As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This chocolatey Brownie Baked Oatmeal tastes like dessert for breakfast, but healthy and good for you. Vegan and gluten-free, these easy brownie baked oats come together in a bowl in under 30 minutes.
I love oats, it’s no secret. No matter the season, no matter where I am, in the morning I need my bowl of protein oatmeal, otherwise it’s not gonna be a good day. That’s why you’ll find lots of oat recipes here on my blog – banana oat bars, oatmeal cups, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and now even brownies! I love how rich and chocolatey these oatmeal brownies are. They literally taste like dessert, but are surprisingly healthy and nutritious. Here at home everyone loves them, and I’m pretty sure you’ll love them too!
Recipe ingredients
This easy brownie baked oatmeal recipe only requires a few simple ingredients. Ripe bananas, rolled oats and cocoa powder, I bet you already have everything in your cupboard. Here are some more details about what you’ll need:
- Bananas. Choose ripe bananas, overripe if you have some on hand. The riper they are, the sweeter your brownie oatmeal.
- Rolled oats. Use rolled oats – also known as old-fashioned oats. Also quick cooking oats can be used, but they’ll make your brownies softer in texture.
- Cocoa powder. Unsweetened cocoa powder will give your oatmeal brownies a delicious chocolate flavor.
- Peanut butter. This recipe recommends creamy peanut butter, unsalted or slightly salted, and sugar-free if possible.
- Maple syrup. Pure maple syrup sweetens brownie baked oatmeal naturally, without the need for refined sugars.
- Vanilla extract. A teaspoon of vanilla extract complements the taste of chocolate and adds a delicious flavor.
- Salt. A pinch of salts balances sweetness and brings out all the good flavors. Omit if you are using salted peanut butter.
- Chocolate chips. I like making my brownie oats with extra dark chocolate chips, they are rich in taste but also poor in sugars.
Replacement options
- If you don’t like the taste of bananas, make vegan brownie baked oatmeal with a cup of unsweetened applesauce, mashed sweet potatoes, or canned pumpkin puree.
- Replace 30 grams (1/3 cup) of the rolled oats with a scoop of protein powder, chocolate and vanilla protein powders are my favorite.
- Swap peanut butter for another nut butter of your choice, such as almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter or pistachio butter.
- Sweeten your oat brownies with honey, agave syrup, coconut syrup or sugar-free liquid sweetener, in case you’re not a fan of maple syrup.
- Feel free to replace dark chocolate with milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or sugar-free chocolate chips.
How to make brownie baked oatmeal
Prepare the dough. Start by mashing the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and a pinch salt, then stir well until the mixture gets smooth. Add rolled oats, cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the wet dough, then mix well until you get a doughy texture.
Bake brownie oats. Transfer the batter to a prepared baking pan, then sprinkle with additional chocolate chips on top. Bake in hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes and let cool at room temperature before slicing into squares.
Different ways to make brownie baked oats
The simplicity of this recipe lets you adapt the brownie oatmeal bake to your own tastes. Make it high protein or with walnuts, the only limit is the sky. I like mine with an extra scoop of chocolate protein powder and some fresh blueberries. Feel free to experiment, or check out the ideas down here.
- Try other nut butters – Swap the peanut butter for almond butter, cashew butter, pistachio butter or walnut butter.
- Make it banana-free – Replace the banana with a cup of unsweetened applesauce or mashed sweet potatoes.
- Add fresh berries – Stir in a handful of fresh berries such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or a mix of these.
- Experiment with nuts – Mix in your dough chopped walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds or a combination of these.
- Make it high protein– Replace 30 grams (1/3 cup) of the oats with a protein powder of your choice.
- Go nut-free – Substitute peanut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Make it gluten-free – Prepare your brownie baked oatmeal with certified gluten-free oats.
Success Tips
Here are some tips on how to make the best peanut butter brownie baked oatmeal. Stick around and read carefully, you’ll be amazed at the result!
- Choose bananas that are very ripe, they should have a brownish skin or at least dark spots all over their peel. These are the bananas that will make your oatmeal brownies sweeter and moister.
