mini baked oatmeal squares
Published: November 2023
A healthy, make-ahead breakfast packed with fruits, veggies, and nutrients.
I’ve been working on perfecting a baked oatmeal recipe for some time now, and I’m thrilled to finally share it with you! This recipe is so fabulous for so many reasons. First, it stores so well in the fridge and freezer for a make-ahead breakfast for busy weeks (future you will be super grateful). Second, it’s super healthy and packed with nutrients! Third, it’s DELICIOUS. This isn’t just a recipe for little ones - it’s truly for the whole family. We love to make this for the whole family and pull from the fridge for easy breakfasts throughout the week.
All this said, I can’t WAIT for you to try this one and hope you add it makes it into your breakfast/freezer rotation. Happy baking!
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
Old fashioned oats (or rolled oats)
Very ripe mashed bananas (medium to large sized - ripeness is key for natural sweetness in this recipe!)
A whisked egg (or egg substitute - see allergies section below)
Milk of choice (I’ve made this recipe with both whole milk and almond milk and both have turned out great - see allergies section below for dairy-free instructions).
Vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Baking powder
Kosher salt
Grated carrot, with juices wrung out
Grated zucchini, with juices wrung out
Blueberries (fresh or frozen; if frozen no need to thaw - just add into the recipe directly from freezer)
A touch of maple syrup (optional, for added sweetness)
The superseed boosters from Tiny Sprouts are a perfect add-in for this recipe! Hemp seeds, flax seeds, or chia seeds add some extra nutrition and can easily be sprinkled in to the batter before baking. Code MYTODDLERSKITCHEN gets you 10% off your purchase on their site.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F
Combine all wet ingredients (whisked egg, mashed bananas, milk, and vanilla extract) in large bowl. Mix together and then whisk to ensure everything is combined well (if you're adding in a touch of maple syrup to sweeten, this is where you'll add!)
Combine dry ingredients (oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt) in a separate bowl. Then, pour into the bowl with wet ingredients and mix everything together.
Toss in grated carrot, grated zucchini, and blueberries and gently stir in.
Pour mixture into a 9x9 greased oven-safe baking dish and ensure batter is evenly leveled.
Bake for 22-25 minutes (see notes on bake times!) until slightly golden on top.
Let cool slightly at room temperature and cut into squares for easy serving/storage.
Enjoy! See notes for storing instructions.
IMPORTANT NOTE ON COOK TIMES
Cook times may vary based on your oven and if there are any variations in the dish you use. In a 9x9 square pan, this recipe is ready for me around 22 minutes. If you use an 8x8 pan (the oatmeal will be a little thicker), it will take a few more minutes longer to cook. Check on the oatmeal around 22 minutes by inserting a toothpick and ensuring it comes out clean; if it comes out wet, continue to bake.
EQUIPMENT
Ceramic Baking Pan: I really like this one from Caraway! I lightly spray it with non-stick spray before baking and the cleanup is so simple. A 9x9 pan is my favorite size for this recipe, but you can go 8x8 as well (see note above on cook times).
Boxed Grater: Both the zucchini and carrot should be freshly grated with juices wrung out for best results in this recipe. I just use a thin dish towel to do this, and use a box grater before hand to finely grate both.
Mixing Bowls: I love this set because they have basically every size you’ll need! Easy cleanup and storage as they all stack within eachother.
Reusable Freezer Bags: This is one of my favorite freezer storage bags, and is wonderful for this recipe. They’re reusable and you can easily seal these oatmeal bars after cutting and cooling in these to freeze.
Glass Food Storage Containers: These containers are my pick for fridge storage! They come in lots of sizes, seal well, and the cleanup is simple. Highly recommend!
STORING INSTRUCTIONS
Store in fridge in sealed container for 5-7 days, and freeze for up to 3 months in air-tight container.
Thaw from frozen in fridge overnight. Warm up for about 10 seconds in microwave before serving!
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
It's very important that you wring out the juices of both the grated carrot and zucchini in this recipe (if you avoid this step, the oatmeal will be a little more wet). Use a thin dish cloth to squeeze out the juices after grating with a box grater.
The ripe bananas will add natural sweetness to this recipe. You can add more sweetness with 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup as an option as well OR drizzle with a touch of maple syrup after baking. Totally up to you and your sweetness preference here, but the ripe bananas are KEY.
The banana in this recipe shouldn’t be substituted, but in place of the blueberry, carrot, and zucchini, you can replace with add-ins like chocolate chips, raisins, etc.! OR you can do more blueberry and have that as the only add-in, etc.
ALLERGIES
Make this recipe egg-free by using 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce or a plant-based egg (you can get this from Target by Just Egg) in place of the egg. Make this recipe dairy-free by replacing whole milk with a non-dairy milk, like almond milk.
This post may contain affiliate links where My Toddler’s Kitchen may earn commissions. Please reference the disclaimer policy.
Mini Baked Oatmeal Squares
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- Let cool slightly before cutting and serving.
- Store in fridge in sealed container for 5-7 days, and freeze for up to 3 months in air-tight container. Thaw from frozen in fridge overnight. Warm up for about 10 seconds in microwave to serve.
- Cook times may vary based on your oven and if there are any variations in the dish you use. In a 9x9 square pan, this recipe is ready for me around 22 minutes. If you use an 8x8 pan (the oatmeal will be a little thicker), it will take a few more minutes longer to cook. Check on the oatmeal around 22 minutes by inserting a toothpick and ensuring it comes out clean; if it comes out wet, continue to bake.
- It's very important that you wring out the juices of both the grated carrot and zucchini in this recipe (if you avoid this step, the oatmeal will be a little more wet). Use a thin dish cloth to squeeze out the juices after grating with a box grater.
- The ripe bananas will add natural sweetness to this recipe. You can add more sweetness with 2-3 tbsp of maple syrup as an option as well.
