Easy Baked Oats, No Banana

High in fibre (4 grams per serving) and made with whole grain oats, baked oats are a great breakfast option even if you’re not a porridge fan. Some people say they’re like cake but I think it’s much more like a muffin in texture, if a bit eggier. This recipe makes two servings but can be combined into one big serving if you prefer.

These are baked oats without banana and use unsweetened applesauce instead. See also pumpkin baked oats and carrot cake baked oats, also without banana, but both with a more distinctive flavour profile. This is a good neutral recipe that you can add mix-ins to.

It’s an easy blended recipe where everything is added to the blender (or blending container) and mixed until smooth before baking. No adding ingredients at specific times, no worry about over-mixing, just blend and bake. It’s lightly sweetened but you can always top with maple syrup if you’ve got a real sweet tooth.

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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

Pictured is homemade unsweetened applesauce because I refuse to buy it (the markup is crazy) but of course jarred works just as well. These are my notes from recipe testing. See below for the full recipe card with complete measurements and instructions.

• Oats: rolled oats are ideal, but quick-cook oats can be used in a pinch. Steel-cut oats aren’t appropriate for this recipe. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed.
• Egg: an egg adds most of the structure to baked oats and shouldn’t be omitted. I haven’t tested any of my baked oats recipes without eggs.
• Applesauce: this should be unsweetened applesauce with nothing mixed into it, just plain apples. Sweetened adds too much liquid to the baked oats and will change the texture (as well as making it too sweet).
• Oil: a small amount of oil drastically improves the texture and shouldn’t be left out. Use butter or a liquid oil if preferred.
• Honey: substitute maple syrup or sugar if preferred, noting that both are less sweet than honey if used in equal quantities.
• Vanilla: some vanilla extract adds sweetness and flavour. If you don’t have vanilla, you can leave it out, but the baked oats will be slightly flat in taste. Try adding a small amount of another spice like nutmeg in that case.
• Baking powder: not to be confused with baking soda. Baking powder adds extra lift to the baked oats.

How to Make Baked Oats Without Bananas

I’ve made baked oats so many times in the last couple of years and this is now the sixth variation I’ve shared. It’s slightly softer than the versions made with banana, but just as good. You can use this recipe to make chocolate baked oats by adding a tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix.

Step 1: add everything to a blending container or blender (see ‘expert tip’ below). Layering the ingredients can make it slightly easier to mix, with the eggs and applesauce closest to the blades.

Step 2: blend until very smooth. The oats won’t break down completely and will be the texture of whole wheat flour when mixed. The batter will be too thick to pour out entirely and you’ll need a spatula to scrape it from the mixer.

Step 3: pour into greased ramekins, trying to divide the batter evenly between the two containers (see recipe notes for baking in one large ramekin). Add berries or other add-ins if using. Pictured are frozen blackberries. Sometimes add-ins can make them bake unevenly, so don’t use very large pieces of fruit (like slices of apple).

Step 4: bake for about 20 minutes. They’ll rise a lot in the oven and then fall slightly when they cool. These are best served warm but can also be kept for a snack for later and served at room temperature.

Expert Tips for the Best Baked Oats

• Use a small blender: if you have a bullet or immersion blender, they’re a bit easier to use than a full-sized countertop blender. The mixture is easier to remove from a smaller container and doesn’t get stuck in the blades. That said, a normal blender works just as well, but you’ll need to spend more time scraping out the batter.
• Don’t skip the oil: use another type of oil, or butter, if preferred, but note that if you leave it out your baked oats will be rubbery and a little dry.
• Without a blender: if you want to make this but don’t have a blender, replace the rolled oats with an equivalent weight of oat flour instead (I have not tested volume measurements) and whisk everything very well in a bowl before transferring to the ramekins and baking as outlined.
• Multiply the recipe: this makes enough for two smaller servings, but the recipe can be increased to suit your needs. If you hover (desktop) or tap (mobile) on the pink number beside ‘servings’ in the recipe card, you can slide the scale there to automatically adjust amounts. This only works for the gram measurements! The baking time will stay the same but you’ll need more ramekins.
• Use a toaster oven: it can feel a bit ridiculous to heat up a full-sized oven for two servings of baked oats, especially if you’ve got a big oven. A toaster oven works just as well and needs a lot less energy.
• Make it in the microwave: instead of baking, pour the mixture into microwave-safe ramekins and microwave for about 90 seconds. Leave enough space in the ramekins for the oats to double in size. The texture isn’t as good in the microwave but it is faster.