Baked Oatmeal with Cranberries and Banana

One more fresh cranberry recipe and then I’m done for the season! This is my first attempt at making the popular Baked Oats Recipe I’ve seen everywhere, and I’m thrilled to have another option for preparing one of my favorite grains. The baking method is a great way to prepare your morning oatmeal ahead of time, just serve it either cold or heat it up a little.

I had one more bag of cranberries in the fridge and thought this would be the perfect recipe for them. The baked tart berries pop in your mouth and along with a little sweetness from some coconut sugar and a banana it’s a wonderful combination. Eat the baked oats as they are or serve them in a bowl with a little milk and a drizzle of honey for a nice breakfast, snack or healthy dessert.

THE WHOLESOME REAL FOOD INGREDIENTS

To begin, heat your oven to 375° F and grease a 9-inch square baking dish with coconut oil. Then, clean the cranberries, washing them good and picking out any that are not their best. I cut the larger berries in half for size consistency. After that, cut the banana in half lengthwise and slice it into half-circles.

Next, in a bowl mix together the oats, cinnamon, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, add the milk, vanilla, melted coconut oil, ground flaxseed meal (or an egg) and mix thoroughly. Then add to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add in the banana slices and cranberries and stir gently.

Now, carefully pour the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed, and the top is golden brown. Then remove the baking dish from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving or cool completely before storing in the fridge.

Serve the baked oats alone or with a little Greek yogurt on top or in a bowl with a little milk. Once they are completely cooled, store the remaining oats in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This is a great meal prep recipe. Enjoy!

Cranberries are a fantastic antioxidant and have important anti-inflammatory benefits and contribute to a healthy whole food diet. Check out my Cranberries, the Small Powerful Superfruit blog post for nutrient details.

They also fit into my Embracing a Healthy Immune Boosting Lifestyle program very well. In addition, I try to use natural sugars whenever possible, so I used coconut sugar and a banana for this recipe.

Baked Oatmeal with Cranberries and Banana

Servings: 8
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
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Ingredients

2 Cups Extra Thick Oats (I Used Bob’s Red Mill Extra Thick Oats)
1 1/2 Teaspoon Organic Cinnamon (I Use Simply Organic Cinnamon)
1/4 Cup Coconut Sugar (I Use Organic Coconut Palm Sugar -)
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder (Optional)
1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt
2 1/2 Cups Oat Milk (Use Any Non-Dairy Milk or Whole, 2% or Fat-Free Dairy Milk or Filtered Water)
1 Tablespoon Melted Coconut Oil
1 1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract (I Use Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract)
2 Tablespoons Organic Ground Flaxseed Meal (Or 1 Egg – Flaxseed is an Egg Replacer)
1 Ripe Banana, Sliced
2 Cups Fresh Cranberries (I Was Able to Get Local Cranberries)

Preparation

To begin, heat your oven to 375° F and grease a 9-inch square baking dish with coconut oil.
Clean the cranberries, washing them good and picking out any that are not their best. I cut the larger berries in half for consistency.
Cut the banana in half lengthwise and slice it into half-circles.
In a bowl mix together the oats, cinnamon, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a smaller bowl, add the milk, vanilla, melted coconut oil, ground flaxseed meal (or egg) and mix thoroughly.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Add in the bananas slices and cranberries and stir gently.
Carefully pour the oat mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed, and the top is golden brown.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving.
Serve the baked oats alone or with a little Greek yogurt on top or in a bowl with a little milk.
Once they are completely cooled, store the remaining oats in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Between Hubby and I, ours don’t last that long. Enjoy!