Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

An easy banana bread baked oatmeal recipe with an added nutritional boost from whole-food ingredients. Makes 12 servings.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 178kcal

Author Amee

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats *use certified GF oats for gluten-free
2½ tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¾ cup vanilla Greek yogurt *I used Oikos Triple Zero
1½ cups Fairlife 2% milk
1 cup mashed ripe banana *about 2 large bananas for 1 cup- make sure they are VERY ripe
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
¼ cup brown sugar or real maple syrup- both work great here *see notes
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Mash the banana until no clumps remain. Optional: Lightly toast the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, then set aside in a bowl to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, add the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk well to combine.
In a separate mixing bowl, add the Greek yogurt, milk, mashed banana, eggs, egg white, brown sugar or maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.
Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. Gently fold in the chopped nuts.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and let the batter rest for 5 minutes to allow the oats to soak in some of the moisture. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Let the baked oatmeal cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing into 12 squares. Sprinkle with extra nuts and a dollop of whipped cream before serving, or add a pat of butter, drizzle with maple syrup, top with a few slices of banana, and dust with cinnamon for the perfect finishing touch.

Make sure that the bananas are VERY ripe. If they're not covered in brown spots, they're not ready! The riper the banana, the less sugar you need to add.
I've made this with both brown sugar and maple syrup, and they both work great. I love the caramel-like flavor the maple syrup adds, and it does add a bit more sweetness than brown sugar. If you like sweeter baked oats, you can use up to 1/3 cup. I find that 1/4 cup is perfect, since I usually drizzle a little maple syrup on top.
Toasting the nuts is optional, but I love how it brings out their flavor. Walnuts and pecans are great in this recipe.