- Prefer old-fashioned rolled oats to quick oats. Quick cooking oats or instant oats will make your breakfast bake quite soft and mushy.
- Have fun with additional mix-ins and customize this recipe to your own likings. My recommendations are chopped nuts and fresh blueberries.
- Enjoy brownie baked oats warm, either from the oven or microwave for some seconds. They will have a better taste and texture.
How to store baked brownie oatmeal?
After baking, let your oat brownie cool completely. Once it has cooled, slice into squares and transfer to an airtight food container. At room temperature, it will last for up to 3 days. In the fridge, it will last for 4 days. To freeze brownie baked oatmeal, portion into squares, place in a freezer safe container or in zipping bags and freeze for a maximum of 3 months. Let it thaw and warm up in hot oven before serving.
You may have used the wrong type of oats. This recipe should be prepared with rolled oats, rather than quick oats. Quick cooking oats tend to lose their texture and get mushy when combined with moist ingredients such as bananas and nut butter.
You can replace the two ripe bananas with a cup of applesauce, mashed sweet potatoes, or pumpkin puree. The only thing is that your oat brownies may need some more sweetness – just add more maple syrup.
Replace 30 grams (1/3 cup) of rolled oats with a protein powder of your choice. I recommend chocolate flavored vegan protein powder or casein, as whey gets dry very easily when baked.
This vegan brownie baked oatmeal is perfect for cozy breakfasts, as a snack or as a dessert. It tastes delicious on its own or drizzled nut butter on top. Enjoy it with Greek yogurt, a warm cup of tea or coffee, or a glass of your favorite non-dairy milk for a more satisfying meal. I love serving mine with more peanut butter, a bowl of yogurt, and fresh fruit.
Yes, this is a healthy brownie baked oatmeal recipe. It’s made with no oil, no dairy, no eggs and no refined ingredients. Further, oats are packed with dietary fibers and other nutrients such as vitamins B and magnesium.
More oatmeal recipes
- Banana oat bars
- Chocolate chip granola bars
- Healthy banana cake
- Banana bread cookies
- Protein flapjacks
- 2 ingredient banana oatmeal cookies
- Banana oatmeal muffins
Brownie Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, large
- 120 grams (½ cup) peanut butter, replace with preferred nut butter
- 45 grams (3 tbsp) maple syrup, replace with honey
- 150 grams (1 ½ cups) rolled oats
- 50 grams (½ cup) cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
- 60 grams (½ cup) chocolate chips
Protein Powder Option
- replace 30 grams (⅓ cup) oats with protein powder, see notes*
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C (350°F) and fold a 15 cm x 15 cm (7 inch x 7 inch) brownie pan with parchment paper.
- Start by mashing the ripe bananas in a large mixing bowl. Add peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and a pinch salt to the mashed bananas. Stir well until the mixture gets smooth.
- Add rolled oats, cocoa powder and chocolate chips to the wet mixture. Stir well until you get a doughy texture.
- Transfer oatmeal brownie batter to the prepared baking ban and top with more chocolate chips.
- Bake in hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes and let cool at room temperature before slicing into squares.
Notes
- Vegan protein powder and casein are more absorbent: you may need to adjust with a pour of milk, in case the dough is too thick. I recommend almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk and cashew milk.
- Whey protein powder mixes very well and dissolves easily: you may need to fix the dough with more oats.
Love this Recipe! Thank you for sharing 🙂 I had to add 100g of almond milk!
Hey Tacia,
I’m happy to hear that you liked!
Have a great day,
Matteo
How many cups of apple sauce or pumpkin pure should be replaced for 2 raped bananas ?
Hey,
you’ll need about one cup of applesauce to replace the 2 bananas. I hope you’ll like this brownie baked oatmeal recipe!
Have a great day,
Matteo
Outstanding this brownie!????
Love this recipe!
Hey dear Liza,
thanks a lot for your comment. I am glad to hear that you liked these brownie baked oats!
Have a great day,
Matteo