Baked Banana Bread Oats With Chocolate Topping
I love making baked oats, because it feels a bit like baking a cake for breakfast. The texture is satisfying, and the flavours develop differently from cooking oatmeal in a pan. They keep well in the fridge too.
I do enjoy the process of gently tending to oats in a pan, stirring them and watching the individual oats gradually merge into each other. With baked oats, I instead get to enjoy a cosy, mouthwatering smell wafting from the oven as I go about my other morning to-dos.
If you’re cooking breakfast for a group or a special occasion, it doesn’t take much to give these oats a bit of decorative wow factor.
As is the case with most of my recipes, you can play around with the ingredients and use what you have to hand. Nuts and seeds can all be swapped without serious consequence. You may even improve the recipe — let me know!
Ingredients
For the Oats
1 banana
1 apple
2 tbsp chia
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 banana chopped into chunks
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cup oats
1.5 tsp baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
For the Swirly Topping
3 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp cocoa
1/4 c dates, packed
1/2 cup milk
Pinch of salt
Method
Preheat oven to 180C/170C fan/350F/GM4
Massage the banana in its skin to soften. Transfer it to a bowl and mash into a purée.
Blend apple, milk & chia until smooth and gloopy.
Add this to the mashed banana then add the 1/2 cup of water to the blender to rinse it out. Add that too. Mix really well until combined
Add raisins, pumpkin seeds, chopped banana, cinnamon and mix.
Stir in oats baking powder and pinch of salt and set aside.
Make the chocolate spread: Add dates, almond butter, cocoa, 1/2 cup milk and pinch of salt to the blender. Blend into a smooth creamy spread. If it’s really thick, add an extra tablespoon of milk and mix that in.
Transfer the oat mixture to a square baking dish and smooth out the surface.
Add dollops of the chocolate mixture randomly over the top and use the end of a teaspoon so make swirls and C shapes. Use your creative licence to create a beautiful swirly piece of art! Keep going until you’ve used up all the chocolate.
Add a final sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. By this time the mixture should have puffed up a bit and the chocolate will be matte instead of shiny.
If you can, let your baked oats sit for at least 15 mins to firm up a bit. They’ll get more cakey. Store leftovers in the fridge. Delicious cold! Otherwise reheat in the oven the next day.
Swirly Chocolate Baked Oats
Prep: 15 min | Cook: 25–30 min | Total: ~45 min | Serves 6
Ingredients
For the oats- 1 banana
- 1 apple
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds (plus extra to top)
- 1 banana, chopped
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1½ cups oats
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- Pinch of sea salt
- 3 tbsp almond butter
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ cup dates, packed
- ½ cup milk
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 170°C fan / 350°F / Gas 4.
- Massage the banana in its skin, then mash into a purée.
- Blend apple, milk, and chia until smooth and gloopy.
- Add to banana, then rinse blender with the water and add that too. Mix well.
- Stir in raisins, pumpkin seeds, chopped banana, and cinnamon.
- Add oats, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Blend all swirl ingredients until smooth and creamy.
- Transfer oats to a square baking dish and smooth the surface.
- Dollop chocolate over the top and swirl with a teaspoon.
- Sprinkle with extra pumpkin seeds.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until puffed and the chocolate is matte.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- These firm up as they cool and become more cake-like.
- Store leftovers in the fridge.
- Delicious cold or reheated the next day.