This isn't your average baked oatmeal recipe. These banana bread beaked oats both look and taste like cake. It’s a single-serve recipe… but you can double or triple it if you trust yourself not to eat it all in one go.
A Quick Look At This Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Single Serve Banana Bread Baked Oats
🕒 Ready In: ~5 minutes prep + 25 minutes bake
👪 Serves: 1
🍽 Nutrition: ~430 calories, 25 grams of protein and 6.4 grams of fiber per serving
🥣 Main Ingredients: Rolled oats, ripe banana, egg, milk, honey, chocolate
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, easily made gluten-free
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Tastes like warm banana bread cake fresh from the oven & it's made in one bowl
Baked oats are my go-to when I want something that feels like dessert but still fits my health goals. When you get them right, they taste like something you’d pick up fresh from a bakery.
I also love that this is single serve. No big batch, no random leftovers sitting in the fridge. Just make it, enjoy it, and move on with your day.
If you enjoy this recipe, you might also love my Blended Baked Oats or my Carrot Cake Baked Oats for more baked oat ideas that taste like a dessert but are actually good for you.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Is Good for You
- Whole grain oats form the base. Oats contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber which is particularly well-studied for its role in heart health. It forms a slow-moving gel in the digestive tract, which slows digestion, helps keep blood sugar stable after a meal, and can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol over time.
- One egg adds protein and acts as a binder, giving you that satisfying, set cake-like texture when it comes out of the oven.
- Dark chocolate adds antioxidants. Using 70% dark chocolate means more cocoa flavonoids and less added sugar than milk chocolate.
Key Ingredients
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Rolled oats: I recommend using old-fashioned rolled oats (also called porridge oats). Quick oats will also work but will give a slightly softer texture. Steel-cut oats will not work in this recipe as they require much more liquid and a longer cook time.
- Banana: The riper, the better. A banana with brown spots on the skin is sweeter, softer, and blends more easily. A less ripe banana will make the batter taste starchy and bland.
- Egg: One large egg. This is what binds the batter and gives the oats a set texture in the centre. Without it, the result will be more mushy than cakey.
- Milk: Any milk works here, dairy or plant-based.
- Honey: Just one teaspoon. Combined with the ripe banana, this is enough to make the baked oats taste sweet without making them feel like dessert. You can swap for maple syrup if you prefer.
- Dark chocolate: I recommend using 70% dark chocolate or higher where possible. The higher cocoa percentage means more antioxidants and less added sugar. That said, milk chocolate chips work perfectly well if that is what you have on hand.
- Baking powder: This gives the oats a little lift in the oven so they puff up slightly. Do not skip it.
- Cinnamon: Optional, but worth including. It adds warmth and rounds out the banana bread flavour without adding calories or sugar.
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Ingredient Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats. All other ingredients are naturally gluten-free, however I always recommend double checking ingredients.
- Dairy-free: Swap dairy milk and the Greek yogurt for any plant-based alternative such as almond, oat, or soy milk. If using chocolate chips, check that they are dairy-free.
- Higher in protein: Add one scoop of vanilla or unflavoured protein powder to the blender with the other ingredients. Add an extra splash of milk if the batter gets too thick. Serving with Greek yogurt is also the simplest way to increase the protein content of this meal.
- Nut-free: Leave out the optional walnuts. All other ingredients are naturally nut-free.
Please note: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let me know in the comments below! I'd love to hear how it worked out! 💛
Recipe Variations
- Peanut butter banana: Stir 1 tablespoon of smooth peanut butter into the batter before baking. It makes the oats richer and adds a little extra protein and healthy fat.
- Banana walnut: Fold 10 to 15 grams of roughly chopped walnuts (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) into the batter before pouring it into the ramekin. Walnuts are a classic banana bread pairing and add crunch alongside omega-3 fatty acids.
- Spiced banana bread: Add a small pinch of nutmeg and ground ginger alongside the cinnamon for a more complex, warming spice blend.
- Berry banana: Scatter 6 to 8 fresh blueberries or raspberries on top instead of banana slices before baking. They sink slightly and create little pockets of fruit throughout.
