This Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal is the perfect make-ahead breakfast recipe! It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, & vegan-friendly with no refined sugar!
It’s back to school time…and us mommas have to figure out how to feed our tiny armies before their days full of learning and fun. Or, there are my college students out there who need to feed yourselves after a summer of mom’s home cooking…{way harder than it sounds, I know}! I {personally} am very excited to get back into our homeschooling routine! However, having healthy breakfasts on hand is a crucial part of starting every day the best we possibly can!
This Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal is the perfect make-ahead breakfast! It is ultra healthy, delivering a generous serving of fiber, protein, and healthy fats! Plus, it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan-friendly and has zero refined sugar! It can even be made peanut-free by subbing your favorite nut or seed butter! Really, this oatmeal can be all things to all people.
Not only is this Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal healthy & delicious, but it’s also incredibly easy to make! Mash and mix everything together, pop it in the oven, bake and you’re done! Taking 35 minutes to make a delicious breakfast that lasts most of the week is a no-brainer to me! 🙂
I very {very} rarely change up my morning breakfast routine. Usually it includes drinking this green smoothie and eating one of these bars. There are times, however, when I want to spice things up just a little {tiny} bit.
If you’ve seen my usual breakfast bars, then you may be wondering how on earth this Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal is different? It has many of the same ingredients and looks practically identical, but is completely and totally it’s own breakfast.
The differences: 1) The addition of almond milk and and egg (or chia seeds + water) makes this Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal super light and fluffy, instead of dense and chewy like the aforementioned bars. 2) This recipe is made to be eaten at the table, with a fork and a giant cup of coffee, instead of on-the go. 3) This Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal is better eaten warm (in my opinion) while the other bars are made to be eaten cold.
You see? It truly is it’s own recipe and would prefer not to constantly be compared with it’s big bother (thankyouverymuch).
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal: Substitutions
As always I get many questions about substitutions! So here are a few swaps you could make in order to ensure that this peanut butter banana baked oatmeal fits your dietary needs!
Quick Cooking Oats: I find this recipe tastes the best when quick-cooking oats are used! If you only keep old-fashioned oats on hand you can easily toss them in your blender or food processor and pulse to achieve the same texture as their quick-cooking counterparts and then proceed to use them in this recipe!
Peanut Butter: Any nut or seed butter can be used in place of peanut butter with fantastic results!
Maple Syrup: Honey or any other liquid sweetener of choice can be used in place of maple syrup! Please {I beg you} to only use pure maple syrup if that is your sweetener of choice!
Egg: As mentioned earlier a chia egg {1 TBS ground chia seeds mixed with 2 ½ TBS hot water} can be used in place of a regular egg to keep this peanut butter banana baked oatmeal vegan!
Almond milk: Any non-dairy milk can be used in place of almond milk! If you do not need to avoid dairy you may also use regular milk!
Watch how to make the recipe here!
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Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Recipe! The perfect make-ahead breakfast! Gluten-free, dairy-free, & vegan-friendly with no refined sugar!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 overripe bananas mashed
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg lightly beaten (Vegan: 1 TBS ground chia seeds mixed with 2 ½ TBS hot water)
- ¾ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
Topping:
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9” square baking pan and set aside.
- For Vegan Version: Mix 1 TBS ground chia seeds with 2 ½ TBS hot water. Set aside.
- In a small bowl mix together the quick cooking oats, baking powder, sea salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl mix mashed banana and peanut butter together until combined.
- Add in the vanilla extract, maple syrup and chia seed mixture or egg. Mix until combined.
- Add the almond milk and stir until batter is homogenous.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 9x9” baking pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Or until the top slightly springs back when touched and the edges are just barely brown!
- Melt the extra peanut butter and drizzle on top!
- Cut into squares and enjoy!
- Store in refrigerator, reheat in microwave or enjoy cold!
Are you a morning person? Are your kids morning people? As far back as I can remember I’ve always loved the early morning hours (probably because I adored school). I would usually spring out of bed like a pop tart and be excited for a fresh new day. Mornings were my favorite because I would always eat breakfast (the best meal of the day, of course) while watching TV before school…usually something awesome like Saved By The Bell {oh yes}! If I was extra tired, all my dad had to do to get me out of bed was threaten to “go get the ice.” Then he would proceed to jiggle the ice around in the freezer loud enough for me to hear it, causing me to LEAP out of bed and run into the shower. I hated being cold even more than being tired (still do).
