quick and wholesome breakfasts on hectic mornings in the upcoming week.
My kids are huge fans of baked oatmeal, and I love it as well for a variety of reasons, as evidenced by the ever-growing baked oatmeal recipe variations that I've shared over the years. And why do I love baked oatmeal so?, you may be asking yourself. Well, allow me to explain...
Reasons to Love Baked Oatmeal
- It's quick and easy to make.
- It reheats beautifully, meaning that I can make it ahead of time for several mornings' worth of breakfasts.
- My kids really like baked oatmeal, resulting in cheers when I make it...and not having to listen to any whining over what I'm serving for breakfast.
- It tastes really good. And...
- It's wholesome, filling, and loaded with healthy ingredients, making it the perfect fuel that lasts until lunchtime!
Given all of those factors -- and given my family's affinity for a nice banana baked good -- it's a wonder that I only concocted this Banana Baked Oatmeal for the first time a few weeks ago. But when I finally did, it was no surprise that my kids raved over it.
Ingredients
It tastes pretty much like yummy banana bread, except it's loaded with chewy oats, studded with toasty nuts, and sweetened with maple syrup.
It also includes a couple of eggs to hold everything together and some coconut oil to further boost the moisture and nutrients.
Totally tasty despite being hearty and wholesome? Yup...pretty much the perfect breakfast to kick off the New Year!
And if you're just now becoming acquainted with the wonderful world of baked oatmeal -- or if it's already an old friend but you'd like to explore some new flavor options -- then just below the recipe, you'll see that I've put together some links with all of my baked oatmeal recipes in one handy-dandy location. Enjoy!
More Banana Breakfast Treats
- Chocolate Banana Smoothie
- Banana Pancakes
- Quick Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
- Banana Breakfast Cookies
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
- Coconut Almond Baked Oatmeal
- Peach Baked Oatmeal
- ...and even more flavors!
Banana Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- ½ cup pecans, chopped (plus additional for garnish)
- 1 cup mashed banana, from approximately 2 large or 3 medium overripe bananas
- ¾ cup milk, or almond milk, or another dairy-free milk, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray an 8-inch square baking dish.
- Spread chopped pecans on an ungreased baking sheet and toast for 4 to 6 minutes or until fragrant and light golden brown. Cool on baking sheet.
- In a large bowl, mix together mashed banana, milk, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Blend in oats, ½ cup toasted pecans, cinnamon, and salt; stir until mixture is well-combined.
- Spread oatmeal into prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until set and light golden brown on top. Allow to cool in the baking dish for at least 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with optional garnishes: warm milk or cream drizzled over the top, additional toasted pecans, maple syrup, or fresh fruit.
Video
Notes
- You may substitute your favorite nuts for pecans. But whatever you use, I highly recommend toasting extras for garnish...sprinkled on top of the creamy baked oatmeal, they contribute fabulous crunch!
- The reason the milk and eggs should be at room temperate is because if they are cold, they will cause the coconut oil to re-solidify. To quickly warm everything up, I usually just put the whole eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes and zap the milk in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Reheat oatmeal by placing an individual serving on a plate, drizzling with a little milk, and then heating in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Jessica
I make a lot of baked oatmeal recipes (including a lot of banana variations) and this is hands down my favorite ever. I don't know if it's the generous vanilla or cinnamon or what, but there is something about it that takes it to the next level! I've given up trying any other banana baked oatmeal recipes because they don't compare.
Amy
Do you know if I could make this recipe with walnuts instead of pecans?? I really want to make it, it looks SO SO good 😊. Thanks
Samantha Skaggs
Yes, any nut will work! 🙂
CARINA SAWYER
We have been using this recipe for over 5 years! We discovered it when a sweet friend brought it for us after we had our 2nd baby. Love your updates and just wanted to let you know that it's a favorite around here!
Marissa
This sounds delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Do you know if it freezes well?
Samantha Skaggs
It does! If you like, you can even make your baked oatmeal in a muffin pan (like this recipe: https://www.fivehearthome.com/strawberry-baked-oatmeal-cups/) and then thaw/reheat individual servings as you need them. Hope that helps! 🙂
Lisa
My overripe bananas were piking up in my freezer and I wanted to try something other than banana bread. This recipe was quick and easy. I meal prepped it for the week. One word...delicious! I put a little butter and cream in the bowl and warmed it up. Loved it. Next time I will try to put the mixture in my muffin tins for easier storage for my weekly meal prep. Thank you for this great recipe.
Christine
This is so delicious! I had a few overripe bananas and didnt want to do some of the same old things with them so I searched and found this recipe! I was a little distracted when I was putting the ingredients together - and although I read the entire recipe first, I mistakenly put the oats in before they were supposed to go in. In fact, I just put everything in a big bowl and mixed it briefly with a whisk and poured it into my pan. It is a very forgiving recipe - it came out delicious! Thank you so much!
Annette Lupico
This is so good! Nice to have for when company comes over. Easy to throw together.
Deb
Delicious. Made this for my family today and they asked me to make a double batch next time! My son doesn't like nuts, so I didn't put them in the batter bowl but stirred them into part of the batter after it was in the pan - worked well to make a couple pieces without nuts.
Kaitlyn Friesen
wow this stuff is incredibly delicious! i added a spoonful of peanut butter to my portion. 😉 made it even better. love the simplicity of this recipe.
Mary
Can you use vegan chocolate chips?
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Sure! 🙂
Jill
Amazing!!!! So so good!!!! Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe <3
Courtney Evans
I love this recipe so much and even my picky husband and toddlers eat it for breakfast! Definitely a winner. I’ve meal prepped this on Sunday for the last few weeks. Thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Yay...I'm so glad it's a hit with your family, Courtney! 🙂
Sallyjojo
We love this recipe, have made many times, love that it tastes so wonderful and stays with me all morning! I top it off with vanilla yogurt. Love your site! Your strawberry Almond is in the oven now!
SALLYJOJO
Love this recipe, the only thing different I do is leave out the cinnamon. Healthier than banana bread!
Mary
Hello, I do not have coconut oil, can I use a different oil instead? Or melted butter?
Samantha Skaggs
Yes! Another type of oil or melted butter will both work. 🙂
Addie
Hi, can you use regular milk instead of almond milk?
Samantha at Five Heart Home
Yes, any milk will work! I just put almond milk in parentheses as an alternative. 🙂