Zucchini Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Baked oatmeal is a comforting and healthy make-ahead breakfast option for busy weeks and is great for a crowd! This zucchini-studded version is reminiscent of warm banana bread and is just slightly sweet.

How do we feel about baked oatmeal? Personally I’m such a big fan because as an oat-lover, this is the ultimate hack for making it even more convenient. Throw it together on Sunday night (or Monday morning) and re-heat it for the next few days. If you have yet to experience this coziness, now is the time. This recipe is simple and contains mostly pantry staple items.

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this healthy and totally delicious zucchini banana bread baked oatmeal:

• Rolled oats (not quick, not steel cut)
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon
• Salt (I use coarse sea salt almost exclusively in my recipes)
• Ground flax (my favorite flax is fine as powder and blends seamlessly!)
• Banana, an overripe brown/speckled one if possible
• Zucchini, shredded
• Milk (or plant-based alternative)
• Egg
• Vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil (or any neutral cooking oil)
• Brown sugar
• optional: walnuts, chocolate chips

How to Make Baked Oatmeal

Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, then combine them before transferring to a prepared pan. Less than 30 minutes in the oven and you’re all set to enjoy!

Note: in the past I’ve used a ceramic baking dish but now I prefer a square metal pan. I find it cooks faster and the edges get a little more browned and crispy.

How to Serve Baked Oatmeal

My favorite way to serve this is warm out of the oven. Let it cool just slightly so it’s fully set before digging in, then cut into nine squares. A drizzle of peanut butter and more sliced bananas makes this extra delicious and satisfying. You can you also add some chocolate chips to make it a little bit more indulgent!

More topping ideas:

• a dollop of plain whole milk Greek yogurt mixed with a bit of maple syrup and cinnamon, which mimics frosting
• nuts and seeds for more crunch
• seasonal fruit like berries or sliced peaches

Once you master this version, you can use the same basic recipe but switch up the zucchini for a different fruit or vegetable to mix things up. I’m already dreaming up a few more variations: carrot cake, apple cinnamon, or maybe something involving pumpkin.

What flavor combinations would you try?

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You might also like:

• Savory Zucchini Bread with Salted Honey Butter
• Espresso Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate
• Basic Banana Overnight Oats (+ 3 Flavor Variations)

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This post was originally published in September 2020. Recipe, content and photos were updated in June 2023.