My family and I enjoy eating this baked oatmeal. It comes together in one-bowl and doesn’t contain any added sugars. The bananas help provide a tasty natural sweetness to this recipe which also helps enhance the flavors of this recipe. Additionally, I have added some cottage cheese for extra protein and a shredded zucchini for extra nutrients, but you won’t be able to tell that they are in there; both of those ingredients help add extra nutrients without altering the flavor of this recipe.
My kids don’t like to eat zucchini; I think it might be a texture thing. However, I have found that by shredding it first before adding to my recipes has helped “hide it” in a sense or maybe it has just helped with the overall texture situation. But, as a result, I am always looking for different ways to help incorporate zucchini into their meals. This one here was a great way to “hide” the zucchini as they had no clue they were eating it.
The baked oatmeal is great for breakfast, to pack in a lunchbox, as a snack, as part of a meal or as a side.
The texture is soft which makes it great for toddlers to enjoy as well.
Served here with Greek yogurt, blueberries, bananas, and pure maple syrup.
The baked oatmeal is also great to serve on its own, with blueberry chia jam, your favorite jam or spread.
For toddlers: be sure to mash or quarter the blueberries and quarter the sliced banana as well.
List of Ingredients:
mashed banana, old-fashioned rolled oats, whole milk, shredded zucchini, pure vanilla extract, cottage cheese, baking powder, and an egg.
Note: I used gluten-free oats but oats with gluten works as well with this recipe.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F
Using your fingers or a pastry brush, butter a 8-inch squared baking dish (including the sides) with softened unsalted butter and set it aside.
Shred the zucchini using the grater and measure 1/2 cup. Transfer the shredded zucchini to a kitchen towel. Gather the ends and twist the kitchen towel to help squeeze out all of its liquid. Set the zucchini aside.
Mash about 3 bananas in a bowl with a fork. Measure 1 and 1/2 cups of the mashed banana and transfer it to a bowl. (Mash another banana if needed to gather 1 and 1/2 cups).
Add the egg and whisk with a fork in a whisking motion to combine.
Note: when preparing this recipe, may add all of the ingredients to a bowl all at once and mix them in to combine. However, I have found that by adding a few ingredients in at a time (not all at once) has helped incorporate them better into the mixture.
Also add the cottage cheese, shredded zucchini (with moisture wrung/squeezed out) and the pure vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
Add the baking powder and stir it in.
Add the milk, stir well to combine. Finally, add the oats and stir them in.
Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes.
The edges should be golden brown and the center should be somewhat set (it will firm up some more once it starts to cool).
Allow to cool, cut into desired size pieces and serve.
Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Storing leftovers:
I like to keep my baked oatmeal bars in a glass air-tight container with paper towels in-between each layer. I have found that the bottom of the leftover bars tend to feel a bit soggy. As a result, I used paper towels help absorb the moisture. Here is how I lined them:
- I first lined the bottom of the container. Then I placed the oatmeal bars in a single layer making sure they are not overlapping one another.
- Next, I placed a paper towel on top of the first layer and continued to add more oatmeals bars in a single layer (again making sure not to overlap).
- Continue this process until all of the leftovers have been used.
- Essentially, we are making sure that a paper towel is touching the bottom part of each oatmeal bar.
- Keep the leftovers in the refrigerator.
Banana Zucchini Baked Oatmeal, no-added sugars
A delicious baked oatmeal recipe that’s naturally sweetened with bananas and provides nutrients from the cottage cheese and the shredded zucchini.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup shredded zucchini (moisture wrung out)
- 1/3 cup cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Using your fingers or a pastry brush, butter a 8-inch squared baking dish (including the sides) with softened unsalted butter and set it aside.
- Shred the zucchini using the grater and measure 1/2 cup. Transfer the shredded zucchini to a kitchen towel. Gather the ends and twist the kitchen towel to help squeeze out all of its liquid. Set the zucchini aside.
- Mash about 3 bananas in a bowl with a fork. Measure 1 and 1/2 cups of the mashed banana and transfer it to a bowl. (Mash another banana if needed to gather 1 and 1/2 cups).
- Add the egg and whisk with a fork in a whisking motion to combine. Note: when preparing this recipe, may add all of the ingredients to a bowl all at once and mix them in to combine. However, I have found that by adding a few ingredients in at a time (not all at once) has helped incorporate them better into the mixture.
- Also add the cottage cheese, shredded zucchini (with moisture wrung/squeezed out) and the pure vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
- Add the baking powder and stir it in.
- Add the milk, stir well to combine. Finally, add the oats and stir them in.
- Transfer the mixture to the buttered baking dish and spread it out evenly. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Once baked, the edges should be golden brown and the center should be somewhat set (it will firm up some more once it starts to cool).
- Allow to cool, cut into desired size pieces and serve.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Storing leftovers:
I like to keep my baked oatmeal bars in a glass air-tight container with paper towels in-between each layer. I have found that the bottom of the leftover bars tend to feel a bit soggy. As a result, I used paper towels help absorb the moisture. Here is how I lined them:
- I first lined the bottom of the container. Then I placed the oatmeal bars in a single layer making sure they are not overlapping one another.
- Next, I placed a paper towel on top of the first layer and continued to add more oatmeals bars in a single layer (again making sure not to overlap).
- Continue this process until all of the leftovers have been used.
- Essentially, we are making sure that a paper towel is touching the bottom part of each oatmeal bar.
- Keep the leftovers in the refrigerator.
