Brown Butter Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Brown butter—beurre noisette to the French—lends a toasty, nutty depth that turns everyday banana bread into something special. Here those flavors meet baked oatmeal, with ripe bananas and warm cinnamon in a make-ahead breakfast you can slice and share.

Serves 6 · 15 min prep · 35 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 410 cal
• 11g protein
• 52g carbs
• 19g fat
• 6g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3 large (about 1 1/2 cups) ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
2. 2Melt the butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling often, until the butter foams, then turns amber and smells nutty with brown bits on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking and let cool 5 minutes.
3. 3In a large bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until evenly mixed.
4. 4In a separate bowl, whisk the mashed bananas, eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and cooled brown butter until smooth and combined.
5. 5Pour the wet mixture into the dry oats and stir until every oat is coated. Fold in most of the nuts (and chocolate chips if using), reserving a small handful for the top.
6. 6Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Sprinkle the reserved nuts over the surface.
7. 7Bake on the center rack until the center is set, the edges are golden-brown, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, 32 to 38 minutes.
8. 8Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes so slices hold together. Cut into 6 squares and serve warm, optionally with an extra drizzle of maple syrup or a splash of cold milk.