- Making a bigger batch: Double or triple the recipe and bake in a larger dish. The bake time will increase, so start checking at the 30-minute mark and continue until a toothpick comes out clean. My Carrot Cake Baked Oats and Apple Pie Baked Oats both include detailed notes on baking dish sizes and timing if you want to make a bigger batch for the week.
Equipment
You will need a ramekin or small oven-safe baking dish. A standard 4 to 6 oz (120 to 180 ml) ramekin works perfectly for one serving. If you do not have a ramekin, a small oven-safe mug, a mini loaf pan, or any small dish in that size range will work. The key is that the batter should sit at a reasonable depth, not spread too thin, or it will cook faster and risk drying out.
For blending, a personal blender, small jug blender, or even an immersion blender all work well. If you do not have any of these, you can mash the banana very thoroughly with a fork and mix all the ingredients together vigorously. The texture will be more like traditional baked oatmeal rather than the smooth, cake-like version, but it will still taste good.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
Use a very ripe banana. A banana that is still yellow will not be sweet or soft enough and the result will taste bland and starchy. Look for one with brown spots or a mostly brown skin.
Grease the ramekin well. Baked oats can stick, especially around the sides. Take an extra 30 seconds to cover the base and sides with cooking spray or oil before adding the batter.
Do not skip the cooling time. Five minutes makes a real difference. The oats go from slightly wobbly in the centre to properly set once they have cooled a little.
Add the chocolate at the end. Adding chocolate chips or a chocolate square at the start of baking can cause it to burn and turn bitter. Adding it in the last 5 minutes gives you perfectly melted, gooey chocolate without the risk.
Blend it well. The key to that cake-like texture is a completely smooth batter. Blend for at least 30 seconds. A batter with visible oat pieces will bake up closer to traditional oatmeal than a smooth cake.
Storage
These banana bread baked oats are best served warm straight from the oven.
Fridge: Store covered or in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days (just keep an eye on the milk date).
Freezer: Cool fully, wrap well, and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat before eating.
Reheat: Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds or oven at 300°F (150°C) for 5 to 8 minutes.
Don’t freeze or reheat with the Greek yogurt. Add it fresh on top.
Make ahead: Blend the batter the night before and keep it in the fridge. In the morning, pour into a greased ramekin and bake, adding 2 to 3 extra minutes since it’s starting cold.
Recipe FAQS
Yes. Add one scoop (around 20 to 30 grams) of vanilla or unflavoured protein powder to the blender with the other ingredients. Add an extra splash of milk if the batter gets too thick.
Yes. Pour the batter into a microwave-safe ramekin or mug and microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, checking at the 2-minute mark. The oats should look set and spring back slightly when pressed. The texture will be softer and more pudding-like than the oven version, but it is a great option when you are short on time.
This usually comes down to one of two things: the banana was not ripe enough (less ripe bananas are starchier and hold less moisture), or the batter was not blended smoothly enough. Use a banana with brown spots and blend until fully smooth. You can also add 3 to 5 extra minutes to the bake time if the centre is still wobbly when you check it.
More Banana Recipes You'll Love
📖 Recipe
Single Serve Banana Bread Baked Oats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 40 grams rolled oats ½ cup
- 50 grams ripe banana mashed (about ¼ cup or half a small banana), plus a few extra slices for the top
- 1 egg
- 30 milliliters milk of choice 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon optional
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips or one square of dark chocolate
Optional add-ins:
- 10 to 15 grams chopped walnuts 1 to 2 tablespoons
Recommended for serving:
- 100 grams plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 175°C. Lightly grease a ramekin or small oven-safe dish with cooking spray or a small amount of oil, covering the base and sides.
- Add the oats, mashed banana, egg, milk, honey, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds. If using walnuts, stir them into the batter now rather than blending.
- Pour the batter into the greased ramekin. Top with a few extra banana slices.
- Bake for 20 minutes. At the 20-minute mark, add the chocolate chips or dark chocolate square on top. Return to the oven for a final 5 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool for 5 minutes before eating. The oats will firm up as they cool. Serve with Greek yogurt on the side or spooned on top.
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