The most delicious, naturally-sweetened banana oatmeal in mini loaf sizes with dark chocolate and blueberry toppings. Freezer-friendly and only has 8 ingredients which make this your ultimate healthy meal-prep recipe!
I made this for my son’s lunchbox this week and it’s a sure hit! He finished one loaf in minutes and said it was delicious! I thought it’s going to taste bland with the absence of any sweetener but in fact it had the perfect sweetness to it with the natural sugars from the bananas and the toppings.
BEFORE WE START, A FEW NOTES ON THIS RECIPE:
- USE VERY RIPE BANANAS. You know, the ones with the brown spots on them which you almost want to throw into the bin? That’s what you want. Those are sweeter and the natural sugars will caramelize when baked, giving this mini loaves the right sweetness. Don’t have ripe bananas? You can also pop the bananas into the oven for a few minutes until they’re a little browned or grill them to get that caramelization going.
- ROLLED OATS. Also known as your old-fashioned or traditional oats which is the flatter, round disc shaped. If you use instant oats in this recipe, the baking time will be less and the texture of the loaf will be different.
- ALMOND FLOUR IS OPTIONAL, BUT RECOMMENDED. You can totally skip this, and just add a half cup of more rolled oats into the recipe. I purposefully added almond flour to give it a nutty taste which goes well with bananas. Almond flour is just ground almonds which also adds more nutrients to this recipe–fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
- IT’S ALL ABOUT THE TOPPINGS. I used dark chocolate chips and fresh blueberries. You can also go for walnuts, macadamias, sultanas, dried cranberries, sultanas, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds. Go crazy with it, the options are endless.
- VEGAN/ GLUTEN-FREE OPTION. There’s egg in this recipe, but if you want it to be vegan, just sub the eggs with a flax egg by mixing 1 tablespoon of flaxmeal (ground flaxseeds) + 2.5 tablespoons of water, for every egg needed. Stir together in a small bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes or until it thickens. And for the flour, you can choose wheat-free oats which are readily available in local supermarkets or online.
HOW TO MAKE THIS BAKED BANANA OATMEAL MINI LOAF?
- MASH the bananas and don’t worry if there are chunks left in them. It gives the loaf a really chunky texture. Mix the eggs or flax eggs if vegan, and milk.
- WHISK the oats, almond flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisking it well ensures the baking powder gets mixed through and the loaves rise evenly.
- COMBINE the dry into the wet ingredients. Stir gently until it’s well incorporated. Don’t overmix so they come out fluffy.
- POUR into the greased mini loaf pan and top with your choice of toppings. Make sure to grease the pan well so it’s easier to take out the loaves.
CAN I FREEZE THESE?
Absolutely! I usually place them in a freezer-friendly air-tight container (in a single layer so they don’t stick together), and pop them into the oven to reheat. But they can be chilled for up to 5 days in the fridge. I doubt though it would last that long in my house!
IF I DON’T HAVE A MINI LOAF PAN…
Don’t fret love! You can also use a 12-cup regular-sized muffin tray, but the baking time might be reduced to around 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye on your oven so they don’t burn. You can get my mini-loaf pan online or you can try in your local shops like Spotlight.
I love to pair these mini-loaves with almond butter or even just plain butter. These are delicious for breakfast or for an afternoon tea break with some hot tea or foamy mocha latté. And that’s something I’ll have after posting this recipe!
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe bananas (heaping 1 cup), mashed
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour or almond meal
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk or your milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Toppings
- dark chocolate chips
- fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees F. Spray a mini loaf pan with baking spray. You can also use a 12-cup regular-sized muffin tray.
- In a large bowl, mash the bananas using a potato masher or a fork. It's okay if there are chunks of bananas left as these give the loaves a great texture. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and whisk until well incorporated.
- In another bowl, whisk together the oats, almond meal, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well for the baking powder to spread throughout the mixture as this makes the loaves rise evenly. Combine the dry ingredients into the wet and gently stir until mixed together. Scoop the batter into each of the mini-loaf pans, and then top with your toppings of choice.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is browned and the toppings are melted and bubbly. I turn the pan halfway through so the loaves cook evenly. If using a muffin cup tray, reduce the baking time to about 5 minutes. You can also insert a toothpick in the middle and when it comes out clean, it's done. Once cooked, let it cool on the wire rack for 5-7 minutes and then using a spatula gently take them out of the pan and let it continue to cool on the rack. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for longer storage. To serve, smear with some nut butter while warm.
Notes
If you love banana baked treats, be sure to check the other favorites!
And if you ever make this baked banana oatmeal mini loaf, be sure to tag me over at Instagram @fitfoodiemommy and use hashtag #FitFoodieMommy so I can see your recreations. With that, let me leave you with this sliced loaf to convince you to make it! 🙂
xx,
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