Made with whole grains and ripe bananas, this banana bread baked oatmeal is a delicious and nutritious way to start the day. Whip it up on the weekend and enjoy it for breakfast all week long.
If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast meal prep idea, look no further than this banana bread baked oatmeal recipe. This simple recipe combines the flavors of banana bread with the convenience of baked oatmeal to create a make-ahead meal the whole family will love.
You can enjoy this banana bread baked oatmeal on its own, hot or cold, for a quick on-the-go breakfast on busy weekday mornings or enjoy it as part of a hearty weekend brunch served with yogurt, eggs, and fresh fruit.
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy to Make – Made with pantry staples and ready in less than 1 hour, this banana bread baked oatmeal is quick and easy to prepare.
- Feeds a Crowd – This recipe makes 6 servings and can easily be doubled or tripled to feed more.
- Full of Fiber – Made with whole grains, this banana baked oatmeal has 6 grams of fiber per serving and is a filling way to start the day.
- Stores Well – This banana bread baked oatmeal keeps well in the fridge and freezer making a great make-ahead meal or meal prep idea.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Rolled Oats – To create the base of this banana baked oatmeal. You can use old-fashioned oats rolled oats or quick oats. Steel-cut oats and instant oats are not recommended.
- Bananas – Some ripe bananas to add the banana bread flavor to the baked oatmeal.
- Milk – To bake the oats and add some protein.
- Brown Sugar – To sweeten the oats. You can use pure maple syrup if preferred.
- Egg – To bind the oats. To make the recipe vegan or egg-free, you can swap the egg for one “flax egg”, see the notes section of the recipe card for details.
- Vanilla Extract – To add flavor and fragrance.
- Leavening Agents – A combination of baking powder and salt to ensure the banana bread baked oatmeal is light and fluffy.
- Walnuts – While optional, they add some crunch and healthy fats. If you don’t like walnuts, chocolate chips would be a good alternative.
Dietary Adaptions
To Make it Gluten-Free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
To Make it Dairy-Free: Swap the milk for unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk and swap the butter for coconut oil.
To Make it Vegan: Swap the milk for unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk and swap the egg for a “flax egg”.
How to Make Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add the mashed bananas, brown sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla extract, and whisk until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and stir until well incorporated. Add the chopped walnuts and fold them into the batter.
- Bake until golden brown. Transfer the oatmeal mixture to a 9 x 9 baking dish and bake at 375°F for 35-40 minutes or until the center is set and the top and sides are golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy! Once baked, remove the banana baked oatmeal from the oven and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving it with toppings of your choice.
You can find the detailed instructions in the recipe card below.
Red’s Nutrition Tip
If you are concerned about the sugar content in this banana bread baked oatmeal, there is no need. It’s important to understand that the majority of the sugar in this dish is from natural sugars present in the bananas, milk, and oats, and there is very little added sugar in this recipe, a mere 3/4 tablespoon per serving. While you can swap the maple syrup for brown sugar if preferred, it will provide the same amount of sugar and a similar nutritional value.
Serving Suggestions
This banana bread baked oatmeal is a great source of carbohydrates and fiber, therefore, pairing it with some protein and healthy fats can help to create a more balanced meal. This banana baked oatmeal would pair well with:
- Yogurt
- Greek yogurt
- Skyr
- Cottage cheese
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Banana slices
- Blueberries
Can I use steel-cut oats?
Steel-cut oats are not recommended in this banana bread baked oatmeal recipe. Steel-cut oats require more liquid and take longer to cook than rolled oats, therefore, the ratios and timing in this recipe will not work.
Can I add protein powder?
Yes! You can increase the protein content of this banana bread baked oatmeal recipe by adding 1 scoop of plain or vanilla protein powder to the batter along with the wet ingredients.
Storage + Reheating
To Refrigerate: Allow the banana baked oatmeal to cool completely and then cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To Freeze: To freeze baked oatmeal whole, cool completely, then cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and then place the entire baking dish in a freezer-safe bag. To freeze leftovers or individual portions, transfer the baked oatmeal to an airtight container and place it in the freezer. Baked oatmeal can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: To reheat banana bread baked oatmeal whole, allow it to thaw completely, and then cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and warm it in the oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes. To reheat individual portions of the baked oatmeal, place a thawed portion in an oven-proof baking dish in the oven for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish for 1-2 minutes.
More Baked Oatmeal Recipes:
- Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal
- Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal
- Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Morning Glory Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
You can also check out my whole wheat banana bread, strawberry banana bread, banana oatmeal pancakes, and banana nut muffins for more banana filled recipes.
Print
Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal
This banana bread baked oatmeal is a healthy breakfast that the whole family can enjoy! Enjoy it on its own or with a dollop of yogurt and a drizzle of peanut butter for a healthy morning meal.
-
Prep Time: 10 minutes -
Cook Time: 35 minutes
-
Total Time: 45 minutes
-
Yield: 6 slices 1x
-
Category: Breakfast
-
Method: Baked
-
Cuisine: American
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3 ripe bananas)
- 1 egg
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, or maple syrup
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- Butter, for greasing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 9 x 9 baking dish with butter.
- In a large bowl, add the mashed banana, egg, milk, vanilla, and brown sugar, and whisk until well combined.
- Add the rolled oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt to the bowl, and stir until well incorporated with the banana mixture. (Optional: Add the chopped walnuts and gently fold them into the batter.)
- Transfer the oatmeal mixture to the greased baking dish and transfer it to the oven to bake for 35-40 minutes until the middle is set and the top is golden brown.
- Once baked, remove the oatmeal from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes to set. Then slice and serve with toppings of your choice.
- Any leftover banana bread baked oatmeal can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months.
Notes
To Use Almond Milk: Swap the milk for equal parts unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened almond milk in step #2.
To Use a Flax Egg: In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water, allow the mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes until thickened, and then add the mixture to the bowl as per step #2 in place of the egg.
To Use Chocolate Chips: Swap the walnuts for 1/2 cup chocolate chips in step #3.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 355 calories
- Sugar: 19 grams
- Fat: 9 grams
- Carbohydrates: 54 grams
- Fiber: 6 grams
- Protein: 11 grams
Loved the banana oatmeal bake recipe! I make it each Sunday for my family!
Absolutely yummy and very easy to make
I made this recipe! Better than my usual overnight oats. Make once enjoy all week. Love it! So moist. I had it for breakfast daily. Warmed it up and topped it with a little maple syrup. Had some chicken bacon on the side. Great.
Thank you for sharing, Cindy!
My toddler ate it for dessert, I sprinkled mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans. I almost left out the pecans (I didn’t have walnuts) but I’m glad I used them, gave this great texture. So glad I had some real maple syrup 😍
Love it when a recipe is toddler-approved, thank you for sharing, Sarah!
Love this banana baked oatmeal not only is it great for breakfast but an anytime snack as well – my Husband sometimes suffers from GERD this was an excellent choice to help him recover – we love all the baked oatmeal recipes!
I’m so happy to hear that, thank you for sharing, Nadine!
Amazing! Love this banana bake. Thank you
Thank you so much for sharing, Meagan!
My first (and doesn’t remember their first) foray into making one of “Red’s” absolutely easy to prepare breads. Made mine with rolled oats and infused it with chopped walnuts. Next up will be trying the cocoa chip option. Soooooo good and sooooo easy to do.
I’m so happy to hear it, and love the addition of walnuts and chocolate!