By All made in the same pan it's baked in, these banana bread baked oats are packed with 20 grams of protein without protein powder. It's also rich in fiber and is always a hit with the family. Enjoy it for Sunday breakfast or make it for meal prep.
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Breakfast is the best meal of the day. Hands down! My favorite activity is doing breakfast playdates because kids are just in better moods in the morning, and making nourishing, high-protein meal prep breakfast recipes is easy and always a hit.
One pan banana bread baked oats are the perfect example of that. You literally mix the ingredients in a baking dish, bake it, and that's it! So when I don't feel like making full-on banana bread bites, you can find me making banana bread baked oat!
Jump to:
let's quickly ripen those unripe bananas
Super duper ripe bananas are key! They should be very brown and speckled - the more brown, the sweeter they are. If yours aren't brown yet, though, you can speed up the process by either baking them with the skin on for 10 minutes or microwaving them for a minute or so. Both will ripen them quickly, producing super-ripe bananas.
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Rolled Oats: These are a great source of fiber and protein. Don't use instant oats or steel-cut here; the texture will be too mushy. Old-fashioned or quick-rolled work just fine. Oat lovers need to check out our full list of protein oat recipes!
- Egg Whites: Add protein and help bind the oatmeal together without that eggy taste. Whole eggs can be used, but they will taste eggy, so I recommend using a flax egg as a replacement.
- Chia seeds and hemp hearts: If you don't have one of these, they are interchangeable, or you can swap for flaxseeds. We love these for our healthy banana bread baked oats!
- Banana: Make sure these are nice and ripe! If they aren't, no worries! Just microwave them (in the skin) for a minute or two, and they sweeten right up. Have too many overripe bananas? Use them to make this 3 ingredient chocolate banana mug cake!
- Milk: Adds moisture and creaminess. You can use dairy milk or any plant-based milk you prefer (almond, soy, oat, all work well). Soy is our preferred plant-based option because it's comparable in protein to cow's milk.
- Coconut Sugar: You can substitute with brown sugar or maple syrup (or the sugar-free versions) if you prefer, though it might slightly change the flavor and moisture.
- Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon: Do I need to explain these??
- Chocolate Chips and pecans: Because a little chocolate makes everything better! Use semi-sweet, dark, or even milk chocolate chips (or sugar-free) based on your preference. Pecans add a crunch, but I wouldn't use walnuts as a nut swap. They are much more bitter.
- Salt: Don't let your baked oatmeal be bland by leaving out the salt!!
- Plain Non-Fat Greek Yogurt (for serving): Adds an extra protein kick and is perfect for serving. I like to mix it with a bit of maple syrup to use as a topping, and it makes an almost glaze effect. Check out our full list of ideas for using Greek yogurt for breakfast!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: egg whites
Egg whites are a protein powerhouse in these banana bread protein baked oats with 26 grams per cup. But the real magic is that they don't taste like anything! This makes it my ideal choice for baked goods when I want to pack in the protein without that egg taste (like in cottage cheese cinnamon rolls). They are also very low in fat, which is great for balancing macros with a recipe like this that gets a lot of healthy fats from hemp seeds.
here's how to nail banana bread baked oats
- Pick the right size dish: I like to use a 9x9 square casserole dish, but a round dish works too.
- Leave out the mix-ins at first: After mixing everything else, stir in the chocolate chips and pecans so they can stay suspended and not sink to the bottom.
- Don't overbake it: We want these oats tender and soft, not dry and chewy.
quick recipe video
banana bread baked oats for one?
If you want to make this a single-serve recipe, simply divide it by 4 (or use the slide bar on the recipe card to do it for you). The bake time will depend on how thick your baking dish is. If you're using a glass Pyrex meal prep container (for example) that is about the same thickness as a casserole dish so the bake time will be 20-25 minutes. If it's much thinner, bake for less time.
troubleshooting & testing notes
the more banana, the better
Initially, I tested this recipe with one banana, and it was good, but with two, it really screams banana bread! So use two bananas.
how to store & meal prep it
This is the perfect dish to meal prep!
- Fridge: Keep it covered or in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. For meal prep, I like to keep the yogurt topping separate and portion out the slices in individual containers.
- Freezer: Wrap it in plastic wrap (can be done with individual slices) and then place it in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. It'll keep for 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheating: Reheat them in the microwave or oven. If frozen, let thaw first or add 1 minute to your microwave reheat time.
have more bananas going bad?
Recipe
banana bread baked oats (20 grams of protein!)
Ingredients
- 1 cups rolled oats (quick or old-fashioned work)
- ½ cup egg whites (or flaxeggs (see notes))
- 2 tsbp chia seeds (or flaxseeds or hemp seeds)
- 2 tablespoon hemp seeds (hulled hemp hearts or chia seeds or flax seeds)
- ¾ cups mashed banana (2 ripe bananas, see notes for ripening quickly)
- ½ cup milk (soy or cow's preffered)
- 1 tbsps coconut sugar (or brown sugar or maple syrup)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cups Greek yogurt (plain, non-fat)
Topping
- ¾ cups Greek yogurt (plain, non-fat)
- maple syrup (whatever your heart desires!)
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a 9x9 baking dish, mash your 2 bananas to create ¾ cups mashed banana. Then add the 1 cups rolled oats, ½ cup egg whites, 2 tsbp chia seeds, 2 tablespoon hemp seeds, ½ cup milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tbsps coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ¾ cups Greek yogurt and mix well. Then stir in the ¼ cup chocolate chips and ¼ cup chopped pecans.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is set and the edges are golden brown. Let cool a bit, then slice into 4 pieces and top with ¾ cups Greek yogurt and maple syrup as desired.
Video
Notes
If you want to make this a single-serve recipe, simply divide it by 4 (or use the slide bar on the recipe card to do it for you). The bake time will depend on how thick your baking dish is. If you're using a glass Pyrex meal prep container (for example) that is about the same thickness as a casserole dish so the bake time will be 20-25 minutes. If it's much thinner, bake for less time. Storage Fridge: Keep it covered or in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. For meal prep, I like to keep the yogurt topping separate and portion out the slices in individual containers. Freezer: Wrap it in plastic wrap (can be done with individual slices) and then place it in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. It'll keep for 3 months in the freezer. Reheating: Reheat them in the microwave or oven. If frozen, let thaw first or add 1 minute to your microwave reheat time.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Delicious! Thanks for such an easy and nutritious breakfast recipe. I added a little stevia to the mix as my husband like things a little sweeter. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. I used the flax egg substitute since I didn't have any egg whites. Will definitely make again!
Love that swap! So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
Scrumptious! The bananas add and coconut sugar add a nice balance of not-so-sweet flavor. The pecans add the crunch. Served with vanilla yogurt and a drizzle of dark chocolate and maple syrup on top was delightful. With that said, my husband has a sweet tooth. Not sweet enough for him.
Happy you enjoyed it! I get it ha!
My love of these baked oatmeal’s started with the apple one and I tried this version this morning and also love it! (Though the apple recipe may always have my heart). I omitted the pecans just because my toddler also eats this with me and I’m not sure she’d be up for the crunch. These are so great to have ready to go breakfasts in the morning that are healthy and a better source of protein than other baked goods.
Searched for a high protein recipe to use up a few bananas and this was perfect and very tasty. Thank you!
That's awesome to hear!
Excelent! Quik and easy. I finally foud a baked oats recipe without protein power (makes me feel sick), and it's great. Only change I made was adding 1 tsp. of baking powder as I like them fluffier.
So happy to hear that!