These banana walnut baked oats are soft, cohesive, and lightly caramelized from ripe banana and brown sugar. Baked in a small 8×6-inch dish, they were developed to fit many toaster ovens while producing a thicker, more cohesive texture than a larger pan. They fall somewhere between oatmeal and breakfast cake, with enough structure to slice while remaining moist and tender.
Equipment note: This recipe was developed in an 8×6-inch baking dish, which produces thicker, more sliceable baked oats and fits many toaster ovens. This is the type of 8×6-inch baking dish I use (paid link).
Banana Walnut Baked Oats
Soft baked oats with banana, brown sugar, almond milk, eggs, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups instant rolled oats
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk, or milk of choice
- 2 XL eggs
- 1 ripe banana well mashed
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Garnish
- whipped cream optional
- ground cinnamon for serving
- maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Place a rack in the lowest position.
- Butter or oil an 8×6 baking dish.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk, eggs, mashed banana, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and melted butter until well combined.
- Add the oats, baking powder, cinnamon if using, and chopped walnuts. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the oats to hydrate before baking.
- Bake on the lowest rack for 35 to 40 minutes, until the oats are set, the top is lightly caramelized, and the center no longer looks loose.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, or cool and slice.
Notes
- If the banana is very ripe, the brown sugar may be reduced to 3 tablespoons.
- The texture should be soft and cohesive, not dry or cake-like.
- For cleaner slices, let the baked oats cool longer before cutting.
- This reheats well. Warm individual portions gently before serving.
- Serve with whipped cream, sprinkled cinnamon, and maple syrup on top.
- This recipe was developed in an 8×6-inch baking dish. An 8×8-inch baking dish may be substituted, though the baked oats will be slightly thinner and may bake a few minutes faster.
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