if you’ve been around here for more than a minute, you know i’m a picky eater.

but i’m finally learning to like oatmeal.

in fact, kk and I have “some sort of oats” two days a week as apart of our meal rotation, “some sort of oats” is one of my favorite things to meal prep for the week, and “some sort of oats” is one of my favorite make-ahead breakfasts and lunches.

below is the first recipe that also had me realize that I may even be learning to like baked oatmeal.

it’s goooood.

here’s the original recipe - her post is fulllll of all sorts of FAQs, allergy substitutions, make-ahead instructions, etc.

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup pecans*, chopped and divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups milk (i do dairy milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashedddd completely. NO CHUNKS.**
maple syrup, optional***

* I do the smallest pecans possible, just because I share this with KK.

** I mash the tar out of my banana. I cannot stand the slightest chunk of banana in my baked goods.

*** This is where it gets strange. I either add maple syrup to the recipe, or I leave it out altogether - just depends on what I’m feeling. TBH, at the risk of sounding completely trashy, my current favorite way to eat this is with no added maple syrup because then I serve a slice of baked oatmeal warm with the loveliest drizzle of PANCAKE syrup and/or butter. don’t be like me. however, if I want my baked oatmeal presweetened and am NOT planning on trashing it up with pancake syrup and butter, I’ll add up to a 1/4c of maple syrup, but it all depends on your preferences.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F and spray a baking dish with cooking spray. I actually prefer to use this favorite lidded pyrex dish of mine for this recipe, but a regular 8x8 pyrex would work, too.

Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the oats, half the pecans, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Add in wet ingredients: Add in the milk, maple syrup, egg, butter, vanilla and mashed bananas. Stir well to combine.
Carefully pour the oatmeal mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Scatter the remaining pecans across the top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is nicely golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Portion and serve.