This Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal is soft, sliceable, and lightly cakey, sweetened mainly by ripe bananas with chocolate chips mixed throughout. It’s made directly in the baking dish, so no clean up! It takes only 10 minutes to prepare and holds up well for meal prep.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-dish, low cleanup – everything gets mixed right in the baking dish
- Soft and lightly cakey – not dry, not crumbly, and easy to slice once cooled
- Sweet but not overly sweet – ripe bananas do most of the work, with chocolate chips mixed through
- Filling and satisfying – with healthy fats and oats being naturally high in soluble fiber, oats are a delicious, balanced breakfast. Read more on the benefits of oats for breakfast on Mayo Clinic.
- Great for meal prep – keeps well in the fridge and reheats without drying out
- Made with pantry staples – nothing unusual or hard to find
- Kid-approved – this is one people say their kids finish without complaining
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ripe bananas: Use very ripe bananas with brown spots. They provide most of the sweetness and moisture, and less-ripe bananas will make the baked oats taste flat and dry.
- Peanut butter: Runny, natural peanut butter works best. Very thick or dry peanut butter can make the texture dense, so if yours is stiff, warm it slightly before mixing. Can be substituted with Pumpkin Seed Butter or my Homemade Sunflower Seed Butter to make it nut-free.
- Rolled oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats give the best structure and texture. Quick oats can turn softer and more compact, and steel-cut oats will not cook through properly.
- Chocolate chips: Regular chocolate chips work well here and hold their shape during baking. Mini chips spread more evenly if you want chocolate in every bite.
- Milk: Any milk works, but using something unsweetened helps keep the sweetness balanced since the bananas and chocolate already do the heavy lifting. I like to use soy milk as I eat plant-based, and it’s a good vegan protein source.
Instructions
This recipe requires no-clean up! Everything gets mixed right in the baking dish. See just how easy it is here or jump to the recipe card for the full instructions.
Step One: Mash the bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth.
Step Two: Whisk in the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and peanut butter until combined.
Step Three: Stir in the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and flaxseed.
Step Four: Fold through the chocolate chips.
Step Five: Bake until set and lightly golden, then let cool slightly before slicing.
How to Know When Baked Oats Are Done
- Baked oats vary but generally, like in this recipe, they should be soft and lightly cakey, just sliceable, not firm like bars.
- The center should feel set but still tender when you take it out. It will firm up more as it cools.
- A toothpick may come out with a few moist flecks but it should not be completely coated in a sticky batter or runny. It should not be wet or runny.
- Don’t bake the oats until they feel completely firm in the oven, they will likely end up dry once cooled.
- For clean slices, let it cool before cutting. Warm slices are softer and may fall apart.
Storage
- Once cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They stay soft and hold together well for 4 days.
- These reheat easily in the microwave without drying out. Warm just until heated through.
- You can freeze individual slices for longer storage. Let them thaw in the fridge or reheat in the microwave from frozen.
Expert Tips
Let the baked oats cool before slicing – they firm up just enough so they won’t fall apart.
FAQ
Yes. These are meant to be soft and lightly cakey, not firm like bars or muffins. The center should feel set but tender, and it firms up more as it cools.
This usually happens if it’s sliced while still warm. Letting it cool is key. Once cooled, it holds together much better and cuts cleanly.
Yes. A smaller pan will make thicker baked oats that may need a little longer to bake. A larger pan will make them thinner and slightly firmer. Either works, just expect small texture changes.
Definitely. These keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days and reheat without drying out, which is why a lot of people (myself included) love baked oats for meal prep.
Yes. Slice after cooling, then freeze individual pieces. They thaw well and can be reheated gently for an easy breakfast or snack.
More Baked Oats Recipes
I have made so many oats recipes now, I’ve become kind of known for them on social media. I started off with my overnight oats like Chocolate Blended Oats and gooey Cookie Dough Oats. But now I’ve been sharing so many baked oats recipes which are great for the colder months. Some of my most popular baked oats recipes are my Lemon Blueberry Baked Oats, which taste a bit like cheesecake from the baked yogurt topping. Then there’s my viral my Chocolate Brownie Baked Oats with a protein yogurt frosting, or my dessert-style (but actually healthy) Tiramisu Baked Oats with a thick yogurt layer. If you’re craving something for fall or the holidays – there’s also my Pumpkin Pie Baked Oats which are lightly spiced and so satisfying.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out, so please leave a star rating or drop a comment below. For more recipe inspo, follow me on Instagram @glowdiaries___ and tag me if you share a photo, I try to reshare as many as I can to my stories 🙂
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 medium ripe bananas about 2 cups mashed
- 1½ cups unsweetened soy milk or milk of choice
- ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease or line an 8×8-inch baking dish.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas until smooth. Whisk in the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and peanut butter until well combined.
- Add the oats, flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir until the mixture is evenly combined.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.
- Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges start to pull away from the sides.
- Let cool for 5–10 minutes before slicing.
Leave a Reply