Coconut Banana Steel Cut Oats

I was flipping through the Faux Martha Minimalist Kitchen cookbook the other day and landed on a baked oatmeal that seemed to check all the boxes: easy to throw together, a little different than what I usually see and delicious looking. A quick search of the pantry and I realized I could easily make my own version.

I substituted regular oats for quick-cooking steel cut oats because I have a giant bag from Costco begging to be used. Personally, I really like steel-cut oats for their hearty texture and almost nutty flavor. Also, I feel like we all stay a little fuller longer when we eat steel cut versus regular oats.

I was looking for dairy-free-ish recipes to see if I could find a few new things to throw at the kids. Scarlet really struggles with eczema on her hands and has started complaining of regular tummy aches. I thought maybe if we limited or removed dairy from her system for a couple weeks we would see an improvement. Unfortunately the kid basically lives on dairy products so it’s been a bigger challenge than I thought.

I can’t call this oatmeal truly dairy-free because it does have a bit of butter in it but for those with minor intolerances (like us), butter has so few milk solids it doesn’t tend to be a problem. For a true allergy, don’t use the butter. Swap it for coconut oil or just skip it altogether and add an extra tablespoon or two of coconut milk.

The banana and coconut were a welcome change from the usual cinnamon and blueberries I throw on the kids oatmeal. Aaron happened to be home for lunch the day I made it and ate almost half the pan for lunch. I would call it a win win for everyone. One more quick note on the recipe: if you don’t have time/desire to bake the oats, just make the oatmeal on the stove with coconut milk. Add the spices, banana, coconut and nuts as a topping.

Coconut Banana Steel Cut Oats

• 2 cups quick-cooking steel-cut oats (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 egg

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• pinch of salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted

• 2 ripe bananas, divided

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom

• 1/3 cup toasted pecans (optional)

• 2 tablespoons honey (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a blender, combine coconut milk, water, egg, maple syrup, one banana, and vanilla extract. Blend for two minutes or until ingredients are well-combined and smooth.

In a 8x8 baking dish mix together oats, coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder and salt. Pour wet ingredients over oat mixture. Gently stir to combine. In a small dish, melt butter in microwave. Pour over the oat mixture and use a fork to gently incorporate.

Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes until the center of the oatmeal is firm and no liquid remains. Remove from oven and top with remaining sliced banana, chopped pecans and a drizzle of honey.

Serves 4-6 portions.