Breakfast doesn’t get much easier than this peanut butter banana baked oatmeal! Whip up a batch and store it in the fridge or freezer for a quick and easy breakfast throughout the week! Great option for the whole family and perfect for meal prep! {Gluten-free, vegetarian & no-sugar added}
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Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
If you’re looking for the perfect healthy make-ahead breakfast, this Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal will be your new favourite recipe! It can be prepared at the beginning of the week in a matter of minutes and then you have breakfast for days.
This recipe is naturally sweetened with bananas so it contains no added sugar and is easily customizable. If you’re not a fan of the typical bowl of oatmeal, I highly recommend giving this stuff a shot.
Because it’s baked, it has a chewier cake-like consistency, so it’s even a hit with non-oatmeal lovers!
With its delicious texture and that mouthwatering banana oatmeal peanut butter combo, it’s one of those recipes that the whole family will love.
Not to mention, it’s perfect for meal prep and makes such a great grab and go breakfast for those crazy busy mornings (which is basically every morning, amirite?!)
That’s my kind of breakfast!
If you’re looking for other baked oatmeal recipes, be sure to check out this Chocolate Banana Baked Oatmeal or these 3-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars!
Why We Love These Peanut Butter Baked Oats
- Easy – This recipe can be prepared in less than 10 minutes before placing it in the oven to bake. It’s one of those breakfast dishes where you can easily memorize the ingredients list and make it on repeat — no recipe required!
- Make-ahead – This banana baked oatmeal can be made in advance and stored in the fridge or freezer, which basically means breakfast-on-demand. No more shuffling around in the cupboard trying to find that box of cereal or hovering over the stove to fry up an egg. It’s just sitting there waiting patiently in the fridge to be eaten.
- Portable – Unlike your typical bowl of oats, baked oatmeal is an easy grab and go option. Simply cut a slice and eat it like an oatmeal bar!
- Healthy option – Packed with fibre, protein and healthy fats, this banana oatmeal bake will keep you feeling full for hours! It’s also free of any added sugar since it’s naturally sweetened with banana, so it’s a great option for both little ones and adults!
- Kid-friendly – Most kids love peanut butter and banana and when it’s served up combined in a slice of chewy oatmeal, even better! This recipe is perfect for baby-led weaning and toddlers, and is also great for older children and teenagers who need a quick and easy bite to eat in the morning!
Ingredient Notes
- Oats – The oats form the base of this recipe and provide a muffin-like consistency when baked with the other ingredients. You can use large flake oats for a chewier texture or quick oats if you prefer a more cake-like consistency.
- Banana – Provides that natural sweetness so no added sugar is required. Use extra ripe bananas (those brown spotty ones are the best option for this recipe) since they are easier to mash and incorporate into the baked oatmeal mixture and also have a tendency to be sweeter.
- Peanut Butter – Adds a nutty flavour, moisture and some protein and healthy fats to the baked oatmeal. Use natural peanut butter for a healthier option with less processed ingredients. You can also sub in almond butter or your favourite nut or seed butter, if you require it to be nut-free.
- Milk – The milk adds moisture and some protein and calcium to the recipe. You can use regular milk or sub in a plant-based milk alternative to make it dairy-free.
- Cinnamon – Incorporates some extra flavour and antioxidants.
- Egg – The egg helps to bind the oat mixture together. You can also try replacing it with a chia or flax egg to make it a plant-based option.
How to Make Baked Oatmeal with Peanut Butter – Step By Step
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray an 8×8 square or 7 x 5 inch rectangular baking dish with cooking spray or use your preferred method to grease the pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the baked oatmeal with the exception of two of the bananas.
- Slice the remaining two bananas into quarter inch slices.
- On the bottom of the greased dish, evenly distribute half of the banana slices. Pour half of the oatmeal mixture over top and smooth out with a spatula.
- Next, evenly distribute the remaining banana slices on top of the oatmeal layer. Top with remaining oatmeal mixture.
- Place in the oven to bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- To serve, top with extra banana slices and a drizzle of peanut butter, if desired.
