Start the day off right with this healthy Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal. Making large casserole breakfasts is a great way to feed your family and be sure of leftovers for the days ahead! This easy healthy baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened with bananas, and topped with crunchy pecans and pepitas.
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A Healthy Breakfast Casserole
Trying to continually come up with healthy breakfasts to feed a family isn’t easy! If you’re looking to mix up your routine of eggs and cereal, this baked oatmeal is just the ticket.
A lot more fun than just a bowl of oats, this blueberry oatmeal bake is easy to put together, and feeds a crowd. This casserole will easily feed a family of 4 for 2 days. If you’re cooking for 2, you’ve got breakfast for most of the week!
This recipe layers juicy blueberries (I have them on hand frozen all year long!), oatmeal spiced with cinnamon, and a banana sweetened almond milk mixture. Put this casserole together in 10 minutes in the morning and pop it in to bake, or prep it the night before. It can even be baked the night before, and then the slices can be reheated as needed throughout the week.
We’ve loved this baked oatmeal so much, I am already dreaming of a pumpkin spice version!
If what you’re searching for is more of a dessert bake, jump on over to this recipe for Blueberry Crisp — also low in sugar!
3 Steps to Make a Healthy Baked Oatmeal
I love recipes like this oatmeal that use ingredients that most of us have on hand.
- Whole grain oatmeal ✔️
- Frozen blueberries ✔️
- Almond Milk, eggs, bananas and coconut oil ✔️
- Pecans and pumpkin seeds, or sub walnuts or chopped almonds ✔️
I rely on extra ripe bananas to sweeten this casserole. If you’re family typically sweetens their bowls of oatmeal, you’ll probably want to add a bit of the same sweetener here.
I’d rather keep it clean, and then allow everyone to add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup to taste. Not only does that allow for the option of no sweetener, but adding a drizzle of honey on top allows you to really taste the sweetener, meaning you can use less for the same sweet taste.
And I am all for coming up with ways to reduce added sugar!
To assemble this delicious oatmeal bake:
- Add blueberries across the bottom of a baking dish.
- Mix together oats, with a little sea salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, and then top the blueberries.
- Mash ripe, sweet bananas with eggs, almond milk and coconut oil, and then drizzle over the top.
Top with some extra blueberries and if you’d like, add some crunchy nuts and seeds to boost the protein and healthy fats, and add some great texture!
Feed a Crowd, or Prep for the Week
I am all about preparing healthy meals that make great grab-and-go options, and this one checks off all the boxes. While it needs 40 minutes to bake, the hands-on prep time is only about 10 minutes.
I usually have all of these ingredients on hand, and if I am missing on, it’s easy to make substitutions. If you’re missing:
- Blueberries: Add extra banana, or use another berry.
- Almond Milk: Use regular milk, or coconut, rice, or soy milk.
- Eggs: Make this vegan by using 2 tablespoons of flax meal or chia seeds. Simply mix the seeds into the banana and milk mixture.
- Pecans: The nuts are optional. You can also toss on chopped almonds or walnuts, and sunflower seeds would be great as well.
Once you have it put together, you can either bake right away, or cover with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight to bake in the morning.
After the healthy baked oatmeal is cooked, you can refrigerate it for up to 4 days, and reheat slices as needed.
This casserole also freezes well. Once it’s baked, freeze individual servings in air tight containers, and bring out to thaw and reheat as necessary.
If you’re on the hunt for gluten free breakfasts for a crowd, you might also love these Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls.
Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups blueberries reserve 1/2 cup for topping
- 2 1/2 cups oatmeal *certified gluten free, if necessary
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 bananas ripe
- 1 3/4 cup almond milk unsweetened, or milk of choice
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add 2 cups of blueberries to the bottom of a 11x11 square baking dish (or a 9x13).
- In a small bowl, mix together oatmeal, baking powder, sea salt, and cinnamon. Mix well, and then sprinkle over blueberries in baking dish.
- Using the same bowl, mash bananas. The more ripe your bananas are, the sweeter your oatmeal will be. If your family prefers sweetened oatmeal, you can add 2-3 tablespoons of the sweetener of choice in with the banana.
- Add eggs, almond milk, and coconut oil to the bananas, and stir together. Pour over the oatmeal mixture in the baking dish.
- Top with reserved 1/2 cup blueberries, and sprinkle with pecans and pumpkin seeds, or other desired nut or seed.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes.
- Serve hot, and drizzle with honey or maple syrup, if desired.
- Baked oatmeal can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or frozen in an airtight container for up to a couple of months. Reheat individual portions as needed.
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Nutrition
Other Make-Ahead Healthy Breakfast Recipes:
- Tomato Zoodle Frittata, by The Endless Meal
- Breakfast Broccoli Bake, by Cooktoria
- Sweet Potato Frittata, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Whole30 Frittata with a Potato Crust, by Sunkissed Kitchen
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Love it! What a great way to start a day!
Thanks Tania — I love this breakfast and it’s great for when there’s lots of family around!
Looks very pretty. What could you use as a banana substitute? I was wondering about a homemade applesauce?
