Look! Up on the counter! Is it cereal? Is it a casserole? No, it’s Berry Banana Baked Oatmeal ! This nutritious, cozy breakfast is nourishing, vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and mostly sweetened with fruit.
If you’ve ever thought it would be great to have the crispy golden edges of an oatmeal cookie in your morning bowl of oatmeal, I have the solution: baked oatmeal. It’s exactly that, a quick and straightforward combination of oats, fruits, a bit of sweetener, milk, and any other flavor enhancers that make your mornings brighter (umm, vanilla and cardamom please…).
Bake it. Eat it. Love it.
You can play around with a wide variety of fruits, fresh, frozen, dried, or a combination. As we stretch into fall, consider chopped apples and pears, or perhaps stir in some pumpkin puree and dried cranberries. But since we are getting the last push of summer berries at the grocery store, it was straightforward to settle on my berry-banana combination for this introductory venture.
You may have seen baked oatmeal recipes with eggs, but you’ll be happy to now that you don’t need them. Egg replacers are not necessary either. It only takes one time making (or cleaning up) a batch of oatmeal that oats have built-in binding power.
To speed along the baking process (because I am impatient, especially in the morning, even more so in the morning before coffee has taken its full effect), I begin by mixing the oats with boiling water and letting them stand for 10 minutes to soften. In addition to overall acceleration, this also leads to creamier baked oatmeal: after standing, the oats are given a stir, which helps them to break down and become creamy.
Crisp golden edges + a creamy center = morning comfort & joy.
Bananas add even more creaminess (apparently I have a thing for creamy oats!), breaing down and blendeing with the oats as they bake. They also add natural sweetness. I found I only needed about 3 tablespoons of maple syrup, but you can adjust according to taste and preference.
Oats are a reliable food for the beginning of the day for reasons beyond satisfying comfort and all-morning-long satisfaction. They are also high in protein, contain essential fats and are rich in minerals, including zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron.
If you started the morning with a long run or other workout, the potassium from the bananas are exactly what you need.
Last, the berries are more than gorgeous, juicy accessories: they are high in vitamin C, which assists in the absorption of iron (in the oats). The vitamin C will help keep your skin glowing, too. Pretty impressive for a humble bowl of oatmeal.
Happy eating, everyone!
Berry Banana Baked Oatmeal (Vegan, Oil-free, GF)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2.25 cups old-fashioned rolled oats certified GF, if needed
- 2.25 cups boiling water
- 2 medium firm-ripe bananas , peeled and sliced crosswise
- 1 cup nondairy milk I used plain almond milk
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom optional
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
- 1.5 cups assorted berries e.g., blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190C). Grease (I used coconut oil ) or spry a 2-quart casserole dish.
- In a large bowl , stir together the oats and boiling water. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, line the bottom of the baking dish with the bananas, overlapping as needed..
- Add the milk, maple syrup , vanilla, cardamom (if using( and salt to oats, stirring until blended. Gently stir in half of the berries. Spoon oats into prepared pan and top with remaining berries and walnuts, if using.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on wire rack at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled oatmeal, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Rewarm individual portions in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH for 45 to 60 seconds until warmed through.
