Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

What is better than a warm steaming bowl of oats in the morning?  and packing an impressive amount of fibre and nutrition in with just one bowl what better way to start your morning! Oatmeal is a whole grain, and eating whole grains everyday can lower your risk for several diseases, including high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes! It can also aid in lowering high cholestorol!

Oats are one of the most versatile breakfast foods around, there are hundreds of different ways to cook and serve this super healthy grain! Baking oats is the perfect way to still get your oatmeal fix whilst also getting in extra protein and nutrients!

When buying oats ensure the only ingredient on the pack is whole grain oats! Avoid the pre-packaged and flavoured oats as they are bound to be high in sugar and sodium, have fun flavouring your own with fresh fruits, nuts and seeds instead!

This recipe has become a regular in my morning routine as it is just so simple but so yummy! It also keeps me full up until lunch! These are banana bread flavoured oats, but there are so many other ways you could change it up! Adding some raw cacao powder, dark chocolate chips, any type of fruit, the possibilities are endless! This recipe may also be made vegan/vegetarian by substituting the egg for a flax egg or other egg substitute.

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

• one medium ripe banana
• 1/4 cup almond or other nut milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• tsp cinnamon
• 1 tblsp chia seed
• 1 tblsp flax seed (optional)
• small handfull nuts of choice eg. almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts…
• coconut sugar

1. Preheat oven to 160°C
2. Mash 3/4 of banana in bowl
3. Add milk and egg to mashed banana and mix thoroughly
4. Add oats, baking powder, cinnamon, chia, flax and nuts to wet mixture and stir to combine
5. Pour into small ramekins- top with the last 1/4 of your banana slices and a sprinkle of coconut sugar on top
6. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes
7. Eat! I serve mine with a generous dollop of peanut butter on top!