Tips for the Best Baked Oatmeal
- This baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened with banana and is not overly sweet on its own. If you prefer a sweeter oatmeal, I recommend adding the maple syrup to the recipe. If you do choose to use the maple syrup, you may need to increase the baking time slightly.
- To further enhance the sweetness, I suggest using overripe bananas (the brown spotty kind) to maximize the flavour.
- You can use either an 8×8 square or 7 x 5 inch rectangular baking dish for the purpose of this recipe. I’ve made this recipe in each of these types of baking dishes and it turned out equally good each time.
- Allow the oatmeal bake to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting it and removing it from the baking dish to allow it to firm up a bit. If it’s too warm when you cut it, it will have a mushier consistency.
Recipe FAQs
Can you freeze this baked oatmeal?
Definitely! Sometimes I even freeze it as soon as it’s cooled if I don’t have the fridge space to store it.
You can cut the baked oatmeal into pieces and freeze them in individual freezer bags if you’d like to take it for a quick pre-portioned breakfast or snack.
Alternatively, you can store them in a freezer-friendly container and separate each piece with parchment paper so that it doesn’t all stick together. Once again, totally flexible.
I recommend freezing it for no longer than 3 months, but I seriously doubt it will last that long.
To defrost: Allow it to defrost in the fridge overnight or pop it in the microwave until warmed through.
Can you make baked oatmeal ahead of time?
Yes, it’s a great option to make in advance! There are a couple of different ways you can go about doing it.
Option 1: You can either bake it and then reheat it right before serving it up. In this case, you would prepare the baked oatmeal as per the recipe directions. Then once it’s baked, allow it to cool, cover it and place it in the fridge .
To reheat: Remove the dish from fridge and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-20 minutes or until warmed through. For individual portions, you can reheat it in a toaster oven for 5-10 minutes or in the microwave for 30 seconds to one minute.
Option 2: You can prep the ingredients, but wait to bake until you’re ready to serve it up. In this case, combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Place the wet ingredients covered in the fridge until ready to bake.
When you’re ready to bake, mix together the wet ingredients and dry ingredients and continue on with steps 5-7.
Can you make this recipe vegan?
Yes, it’s totally customizable! Instead of the egg, you could sub in a chia or flax egg. To do so, combine one tablespoon of chia seeds or flax seeds with three tablespoons of water and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Then add it into the oatmeal mixture just like you would the egg!
I haven’t personally tried it myself without the egg, so if you do, please let me know how it works out in the comments below.
You can also use almond milk or your preferred milk alternative to make it plant-based.
Storage Guidelines
To store: This baked oatmeal recipe can be stored in the fridge covered for up to a week. You can either store it in the baking dish covered with saran wrap or cut it into pieces and store them in an air-tight container.
To freeze: Freeze slices in individual freezer bags or an air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Now this is the fun part because you can jazz up that slice of oatmeal however you’d like. Personally, I like to serve it warm with a drizzle of natural peanut butter and additional freshly sliced banana.
Expert tip: For easy drizzling, I recommend putting some peanut butter (preferably the natural drippy kind) into a medium-sized ziploc bag. Cut the corner off with scissors and using your hand, ease the peanut butter out of the hole and drizzle over the baked oatmeal. Pretty fancy, right?
Alternatively, you could serve it cold or at room temperature if that’s what floats your boat. It tastes good either way.
You could also top it with:
- Fresh berries
- Chia Seed Jam (or you could also try this low sugar strawberry jam)
- A little drizzle of maple syrup
- Chocolate chips
- A sprinkle of nuts (try peanuts or walnuts)
- Coconut
- Yogurt
Or serve it in a bowl with a splash of milk or along with this Banana Smoothie without Yogurt!
The options are really endless, so feel free to get creative!
Recipe Variations
- Use a different nut butter: Try almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter!
- Try different fruit: Add in some blueberries or strawberries for a burst of juiciness!
