Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

I'm a huge breakfast person. Not only do I need something decent in my stomach to make it till lunch, but I love most breakfast foods. And, good for me, I have developed a preference for healthy breakfast food. Good for you, I will be sharing tons of great guilt-free breakfast recipes here on the blog. 

My current breakfast obsession is baked oatmeal. If you have not heard of baked oatmeal, than you most definitely need to try it. Unlike a mushy porridgy goop you may imagine when you hear the name, baked oatmeal has more of a quick bread/muffin-y texture. It's served similar to regular boiled oatmeal, with milk and sometimes other toppings like raisins. It's still great without milk on top and some people prefer it this way. Being a recovered boxed cereal addict, though, I won't turn down the opportunity to eat any breakfast with milk on top!

I first learned of this amazing breakfast dish while working at Camp Tecumseh in Indiana in 2008. Baked oatmeal was served as one of the breakfasts for the campers. 

Wow.

It was love at first bite.

Camp T served basic baked oatmeal but I have since discovered and invented countless baked oatmeal recipes including soaked versions (for the Nourishing Traditions crowd), fruity versions, chocolaty versions, and many more. I've done a lot of experimenting as my standards are very high when it comes to this delectable breakfast. It has to taste amazing, be easy to prepare, and have healthy ingredients. (Click here for my Basic Baked Oatmeal recipe which is very similar to the kind I enjoyed at Camp Tecumseh.)

Since boxed breakfast cereal is actually pretty unhealthy (more on this later), I want to feed my family nutritious and economical alternatives. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. My baked oatmeal recipes are all fast to whip up, making it more realistic for you to serve your family this for breakfast, instead of reaching for a box of cereal.

So, without further ado, I give you the first baked oatmeal recipe; Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal.

I found this delicious recipe over at Alaska from Scratch, and it's one of the few baked oatmeal recipes (the only?) I have made that I felt was perfect as is, and did not need any adjustments.

Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

2 ripe bananas, sliced

3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen*

1 cup rolled oats**

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 egg

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish (I used a 9x9" pan).

Lay the bananas in a single layer on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the blueberries over the bananas. 

In a bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Sprinkle oat mixture over fruit.

Whisk together milk, egg, butter, syrup and vanilla, Pour over oats, coating evenly. Sprinkle remaining blueberries and nuts over the top.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden and bubbly and set in the center.

Serve with milk.

Preparation time: 7 minutes. Bake time: 35-45 minutes. Servings: 4.

* I used part frozen and part fresh blueberries. I had the frozen berries on the bottom and sprinkled the fresh ones on top. If I were using only frozen blueberries I probably would put them all on top of the bananas and not sprinkle any on top of the oats.

**I have successfully used old fashioned oats and quick oats interchangeably in most of my baked oatmeal recipes. Technically both old fashioned oats and quick oats are rolled (flattened). Steal cut oats are not rolled.

This recipe can be gluten-free by using certified gluten-free oats.

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