What's For Breakfast: Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal


It appears that the banana theme from last week is still running strong over here, but let's just roll with it, shall we? When it comes to weekday breakfasts, I kind of just want to eat whatever is quickest to make -- a bowl of yogurt and granola or a bowl of 5-minute oatmeal easily fits that bill. When it comes to the weekend, I've got a bit more room to breathe, and will often take the time (after sleeping in, of course) to make a batch of hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, and if I'm feeling really wild and crazy, I'll even fry up a batch of bacon on the side.

On Sunday, I decided to give a recipe for baked oatmeal a try. I have had my eye on doing another baked oatmeal for awhile, and was thrilled with Tracy of Shutterbean posted the recipe for banana walnut baked oatmeal, which originates in the book Whole-Grain Mornings. I took a few liberties with the recipe by swapping out the nuts for different varieties (the recipe Tracy used calls for walnuts and sliced almonds), adding in a bit of shredded coconut, and swapping walnut oil for coconut oil.

Let me tell you, this banana nut baked oatmeal is delicious. The bananas get caramelized in the oven, lending a bananas foster-like flavor to the dish. The oatmeal bakes to a soft chew, the nuts add a bit of crunch, and the spices complement this dish's savory-sweet flavor well.

For me, the best part of this baked oatmeal dish is that it makes a lot -- meaning I have a ready-made breakfast for the upcoming workweek. Guess that means I can sneak in a few extra z's before it's time to get my day started. Yay!


Banana Nut Baked Oatmeal (printer-friendly version)
serves 6 to 8

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled
1 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted and cooled
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups organic skim milk
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup applesauce (I used a homemade chunkier kind, and it worked well)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2-3 teaspoons walnut oil (for drizzling), plus more for greasing the pan

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Add the chopped nuts in an even layer onto the baking sheet. Toast the nuts in the oven for 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of an 8x8 baking dish with walnut oil. Cover the bottom of the dish with sliced bananas (this should use up two bananas). Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, cooled nuts, shredded coconut, ground flaxseeds, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, buttermilk, applesauce, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold together quickly with a rubber spatula. Spoon the mixture evenly over the banana slices in the prepped baking dish. Top with the remaining banana slices. Drizzle with walnut oil.
6. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.
7. Serve with toppings such as additional cinnamon, brown sugar, dried fruit, or milk. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

(adapted from this Shutterbean recipe, which is adapted from a recipe in Whole-Grain Mornings)
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