Busy weeks, the changing seasons, an easy, nourishing CHUNKY MONKEY BANANA BAKED OATMEAL is calling. In all caps, because it’s just that damn good.
This chunky monkey banana baked oatmeal is seriously the best way to wake up in the morning. It’s easy to make, packed with whole grains, healthy fats & protein to keep you satisfied, and it pretty much tastes like your fav banana bread.
My boys love every last bite each time I make it (even without chocolate chips) so it’s perfect for kiddos, too! Prep this pan of breakfast goodness for the week (it’s freezer-friendly) and add the chocolate chips for good measure. Enjoy!
Get all of my baked oatmeal recipes
I have a whole roundup with ALL 15+ of my nourishing baked oatmeal recipes! With flavors like orange creamsicle, chocolate peanut butter, and berries & cream there’s a breakfast for everyone.
What is baked oatmeal?
Instead of cooking oats in hot water or milk like traditional oatmeal, we’re adding a few special ingredients and baking it right in the oven. The result is like a delicious mix of tender oatmeal and banana bread – a sweet, yet nutritious, healthy breakfast oatmeal you’ll love.
Baked oatmeal is perfect for meal prep; you can make it ahead of time and place it in the fridge for eating throughout the week, or freeze it for later!
Ingredients you’ll need for banana baked oatmeal
This easy banana bread baked oatmeal recipe uses simple ingredients with delicious mix-ins you’ll love. Here’s what you need to make it:
- Bananas: you’ll need 3 ripe bananas (with lots of brown spots!) to naturally sweeten the baked oatmeal and give it the right texture.
- Eggs: this recipe calls for two eggs to help the baked oatmeal bake up properly. I think flax eggs could work well, but I haven’t tried it. Let me know you do!
- Sweetener: along with the bananas you’ll just need a couple tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
- Baking essentials: you’ll also need vanilla extract, baking powder, cinnamon & salt.
- Rolled oats: the base of this banana baked oatmeal is made with rolled oats. Feel free to use regular, old fashioned rolled oats or gluten free oats.
- Mix-ins: the delicious, “chunky monkey” flavor comes from unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped walnuts and chocolate chips. Feel free to use dairy free chocolate chips!
Optional recipe swaps
- For the maple syrup: you could also use a couple tablespoons of honey, coconut sugar, or brown sugar.
- For the walnuts: feel free to use pecans or omit the nuts if you’d like.
- For the chocolate chips: you can also leave out the chocolate chips or swap for blueberries or raspberries!
Can I use steel cut oats or quick oats?
I would not recommend using steel cut oats or quick oats in this banana baked oatmeal recipe as the texture will be much different than with regular, rolled oats.
Can I make this banana baked oatmeal vegan?
You can try using a flax egg or two in this recipe, but please know I haven’t tested it so I can’t be certain, although I think it could work well!
How to make banana baked oatmeal
- Prep your pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×9 inch pan with oil or cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix your wet ingredients. Add all of the wet ingredients to a bowl and whisk them until they’re well combined. Make sure to mash your bananas first though!
- Add the dry. Add all of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.
- Mix-ins. Fold in the shredded coconut, walnuts & chocolate chips.
- Bake it! Pour the banana baked oatmeal mixture into your pan and bake it until the edges are slightly golden brown.
- Top it. Add extra banana slices, chopped walnuts and a drizzle of maple syrup! Sometimes I love to serve it with a little warm or cold coconut or almond milk.
Ways to serve baked oatmeal
One of the great things about baked oatmeal is that it’s delicious served many different ways:
- Serve it warm with maple syrup drizzled on top.
- Add a dollop of almond or peanut butter for extra flavor (and a boost of protein!)
- Enjoy warm and pour some milk right over the top just like cereal. The milk becomes like chocolate milk thanks to the chocolate chips!
Storing & reheating tips
- In the fridge: be sure the banana baked oatmeal has completely cooled, and then cover your 9×9 inch pan with tinfoil before transferring it to the refrigerator. It will stay good covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and you can reheat individual slices in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. You can also store individual slices in airtight containers for quick, on-the-go breakfasts.
- In the freezer: once the baked oatmeal has completely cooled, cut it into 6 squares and wrap each square in plastic wrap and tinfoil. When you’re ready to eat it, place the unwrapped frozen square of baked oatmeal on a microwave safe dish and microwave it at 30 second intervals for 1-2 minutes. If you’d like to freeze the entire banana baked oatmeal for later, simply reheat it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F while it’s covered with tinfoil.
More oatmeal recipes to try
- Salted Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Shake
- Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cups
- Healthy Banana Oatmeal Pancakes (made right in the blender!)
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups
Get all of my oatmeal recipes here!