My little sister on the other hand…has never been a morning person. I’m convinced she would skip mornings all together and just wake up at lunch time if it were socially acceptable for an adult woman to do so. My dad would threaten (and follow through) with many tactics to try to get her out of bed, and nothing worked. Finally, when there were 7 minutes left before she had to be at school, she’d roll out of bed, take a shower and get there on time. It was miraculous. I’m still amazed when I think about it.
I have high hopes that my kids will be morning people. They never {and I mean never} sleep past 7:30. We set a clock that turns yellow when they are allowed to come out of bed, and I can count on one hand the number of mornings they have slept past their wake-up time!
Looking for more make-ahead breakfasts? Try these:
Paleo Zucchini Banana Muffins ({freezer-friendly}!
Spinah Banana Muffins {freezer-friendly}!
Paleo Zucchini Breakfast Cookies {freezer-friendly}!
Zucchini Banana Oatmeal Pancakes {freezer-friendly}!
And many more in the “Breakfast” category in the recipe index!
Are you a morning person? Have you had seasons where it has changed? Are your kids morning people?
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Love the idea of baked oatmeal. So grab-n-go convenient!! And PB is so great in oatmeal. 😉
Agreed! I’m all about easy healthy breakfasts! Peanut butter makes everything better (in my humble opinion)! 😉
Mmmm! I love baked oatmeal. This flavor combination sounds dynamite 🙂 Thanks for sharing! I may try to use PB2 in place of actual PB and see how it tastes.
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OoOOo powdered peanut butter is delicious! You might need to increase the other wet ingredients (like almond milk)! If you give it a shot let me know how it goes!
I love the ease and simplicity of these bars! Such a delicious, nutritious option for busy weekday mornings (or heck, even for dessert!). The cherry on top is that peanut butter topping!
Thank you Jamie! Can never go wrong with a little extra PB drizzle (or chocolate for that matter….) 😉
Do not see the recipe for,the drizzle. Please share
Hey Linda! The drizzle is just melted peanut butter! 🙂
Ohhh I totally need to try this! I’m definitely a morning person, but our school ours changed this year so I’ll be getting up at 5:15 am every day (whomp whomp). Aka breakfasts like these are going to be my saving grace! Love it 🙂
Bummer that they changed your school hours! I’ve been waking up before 5 every day since high school…you can totally do it! (COFFEE)!
My kind of breakfast! I actually make one very similar to this because we love us some banana + peanut butter goodness – and oatmeal is a serious staple around here 🙂 As for me, was always a night owl but both jobs I’ve had since graduating college have required me to start by 6:30 a.m. so morning person it is now! My kiddos are too – they go to bed at 7 p.m. 🙂
It’s funny how we can adapt to be whatever life calls for us to be, right?! 7 PM bedtime sounds pretty awesome! Then you and your hubby have the whole evening to be together! Yay! Ours are usually in bed by 8 or 8:30! Especially in the summer if we want to go out and play or swim we need that extra time!
Ummmmmmm…. are we the same person? Peanut butter, banana, baked oatmeal – this is my kinda breakfast!
I am very much a morning person, however, I always have make ahead breakfasts as I’m super clumsy in the morning 😛
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I’m pretty convinced we’re food soul sisters! LOL amen to preparing for clumsiness! I just rather take a shower than cook in the morning (priorities)! 😉
Man I miss my mum’s cooking so much when I’m back at college and I actually love cooking. I really need to try baked oatmeal, I feel like I’m missing out. I can never be bothered switching the oven on that early in the morning though 😛
Hey Megan! I know how you feel! College food is pretty rotten! Do you live on campus or in a place where you can cook freely? My sophomore year I transferred to a school that was only about 8 miles from my home! On Saturdays I would run home (I ran cross country) and my dad would cook me a huge brunch, then drive me back! It was awesome. I always make this the day before so I don’t have to bake in the morning (because hello there are more important things to do…like sleep)!
Oh Laura I saw this on Instagram and just had to check out the recipe!! It looks absolutely delicious! And I love I can just precook it – wrap it up – and GO! So perfect!
Thank you Laurina! 🙂 Make-ahead breakfasts are the best! Every minute in the morning is precious, and being able to have breakfast ready is a must for me! 🙂
Peanut butter and banana are the best combo! I need to add this to my meal prep for sure.
