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.
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 almond milk
- 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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