Baked Banana Cinnamon Oatmeal

with maple syrup

This baked banana oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup is such a comforting breakfast for cold and wintry mornings, and tastes similar to banana bread. I like to put a big dish of this in the oven before I take the dog out for his morning walk, and then when I return the kitchen smells incredible, with a warming breakfast ready and waiting. It takes 30-45 minutes in the oven (depending on how firm you like it), so can fit very well with a morning exercise routine or a read of the paper and a coffee at the weekend. Loosen with a little extra milk or almond milk to serve.

Top with seasonal fruits (fresh, roasted or poached all work well, whatever you fancy).

Provided that you use gluten-free certified oats, you can make this dish as a gluten-free option as well.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 large, ripe bananas
  • 1 medium egg, beaten
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon (plus extra to sprinkle)
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • grating of ground vanilla beans
  • 3 tbsp dark brown Demerara sugar (plus extra to sprinkle)
  • 150g rolled oats (or 110g rolled oats and 40g pinhead oats if you have them, for extra texture. Make sure you are using gluten-free certified oats if you want to make this as a gluten-free option)
  • 600ml milk or almond milk
  • sprinkling of dried coconut flakes, to serve
  • fresh or roasted seasonal fruits, to serve

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 170℃. In a bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas with the beaten egg. Add the maple syrup, salt and spices. I like to leave a few lumps of banana for texture, but you can make this as smooth as you like.

Pour the oats and sugar into an ovenproof dish of 15 x 24cm and combine. Add the banana mixture, and lastly the milk. Stir to ensure the ingredients are distributed evenly. Sprinkle a little extra Demerara sugar on top.

Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, until the liquid has mostly absorbed. Serve warm, with milk poured on top and extra maple syrup. Sprinkle with dried coconut or nuts for some extra crunch if you like, and fresh or roasted fruits.

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