- Add chocolate: Try adding some chocolate chips to the mix. It tastes amazing with the peanut butter and banana combo. Or try these Chocolate Chip Baked Oats!
- To add extra fibre: Add some chia seeds or ground flax seeds.
- To make vegan: Sub in a chia or flax egg for the egg and use a plant-based milk alternative.
- To make nut-free: Use Wowbutter or Sunbutter instead of the peanut butter.
What Readers Are Saying
“This turned out delicious! I did strawberries on top since I have plenty in my fridge. This will be a Sunday morning staple.” – Molly
“I tried it! It came out really good!” – Lucia
“I decided to make individual servings with the muffin pan instead of using the square Pyrex. Topped them with sliced apples instead of peanut butter and they turned out delicious!” – Mary
“This was seriously so GOOD! It turned out amazing and tastes like banana bread. Definitely will make again :)” – Briana
“I didn’t have all the ingredients at home so I improvised!! The recipe is super healthy too! I cut mine into 4×4 for 16 pieces and for 2 pieces it’s only 177cals!” – Kyann
“This recipe is dangerous!!! So good!!! It was super easy to make. I eat oats everyday whether it’s oatmeal or an oatmeal bake. This recipe is easy for meal prep for at work breakfasts. I did not put a layer of banana on the bottom nor middle. Just on top, baked on. I also added ground flax seeds, and chia seeds for extra fibre. Would definitely make again, and recommend. I used a 9 x 13 baking pan. Baked at 350 for 30 minutes. Came out nice and moist.” – Kim
“Wow! This is really delicious!! And quick and easy to make too!!” – Jill
“This was so yummy! Added chia seeds on top :)” – Abby
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Carrot Cake Oatmeal Bars
- Healthy Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
- Healthy Baked Oatmeal with Apples
- Healthy Oatmeal Muffins
- Banana Protein Pancakes
- Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
- Protein Overnight Oats
- Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Baby Oatmeal Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats use gluten-free, if necessary
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups preferred milk*
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 4 very ripe bananas
Optional Add-ins:
- 1/4 cup maple syrup** if you prefer a sweeter baked oatmeal
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 inch square or 7×5 inch rectangular baking dish.
- Combine the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
- Next, add milk, egg, vanilla, peanut butter, and maple syrup (if using). Stir to combine.
- Mash two of the bananas and fold them into the oatmeal mixture. Slice the remaining two bananas into quarter inch slices.
- Place half of the sliced bananas across the bottom of the prepared dish. Spread half of the oatmeal mixture over the banana slices. Evenly distribute the remaining banana slices over the oatmeal layer. Pour the remaining oatmeal mixture over the second layer of sliced bananas and spread it around with a spoon or spatula until evenly distributed.
- Place in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- To serve, top with a drizzle of peanut butter and additional banana slices, if desired.
Notes
- This baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened with banana and is not overly sweet on its own. If you prefer a sweeter oatmeal, I recommend adding the maple syrup to the recipe. If you do choose to use the maple syrup, you may need to increase the baking time slightly.
- To further enhance the sweetness, I suggest using overripe bananas (the brown spotty kind) to maximize the flavour.
- You can use either an 8×8 square or 7 x 5 inch rectangular baking dish for the purpose of this recipe. I’ve made this recipe in each of these types of baking dishes and it turned out equally good each time.
- Allow the oatmeal bake to cool for at least 20 minutes before cutting it and removing it from the baking dish to allow it to firm up a bit. If it’s too warm when you cut it, it will have a mushier consistency.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in February 2019 and was updated January 2021 to include more helpful tips and photos.
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This recipe is delicious. We are a big baked oatmeal family and this recipe fit the bill for what to do with my sad bananas on the counter. I topped it with a honey-cream cheese-whipped cream topping for some extra fat and the kids gobbled it all up! I doubled it for a 9×13 pan so we can have leftovers for our family of 7. We will definitely add this to our rotation!
Ooh I love the idea of the honey cream cheese whipped topping…YUM!! That sounds awesome! I love how you modified the recipe to make it work for your family :)