Applesauce definitely would work in this recipe and be a great sub — however, bananas are sweeter than applesauce. I wouldn’t mind it being less sweet, but some people would. If you’d like, you can add a couple tablespoons of honey or other favorite sweetener to make up the difference.
This was very easy to make, and the result was delicious. I am really glad I came across this recipe. It will be a new breakfast staple in our house.
I’m thrilled to hear that! Thanks so much for letting me know. I just ate the last piece I had frozen from my last batch and I think it’s time for a new one!
What type of oatmeal did you use? Quick cook or normal? Thanks
It was regular oatmeal — but honestly, I bet both kinds would work! Good luck 🙂 Love this oatmeal.
This looks great. I can’t wait to try it. Can you make it the night before, leave in the fridge and bake in the morning? And even with frozen berries?
You absolutely can leave it overnight. I am not sure if the banana will turn dark — that’s what I would worry about more than the berries. Enjoy!
I just tried making this and I just have to say thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe. It was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again.
So glad you enjoyed it — thank you for letting me know, Mariam!
We really enjoyed this this morning! I only had one banana so I added 1/4 cup maple syrup and I made in a 9 x 9 dish. Thanks for posting!
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for letting me know. The maple syrup I am sure was wonderful!
What is the best way to reheat it?
I just microwave it for 45 seconds. If you don’t like to use a microwave, you could cover the dish with foil and bake it again for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!
Loved it but my banana almond milk mixture didn’t deep into the oats so I had to end up mixing it all together at the end which was a bummer. Not sure if it was because of the chia seed substitute or rolled oats. Will try it again mixing before hand next time!
Thanks for letting me know you tried this Erin! We love this easy breakfast. I’ve never had a problem with the oats cooking into the milk mixture but I also have never made it with chia seeds! I am sure mixing it together beforehand is a great solution.
What can I use instead of coconut oil? And do you need to melt the coconut oil?
Hi Courtney! You can sub any oil that you like — I prefer ones that have a neutral flavor, like grapeseed oil. You can also use melted butter. And yes, if you opt for coconut oil, melt it first. I live where it’s warm enough it’s always melted 🙂
I see it’s set to serve 9. What is the actual serving size?
Hi Shelley. I always make the casserole in a square pan and cut it 3 by 3! So I get 9 slices. I am not sure about the serving size if you’re asking weight or in cups.
Just made this for the first time. I thought it was very good. I’m just wondering what the consistency should be. I baked it for 45 minutes, but it looked too wet, so I left it in for another 10 min. , and then I turned the oven off and left it in 8 or 9 more minutes. I didn’t know if the inside should be totally dry, or still have some moistness. For my taste, I would like it drier, but I didn’t put it back in the oven because I figured it would dryout when reheating. I used a 10×10 corningware, and also a little more banana. My sweet tooth wanted the sugar, but my new diabetes diagnosis said NO. 🙂
One other question, if using frozen berries, should they be thawed first? In this instance, I used fresh on the bottom, and frozen on top because that’s what I had in the fridge. Thanks for a great breakfast,
or snack, idea.
I don’t thaw the berries first, just put them in frozen and it isn’t an issue! Mine ends up being pretty dry, not too wet at all. I imagine baking a little extra time or using a little additional oatmeal the next time would work.
Can I substitute the coconut oil with Greek Yoghurt or something else?
Absolutely! It’s not essential — greek yogurt, apple sauce, or even just some extra banana! Enjoy 🙂
Hi Michelle!
Did you cook the oatmeal first? Or just use the oats?
Just put in the raw oats! They will cook while baking.
Hi! Any ideas what to substitute the egg for to make the recipe vegan? Thanks!
Absolutely! I would use a chia or flax egg. You can use 1 tablespoon of whole chia seeds or 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal, soaked in 3 tablespoons of warm water (I let it soak for about 5 minutes until it “gels”), and then use that as a replacement for 1 egg. Let me know how that works! I’ve had other people just leave the egg out and said it was fine!
This looks so good! I love all the nuts and seeds add ins! What a great breakfast meal prep for the whole family!
Thanks for sharing! Can I use any other kind of oil?
Sure — avocado oil, melted butter, or even just some extra banana or applesauce are all good subs here!
This is so delicious. I used half raspberries and blueberries. It is sweet enough without adding any sugar. I had it for breakfast with plain Greek yogurt. Will definitely make this again.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! We are so used to our food being over sweetened that we lose the ability to enjoy the natural sweetness of foods! Cutting it out entirely is the best way to get our natural sense of tastes back — If you love healthier unsweetened treats like this I have tons to look through! Low sugar or no sugar, always here.
Just made this with mixed frozen berries and ground peanuts to sprinkle on top. Substituted coconut oil for rice bran oil. Came up beautifully, and my 9 month old polished off a big slice of it. My husband had it with a drizzle of maple syrup, so then my 3 year old wanted that too! Delicious and easy to throw together. I lined the tray with dry ingredients and prepared the wet ingredients separately. Put both in the fridge the night before and then did the last steps this morning. Easy peasy.
Thanks for your review! Such a delicious and healthy option.