Peanut Butter and Banana Baked Oatmeal

Wow! I cannot believe the incredible opportunity I have received. I have never been simultaneously so tired/nervous and so happy/excited. It really feels that I was meant to be here and experience this, no matter how terrifying it all is.

In case you missed the memo, I moved to New Jersey this weekend, and I'm working for one of the many blossoming charter schools in the state. So far, I have only experienced staff training, but I can already tell it's going to change everything about my life.

One of those things is the fact that I have to wake up around 5:45 every morning. There's not enough sunlight at that time, so I can't even photograph my oatmeal. Heck, I barely have time to make my oatmeal.
Thus, I decided to try something I've never tried before: baked oatmeal with 4-6 servings, stored in the fridge and reheated in the mornings. I must say, it will never compare to fresh stove top oatmeal, but it does provide a little comfort in the mornings.

I found a (vegan) recipe that worked quite well for me. You can click here for that recipe, OR you can read below for a single-serving version! :)

If you want to know my game plan right now, I intend on committing myself to trying recipes and taking pictures on weekends, when I don't have to be up before sunrise! I suppose I may also post recipes without pictures sometimes. Anything's possible...

Peanut Butter & Banana Baked Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 25 min

6051988

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup milk of choice
• 1 tbsp peanut butter (2 for extra indulgence!)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a single-serving ramekin with non-stick spray.
2. In a medium-sized bowl, mash banana (I mashed 2/3 of mine and sliced the rest). Then, add milk (or water), peanut butter, and vanilla extract.
3. In another small bowl, mix together dry ingredients: oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Once combined, add to the bowl of wet ingredients. Stir.
4. If you'd like to add any extra ingredients (coconut oil, dried fruit, nuts, sunflower seeds), do so now. I recommend walnuts or chocolate chips. See below for variation ideas!
5. Pour into the prepared ramekin and bake for 18-22 minutes.

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Variations
Switch up the nut butter! Use a flavored peanut butter (like PB&Co's Cinnamon and Raisin Swirl, or Dark Chocolate Dreams), or use almond butter or cashew butter.

Chocolate Chips - Add a handful (or two) of chocolate chips before transferring to the ramekin. I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips, preferably in the mini size!

PB&J - Add jam!

Swirl it - Instead of mixing the peanut butter in in step 2, save the peanut butter until the end. Just before transferring the mixture to the ramekin, swirl the peanut butter into the oatmeal. Careful not to overmix it or it defeats the purpose. If your peanut butter is thick and difficult to spread, warm it up in the microwave first so it swirls better.

(P.S. This oatmeal is a great candidate for a FLOOD!)

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!