Overnight Banana Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

In my never ending quest to find new ways to eat oatmeal I have developed this overnight almost-like-cake version. It is a combination of several recipes from around the web and my cookbook collection of oatmeal, baked oatmeal, and cake. 

First impression.... I like it.

It's a little crumbly but I may have over baked it a touch. Next time I make it I will take it out a few minutes earlier just to be sure. 

If you are an oatmeal eater then I am pretty sure you will like this. It has no added sugar so is not sweet at all, is kind of like a cake in texture but drier and crumblier, and is overall a pretty healthy choice. You could definitely add in some sugar or honey or maple syrup if you want it sweeter BUT I find drizzling a little of the peanut butter syrup on top solves that problem. 

It is super-de-duper awesome that you whip it up the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. Perfect for when you have company or you have to get the kids off to school early. 

Overnight Banana Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal

With Peanut Butter Syrup

Ingredients

3 ripe bananas (large), mashed

5 eggs

1 cup peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups milk

5 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup oat flour (or all purpose)

1 Tbsp baking powder

Optional

1 large banana, sliced

PB Syrup

1/4 cup peanut butter 

1/4 cup maple syrup (or corn syrup)

Directions

Spray a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, and milk until well combined.

Add in oats, oat flour, and baking powder. Stir to combine.

Pour into prepared 9 X 13 pan. Place banana slices on top - if using. (FYI - you can also wait and put the banana slices on top just before baking, if you are using them.)

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. 

**NOTE - FYI - you can also bake it now if you don't want to store it over night.**

In the morning - remove oatmeal from fridge and uncover. 

Preheat oven to 375. 

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 350 and continue to bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top appears brown and dry - about 20 - 30 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let sit while you prepare peanut butter syrup.

To prepare syrup - in a small bowl place peanut butter and maple syrup (or corn syrup). Microwave for about 20 - 30 seconds to melt peanut butter. Whisk together. (Can also do in a small saucepan over medium heat if you don't want to use a microwave.) 

Serve oatmeal hot/warm drizzled with peanut butter syrup.

If you don't want the bananas on top because of how they go brown then you can simply stir the chopped banana into the oatmeal instead of pressing them on top. Again - totally optional. You don't need to add the 4th banana at all if you don't want to. 

According to Myfitnesspal the nutritional counts are:

334 calories, 46 carbs, 12 fat, 12 protein.

With 1.5 Tbsp PB Syrup on top - 394 calories, 57 carbs, 14 fat, 13 protein. (Both figured out with 4 bananas in the recipe)

That is for 1/12 of the recipe. Recipe makes 12 LARGE servings. How large? Well, the photos above are half a serving. I brought it to the office for my coworkers and cut it into 24 pieces. 

1/12 of the recipe is VERY filling. 

NOTE - if you use gluten free oats then this is gluten free - if that is something you are concerned about. Also - this freezes very well! Cut into pieces and freeze to pop in the microwave OR you can pop the whole dish in the oven at 350 to thaw and reheat. (Just keep an eye on it so it doesn't over cook and get too dry in the oven.)