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I couldn’t agree more…well except for maybe PB and chocolate! 😉
This oatmeal is absolute PERFECTION!!! Pinned 🙂
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Thank you Rachel!! 🙂 <3
Baked oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts to put together the night before and stick in the oven in the morning. I would love to make this, because peanut butter is my favorite.
I totally agree! I love having all the work done so the mornings are as easy as possible! 🙂
Oh my, I neeeeed this i my life! No better combo than peanut butter and banana!
They are just made to be together..right?! 🙂
Baked oatmeal is always a delicious option!
(O and yes, I am the BIGGEST morning person!)
YAY! Morning people unite!
These look amazingly delicious! hank you Laura for posting this recipe!
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We will really love this special treat!! Your recipe looks awesome and thanks so much for sharing it with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great day and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you Miz Helen! It really is a special and delicious breakfast!
This looks so tasty. I can’t wait to try this for my kids.
I have a hard time sharing this with my kids….#justbeinghonest
Stop it this looks sooooo good! I love oatmeal but have never done a baked oatmeal. It’s definitely on my list of recipes to make.
Thanks for sharing at the Shine Blog Hop!
Thank you Tiffany! I love baked oatmeal because it’s so fluffy! 🙂
This looks so scrumptious! Featuring on “Think Tank Thursday” this week! 🙂
Can I use gluten-free oats? Sounds delish.
Absolutely! If you click on “quick cooking oats” in blue it is a link that takes you to a gluten-free variety on amazon!
Okay. Can’t taste the peanut butter or banana very much. Will probably spread some peanut butter on top.
What kind of “frosting” did you use in the pictures? It looks like a delicious addition.
Hey Pat! That is just some peanut butter drizzled on top! 🙂
Does anyone know the nutrition information for this? Thanks! 🙂
Hey JF! I don’t include nutritional information, but you can use a website like this one here and put in the ingredients to figure it out!
I never have quick Oats on hand. Any idea how much liquid I should use for regular Oats?
I have used regular oats with the same ratio of ingredients. It will be more chewy than fluffy. You may need to bake a touch longer too! 🙂
So yummy! Do you know the calorie breakdown for these? I am trying to add it to myfitness pal. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Kim! I am sorry I don’t include calorie counts for my recipes! You can check out a site like this where you can enter the ingredients and it will tell you the nutritional information!
I’m sorry if someone has already asked this, but do you have the nutritional content for this recipe? 🙂
Hey Abbie! I do not include nutritional information for my recipes! But you can use this calculator to find out!
I am definitely making this tonight! I am a married college student and I have to wake up at 5:30 to make it to school on time. This would definitely be a time saver for me. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Michaela! I totally understand (I got married the summer before my senior year of college)! It’s hard to find time to do everything you need to do as a wife and student! Make-ahead breakfasts were definitely a lifesaver for me! I hope you enjoy this oatmeal as much as we do!
Made these this afternoon and they are great! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
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Thank you for the recipe, I just made this afternoon and I also added raspberry and turned out amazing. they are best.
Thank you again
Can I substitute normal dairy milk in for the almond milk? I don’t need it to be dairy, and I don’t have almond milk at home.
You absolutely can substitute regular milk! Any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk works beautifully in this recipe! 🙂
This seems super easy and yummy! My boys BEG for oatmeal almost every morning and I think the combination of peanut butter and banana would be a smash hit for them. They would eat only banana if they could – haha! Great post, I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you Jess! This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes! 🙂 I hope your boys love it!
Can I substitute honey for the maple syrup, I just do not have any at home.
Yes absolutely you can!
This looks so yummy! I live in a place where we don’t have access to maple syrup and almonds/almond milk. Do you have any suggestions for possible substitutes for each of these? Could you use honey in place of maple syrup and regular cow’s milk in place of almond milk? Thanks
Yes! Those are absolutely perfect and delicious substitutions!
I substituted mostly brown rice syrup and only a tiny bit of maple syrup for flavoring.
I only have steel cut oats on hand, would there be any adjustments I need to make?
I do not recommend using steel cut oats in this recipe!
4 servings is 367 calories, 6 servings 244! Picture shows 9 servings, so at the end of the day, very low calorie.
