Baked Banana Oatmeal

I love bananas.

Not only are they amazing when they are perfectly ripe, but they are so versatile. When they are browning you can make this recipe, you can make banana bread, banana cake, you can caramelise them, you can put them in brownies, they are great in fruit salads. 

I love my mother's banana cake for an easy treat. I make low fat banana bread when I want a guilt-free treat. And I love caramelised bananas and fresh strawberries topped with cinammon and honey on fresh ricotta and homemade bread (like my Irish Soda Bread). But this breakfast - its super easy, you can shower and pack your lunch in the time it takes to bake, and it is perfect on cold mornings. 

I can't believe March is almost over. The mornings and nights are starting to get cool; the wind is chilly and I can't wear thongs every day anymore. I'm still adapting to this weather - I'm used to consistently hot weather, with a few cold weeks in winter, and so living in a place which is actually seasonal (if only slightly) is weird. That also means it is almost Easter. My roomates and I are celebrating this Sunday - I can't wait. I have bought them some really cute presents, and I am planning on spending most of the day in the kitchen to get everything just right.

I will definitely need to do some cardio next week after this. I've been so lazy this week - I've just done pilates and then nothing for the past two days because I got so busy. I need to make more time in my life to exercise - I am really missing it. And my abs are killing me - I need to take a break from core work. 

So this breakfast - amazing on cold mornings, and I do love it after a morning run. 

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Average Cost: $

Main Ingredients: banana, oats

Recipe adapted from: Chocolate Covered Katie

Occasion: Breakfast, but I won’t tell if you eat it for dinner

Menu Options: This recipe is so basic, you could simply add whatever you like. I like adding a tablespoon of peanut butter and a handful of dark chocolate chips before baking. The chocolate melts slightly in your mouth and the peanut butter adds an extra kick. Or you could add the peanut butter afterwards – I drizzle mine with honey because I have a killer sweet tooth, but I have also added peanut butter, and it was delicious. You could add other fruits, either after the oatmeal is baked or before, instead of banana. Feel free to add cinnamon, vanilla or other spices (I sometimes add ½ tsp cinnamon and ½ tsp vanilla). I also sprinkle the top of mine with coconut before baking. This is just a simple recipe to which you can add whatever you feel like.

Serves 1 - also, while the calorie count may seem like a lot, it is incredibly filling - you won't need to eat for hours! 

What you need:

-          1 banana

-          ½ cup oats (this is based off the recommended serving – ½ cup oats for one serve, so simply add another ½ cup if you are making this for others)

-          3 tbsp milk – I use low fat

-          3 tbsp honey

What to do:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

Mash the banana in a bowl.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined – it will just look like a bowl of chunky oatmeal.

Grease a ramekin (mine is 10 cm in diameter) well – I use coconut oil as it adds a sweet flavour to the outside of the oatmeal. Place the mix into the ramekin and pat down with a spoon so the mixture forms perfectly around the ramekin.

Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes. You can eat it straight from the ramekin, but if you’re serving this at brunch, which is definitely something you should consider, given it so easy yet so delicious, flip the baked oatmeal onto a plate. Drizzle with any toppings you chose – I often use honey, or peanut butter, or LSA, or all of them.

In my opinion, the best way to spice this up to serve for brunch, would be to add chocolate chips prior to baking, sprinkle each oatmeal mix when in the ramekin with coconut, then serve sprinkled with LSA, more honey or maple syrup and peanut butter.