I hope you love this banana baked oatmeal recipe! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
The Best Banana Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 ⅓ cups mashed ripe banana)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk (about 1 ⅔ cup coconut milk)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- Dry ingredients:
- 2 ¼ cups (214g) gluten free rolled oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Mix-ins:
- ½ cup (43g) unsweetened shredded coconut, plus 2 extra tablespoons for topping
- ½ cup (56g) chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup (60g) chocolate chips (feel free to use your favorite!), plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 inch pan with oil and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, vanilla, coconut milk and maple syrup until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients: oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix until combined, then fold in shredded coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth top. Sprinkle with reserved shredded coconut and chocolate chips. Bake for 35-45 mins or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cut into 6 slices and serve. Top with extra banana slices, a drizzle of maple syrup and chopped walnuts. Serves 6.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on December 8th, 2020, republished on December 14th, 2022, and republished on March 13th, 2025.
I have made this chunky monkey oatmeal bake at least 5 times and I keep coming back to it. It is filled with healthy ingredients but tastes like a treat. I love the combination of flavors and textures. I enjoy it as breakfast or as a morning snack heated up with peanut butter on top! This is one of my favorite baked oatmeal recipes and will continue to make it!
So happy to hear that! One of my favs, too 🙂
This is a go-to sample for my tween kids. I love making a batch on weekends, then have easy reheat for school morning ready to go. If reheating, they will often add a little nut milk to soften, but that’s just how we roll. It stores well and bakes easy. I’ve also halved the recipe if not needing more than a day or two servings.
Amazing! Such a great breakfast 🙂
I just made this recipe and it’s simply amazing. I have made so many baked oatmeal recipes and this is leaps and bounds above the rest. Really yummy!!!
So happy you loved this one!
This breakfast recipe has become a monthly staple for me and I am OBSESSED with it! It is so easy to whip up, so many add-ins you can choose to include or not (I’ve done it with the 3 listed, just 1 or 2, etc.), and it is really nourishing and a great way to start the day.
YES this one’s great for customizing! Glad you love it!
I have these in the oven right now, my house smells like Cinnabon in the mall, and my mouth is watering. I can guarantee I’m going to burn my mouth in a few minutes because I’m not going to wait for them to cool down.
So good!!
Can this recipe be doubled for a 13×9 baking pan? Does it freeze well after it’s been cooled off?? TIA.
I was excited about this recipe because I was looking for oatmeal recipes since I think they help with my breastmilk supply and I had all the ingredients for this on-hand. I followed the recipes as is except that I only had full-fat coconut milk and I added a few more choc chips 🙂 Mine ended up being in the oven for closer to 50 minutes. The center was pretty wet, but it firmed up as it cooled. I thought this was delish, and I loved that there wasn’t much sweetener. I ate with yogurt to add some protein. Will definitely make again!
So happy to hear that! Such a great breakfast for breastfeeding 🙂
We really enjoyed this recipe very much. I live on an island so it’s nice to find recipes that incorporate items that grow in my yard. Eggs are not easy to come by so I did make a chia seed egg and everything seemed good.
Perfect! So glad you found this one!
This looks delicious! Have you ever doubled this in a 13x9x2″ casserole dish?
I haven’t tested it but I think that should work!
Eating this right now and it’s amazing! I actually cut back the maple syrup a little and left out the coconut because I don’t like things overly sweet. It’s perfect!
So glad you loved it!
So good! the coconut milk brings a nice creaminess, i added in some collagen and hemp seeds for protein too 🙂
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I used to make it (or another one of your baked oatmeal) every week for my mom but without the chocolate chips because she was diabetic.
I made it today for the first time since she passed and oh wow it brought me back to memory l’âne. Thank you 💞💗❤️
Food and recipes really do bring back so many memories with loved ones! So sorry to hear about her passing – I’m glad this made you think of her.
Absolutely delicious and won over everyone in the house. Nourishing, filling, and so easy.
So glad it was a hit!
Immediate winner with everyone in our house. Delicious and filling and full of good stuff.
Yummy!! I added some flax seed meal for extra protein and fiber, this was so delicious, i will definitely make again 🙂
This was so good and very easy to make! I did not use shredded coconut on top as I did not have any on hand; however, I did add a heaping spoonful of coconut whip, and it was so good! I love how nutrient dense all of AK recipes are and appreciate all that she brings to the table with her delicious meals.
Perfect! So glad you’re finding recipes here that you love 🙂
My toddler (and I!) loved it.
Yay! Perfect breakfast 🙂
So yummy! I did strawberries instead of chocolate chips for the mix ins and topped it with extra coconut and banana slices before baking, yum!!
Love it!!
This Chunky Monkey Banana Baked Oatmeal recipe is my favourite! I make it often and it’s either my breakfast or my snack for the day. It’s perfect with coffee or a cold glass of almond milk.
Thanks for a great recipe and it freezes really well too!
Amazing! Happy to hear that 🙂
Made as is. I prepped for busy weeks and it’s been on repeat. It keeps me full and I feel good after having this breakfast.
So happy to hear that!