Thank you Christine!
I made these yesterday night, doubled the recipe, they turned out so good! I’ll keep that recipe for sure 🙂
Thank you so much Camille! It means so much to me when readers stop by and tell me how they enjoyed a recipe! I just ate some of this for breakfast today too…. 😉
I’m trying this as a dessert and adding chocolate chips and melted chocolate on top, should be ok since all three work well together
OOooOo what a great idea! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This is absolutely delicious, and so easy to make !! Hard to believe that it is a healthy breakfast! Definitely adding it to the rotation. Thanks!
I really want to try this but the recipe isn’t showing up 🙁 any suggestions
Hey Emily! I am so sorry! I am working on overhauling my site as we speak. The recipe should be back up
Have you tried making a few batches and maybe freezing into bars? Does it work okay? I really need to find some gluten-free breakfasts that I can make ahead.
Yes! This recipe freezes and reheats really well!
what is drizzled of the top?
Just some melted peanut butter! 🙂 I drizzled it on there after baking!
Such a great recipe. Thanks a bunch!
I did a PB and J rendition of this and added melted jelly on top! Delicious!!!
Oh my WORD Amanda that sounds AMAZING! Seriously going to add some jelly to ours next time I whip up a batch! Genius!
I loved these! I even left out the maple syrup to make it completely sugar free. The bananas make it sweet enough.
Yummy!! Lol… These were delicious and very filling! I made them for myself and my picky, oatmeal loving 2 yr old. I used honey instead of maple syrup and crunchy peanut butter. Made exactly as recipe but I topped with apple butter. Mmmm… 🙂 Great combo. I also added in wheatgerm for extra nutrients. (Has no real taste- very mild). The calories are about 237 without my additions (wheatgerm/apple butter) and without the peanut butter drizzle. Hope this helps someone. I will be making this regularly!
LOVE this recipe! I had my husband and kids make it for Mother’s day this year and they have asked for it every morning since! Now they are requesting mini chocolate chips be added!
YAY Cherie I’m so glad you all loved it! And major points to your hubby and kids for making you breakfast! 🙂 Mini chocolate chips is a genius idea!
Came back to make these again. I’ll have to check out some of your other recipes. It all looks so good! 🙂 BTW there is a typo at the bottom of the recipe where it says spinach muffins. It actually says “spinah banana muffins”. 😉
Made this twice! LOVE IT 🙂
I made this and it was great!!! In addition to baking it in the suggested pan, I also tried baking it in a muffin tin and it was a success.
Do you think I could use old fashioned oats in this recipe?
Hey Susan! You absolutely can use old fashioned oats! I have done it in the past. Your bake time will be a little longer and the texture will be chewier…but it still tastes awesome!
Could steel cut oats be used??
Hey Maria! I do not recommend using steel cut oats. But old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats work great!
Does anyone know how many servings this dish has so I can put it in my fitness pal?
Ahhh Laura this looks Delish!!! I want it all!
Can the chia seeds be omitted? My daughter just does not digest them well.
How long could I keep these frozen after baking?
These look bloody amazing
..wish I had some bananas in
I made this for my toddler this weekend with almond butter in place of the peanut butter and brown sugar in place of the maple syrup since I didn’t have any on hand. It is delicious and my son loves it!
Can these be put in the freezer?
Mine came out with a bit of a moist spongy texture (perhaps from the banana?). Not sure if it was suppose to do this, or if something went wrong,
Just made these and they are one of my favorite versions of baked oatmeal hands down. Thank you
Thank you Frances!! I’m SO glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I did not add the peanut butter on top and it was still good. Next time I might add blueberries to up the “completeness” of it as a breakfast (fat, fruit, protein!) and put more cinnamon in. But thanks, this is a keeper!
Adding blueberries sounds delicious!
This is great!
I used liquid stevia drops (about 6) in place of the maple syrup and used the “chia egg”.
It didn’t rise quiet like yours but it is fabulous. Not too sweet, perfect cinnamon flavor.
Thanks! ♥
Could you tell me the nutrition facts for the Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal bars are?
Hey Susan! I went ahead and added the nutritional information for the oatmeal when it is cut into 9 bars!
Made this for my breakfast this morning. It was delicious! So simple and a really good texture. I left off the topping to cut calories. I might pb 2 for even fewer calories.