Caramelized Baked Banana Oatmeal

Baked Banana Oatmeal has always been my go-to breakfast on cold mornings. Hearty, filling, and richer in flavor than instant or quick oats, these cinnamon and brown sugar-sweetened banana oats will help stave off hunger for quite a few hours.

This baked oatmeal recipe benefits from the deep banana flavor that develops as the banana caramelizes on top. This oatmeal dish is also customizable so you can add your favorite breakfast toppings like nuts, chocolate chips, fruit, or coconut.

If you and your family love oatmeal for breakfast you may also like Strawberry Baked Oatmeal, this Baked Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, or this plain Baked Oatmeal that can be customized with any add-ins you like.

Baked oatmeal is a great nourishing breakfast but it can be low in protein so we recommend pairing it with something like yogurt, boiled eggs, or a smoothie like this Protein Packed Banana Berry Smoothie.

You can find more healthy breakfast ideas here.

Why You’ll Love These Banana Baked Oats

Here are a few reasons why we think you’ll enjoy making this recipe.

• Hands-off: No need to stand by the stove and stir the oatmeal as this oatmeal bakes up in the oven.
• Versatile: You can easily change the fruit, add more fruit, and top it with your favorite nuts, seeds, coconut, or even chocolate chips.
• Meal prep: Baked oatmeal is the perfect breakfast on the go! Unlike traditional oatmeal, it is completely portable and can even be frozen in individual portions for quick, easy breakfasts.

Key Ingredients and Easy Swaps

Here are the ingredients you need to make this baked oatmeal with banana.

• Banana: Use a ripe banana so the oatmeal is nice and sweet. If you see any green on the peel give it a few days to ripen a little more otherwise you will need to add sweetener.
• Almond Milk: What kind of milk to use is up to you but we used unsweetened almond milk. You can use dairy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or any other plant-based milk.
• Vanilla extract: Use real vanilla extract for the best taste. If you use vanilla-flavored milk you can omit the vanilla extract.
• Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best to use in any baked oatmeal recipe. Do not use instant oats since they will be soggy. Steel cut won’t cook through.
• Flax seeds: It is best to use ground flax seeds. You can buy them whole and grind them yourself or pick up a bag of already ground seeds. Swap in chia seeds if you prefer or add 1-2 whole eggs.
• Brown sugar: Any kind of sweetener will work, honey or maple syrup are also good options.
• Baking powder: A touch of baking powder helps the oatmeal rise just a touch.
• Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a nice sweet flavor and warms up the entire dish. If you want that banana bread flavor, don’t skimp on the cinnamon.
• Salt: A pinch of salt to enhance the flavor and make everything pop.

How To Make Baked Banana Oatmeal

Just a few simple steps to make this banana-baked oatmeal.

• Preheat the oven: Get the oven ready while you prepare the oatmeal.
• Prepare the ramekin: Coat a ramekin or oven-safe baking dish with cooking spray or parchment paper. This can be baked in individual servings or as one larger recipe.
• Prepare the oatmeal: Chop half the banana into slices and place them in the bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients and carefully stir together. You can lso mash the banana if you prefer. Then slice the remaining banana and layer it on top of the oatmeal. The bananas caramelize as they bake making for an amazing flavor and beautiful presentation.
• Bake the oatmeal: Place the oatmeal in the oven for 25-30 minutes until it is bubbling and the banana begins to caramelize on top.

How To Store Leftover Oven-Baked Oatmeal

In case you have leftovers or if you make a double batch here are the details on storage.

• Fridge: Baked oatmeal will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freezer: Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.
• Thaw: Remove from the freezer and let the oatmeal defrost in the fridge overnight.
• Reheat: Reheat in the microwave. If the oatmeal is a little dry you can drizzle more milk over it.

Flavor Combinations to Try

We think this baked oatmeal tastes great as is but here are a few ways you can change things up.

• Replace the fruit: Instead of bananas, you can use apple slices, peach slices, or fresh or frozen blueberries. Or double up and add bananas and another fruit.
• Change up the seeds: If you don’t have any flaxseeds on hand you can use chia seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or nuts.
• Mix in different spices: Swap the cinnamon for ginger, cardamom, or nutmeg.
• Top with nuts: Sprinkle walnuts, almonds, or pecans on top of the oatmeal for some crunch and healthy fats.
• Add nut butter: For even more staying power you can top the oatmeal with a tablespoon of almond or peanut butter.
• Make it a bar: If you prefer your baked oatmeal to be more bar-like, add 2 whisked eggs to the mixture as well. They will help the oats to stay more solid and bar-like.

Recipe Tips and Ideas

Here are a few things you can do to make sure your oatmeal works out every time.

• Make a double or triple batch so you have a quick and easy breakfast for a few days or if you are feeding more than one person.
• Bake individual servings in a muffin tin for meal prep.
• Add chocolate chips or chocolate chunks for the most delicious banana-chocolate combination. It’s also amazing with some nutella drizzling on top.