My family loved this oatmeal bake. I halved the chocolate chips and felt okay with giving it to my toddler. I was surprised at how fluffy this came out too. I’ll be using this recipe as a base in the future for sure.
Perfect! Glad it was a hit!
This is the best baked oatmeal recipe I have ever tried. I always come back to this one!
So happy to hear that!
Beyond delicious 😋 This is “happy breakfast” for sure! Flax eggs worked great, almond instead of coconut milk too – and I was running a little low on oats, so I used approximately 1/3cup cooked millet. Could see cooked quinoa, barley or buckwheat working just as well. Finding myself thinking “I need more chunky monkey in my life!” Your zucchini chunky monkey muffins will be next!
Perfect! Love this one, and hope you love the muffins, too!
Made this last night so the kiddos could have it for breakfast- my son ate some for dessert instead!
I used flax in place of eggs and worked perfectly fine! Thanks 😊
Love it! Perfect breakfast or treat 🙂
I made this recipe yesterday and had it for breakfast this morning. I typically don’t like coconut but the flavor isn’t overpowering. The recipe was easy to make. It was just sweet enough and it was filling. I loved it!!
The perfect breakfast! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I added cocoa powder and reduced the syrup. Amazing recipe!!
I have made this for years now, using your base recipe and changing it up to our cravings. Blueberry-white chocolate chip-cardamom-almond extract is our favorite variation. We can make it thicker by adjusting the amount of oats… Up to an additional cup without having to increase the baking powder. These are better for traveling or on-the-go breakfast. We can make it creamier by using a smaller/deeper cooking vessel and keeping the amount of oats the recipe calls for.
Thank you very much for this very important staple recipe… 💕
Perfect! Love the idea of adding different flavor mix-ins!
Let’s be honest here. This is a dessert not a healthy breakfast. With the amount of sugar from the ripe bananas, sweetener, chocolate chips- and the carbs from the oats- this is definitely not a good first meal of the day. This will send anyone’s blood sugar soaring.
This is dessert at the end of a meal. And a delicious dessert it is.
Everyone’s definition of “health” is different, and I’m all about using natural sweeteners from fruit + just 2 tablespoons of maple syrup 🙂 You can absolutely feel free to omit the chocolate chips if you’d like, or, of course, enjoy this for dessert!
I did not have coconut milk, so I used oat milk, added cocoa nibs and toasted pecans. Very warming and satisfying on a wintry day.
Perfect! Such a great winter breakfast.
That’s a great recipe, indeed!
In the process making it, following your very explanatory & detailed instructions, I modified the quantity of couple of the ingredients: Almost doubled the coconut 🥥 and tripled the cinnamon; I’m a fond lover of both!🤗.
I also added Greek currants and a variety of frozen berries to the mix.
I substituted chocolate chips with crumbled pieces of couverture chocolate👌
I used Greek honey instead of maple syrup, but I’ll definitely try that as well.
The outcome was one of the best moist ‘fruitcakes’ I’ve ever tried! Furthermore, I find it pretty innovative and original to having a cake without any flour and butter❗️The combination of oats and bananas as its base ingredients is superb!
Your serving suggestions are most helpful and inspiring👌
Can’t wait to top it with peanut butter❗️☺️
Thank you for sharing.
Best Regards from Greece! 🇬🇷 🤗
Ah this is so great! Thanks for sharing your feedback, glad you loved this recipe and it turned out fab for you ❤️
Followed the recipe as written and it was perfect. So good and filling. Used Lily’s chocolate chips.
YUM! So glad to hear that you are enjoying this recipe and it turned out great for you, Mandi! ❤️🙂
Can you substitute the egg somehow and make this vegan?
You could try a flax egg in this recipe!
I adde peanut butter and flaxseed:)
Loved this recipe – so delicious warm out of the oven for breaky.
YAY! So glad you’re loving this recipe, it’s seriously a go-to for our family, never fails to impress!
This came out great. I used a 9×13 pan for smaller portions. I added chia seeds, ground flaxseed and just a few chocolate chips and cinnamon granola to the top. I used unsweetened almond milk because I didn’t have coconut. And about 2 small teaspoons of coconut oil for the flavor. I tend to have a sweet tooth at night and won’t feel too guilty munching on this.
Sounds absolutely amazing, so glad you’re loving this oatmeal and it turned out great for you with your additions 🙂
Hi! Can you make this recipe in advance the night before? Any tips/tricks?
Hi Emily! You absolutely can. Make the recipe as stated above and let it cool completely before covering and placing in the fridge over night. To reheat, you can pop back into the oven or microwave individual sliced! Hope you enjoy it!
Can coconut cream or hemp milk be used
I haven’t tested this recipe with either of these but I feel like the hemp milk should work, you might need to adjust the quantity depending on the consistency of the mixture. Let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!
I’m just curious about the gluten free. I wasn’t able to get them in my store. I can order them online, but I got regular rolled oats. I’m just wondering if it will ruin the recipe.
Nope, those should work just fine!