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This chunky monkey baked oatmeal contains a delicious combination of oats, banana, chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut! It's a vegan and gluten-free breakfast recipe that everyone will love. Each slice is moist, fluffy, and filled with healthy ingredients. Make it with just one bowl in 30 minutes!
Today I'm bringing you my current obsession: chunky monkey baked oatmeal. It offers all the things you could ever want in a breakfast. It's filling, satisfying, wholesome, and requires minimal effort in the morning (because you can easily prep it ahead of time).
Want to know the alternative name for this recipe? Chocolate chip peanut butter banana walnut coconut baked oatmeal. Yeah, I know; it sounds ridiculous. It didn't make the cut. But, truth be told, it's fitting because this breakfast is ridiculously tasty!
Chunky monkey baked oatmeal is:
- Vegan and dairy-free
- An easy breakfast for meal prep
- Gluten-free
- Healthy but SO delicious
- Refined sugar-free
- Cozy, filling, and satisfying
- Naturally sweetened with bananas and maple syrup
- Easily adaptable
- Kid-approved!
What is chunky monkey?
The "chunky monkey" flavor combination consists of bananas, chocolate, and walnuts. It was originally created by Ben & Jerry's as one of their most popular ice cream flavors. (They now offer a non-dairy version, too!)
As the name suggests, this baked oatmeal recipe is a healthy twist on the Ben & Jerry's "Chunky Monkey" ice cream. It contains the three classic ingredients: bananas, chocolate chips, and walnuts. In addition, we'll add coconut and peanut butter to make it extra special.
What ingredients are in vegan chunky monkey baked oatmeal?
- Oats. Oats are one of my favorite breakfast ingredients because they are a slow-digesting carbohydrate. In other words, they keep you full and energized for several hours. Talk about starting your morning off right! Also, oats are packed with fiber, B vitamins, zinc, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.
- Bananas. Anything chunky monkey-flavored is not complete without bananas. They contain vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.
- Nut butter. Any nut butter can be used, but I highly recommend creamy peanut butter. Nut butter provides healthy fats and protein.
- Walnuts. Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Coconut. This chunky monkey baked oatmeal includes shredded coconut. Additionally, I recommend adding coconut flakes on top.
- Chocolate chips. Use milk, semisweet, or dark chocolate chips depending on your preference. Alternatively, you can use sugar-free chocolate chips if you want to make this recipe as nutritious as possible. Be sure your chocolate chips are dairy-free if you are following a plant-based or vegan diet.
- Maple syrup. This baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened with maple syrup rather than refined sugar.
- Almond milk. Any type of plant-based milk can be used, but I always use almond milk over the other varieties.
- Ground flaxseed. This recipe requires two flax eggs which are made from ground flaxseed + water. Flaxseed contains omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and protein.
- Vanilla extract. Use a high-quality vanilla extract for a hint of vanilla in this baked oatmeal.
- Baking powder. Baking powder helps give the oatmeal a fluffy texture.
- Salt. I recommend pink Himalayan salt, but any type of salt will do.
How to make vegan chocolate chip banana baked oatmeal
For the full recipe, scroll down to view the recipe card below.
First, create the flax eggs. Combine 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoon water. Stir together and set aside to thicken.
Next, add mashed banana, almond milk, nut butter, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, crushed walnuts, flax eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk ingredients together. Then, add rolled oats and baking powder. Mix until evenly incorporated.
Lightly grease a square baking dish with coconut oil. Pour the oatmeal batter into the baking dish. Top with additional chocolate chips, crushed walnuts, and coconut flakes. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees F.
Finally, slice the chunky monkey baked oatmeal into 9 squares. Serve with nut butter, maple syrup, or enjoy as is! Store the leftovers in an airtight container inside the refrigerator.
Kaylie's tips for perfecting this chocolate chip banana baked oatmeal recipe
- Use ripe bananas. How can you tell if bananas are ripe? It's simple! Ripe bananas have a yellow peel with brown specks all across them. Whenever you make baked goods, such as banana bread or banana baked oatmeal, always make sure your bananas are ripe. The finished product will be perfectly sweet and moist.
- Add your favorite toppings. My favorite toppings for this chunky monkey baked oatmeal are coconut flakes, crushed walnuts, and chocolate chips. However, you can omit the toppings altogether or choose other ingredients. Shredded coconut, sliced banana, and nut butter are all great choices.
- Use your favorite chocolate chips. Since this recipe is primarily enjoyed for breakfast, I like to keep it low on added sugar. Therefore, I use these stevia-sweetened chocolate chips instead of sugar-laden alternatives. I don't notice much of a difference compared to regular chocolate chips; they taste just as delicious!
- Store baked oatmeal in the refrigerator. This chunky monkey baked oatmeal is a perfect option for meal prep because it stores well and lasts all week long. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave it for 45 seconds or warm in the oven at 350 degrees F.
- Enjoy it with ice cream. Ok, so this is obviously not recommended for breakfast. Hey, unless that's your thing! I'm not here to judge 😉 But, this baked oatmeal is so delicious with vanilla ice cream. Just reheat a square and serve a scoop of dairy-free ice cream on top. You can thank me later!
More healthy vegan recipes with overripe bananas:
- Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Vegan Banana Brownies
- Chocolate Chip Banana Blondies (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
- The Best Vegan Banana Bread
- Chocolate Chip Banana Mugcake (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
- Vegan Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (Gluten-Free)
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies
- Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Bread
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins (Vegan & Gluten-Free)
If you try this Chunky Monkey Baked Oatmeal, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Instagram and YouTube!
PrintChunky Monkey Baked Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 9 slices 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This chunky monkey baked oatmeal recipe is healthy, vegan, gluten-free, and so delicious! It's made with pantry staples like oats, banana, peanut butter, walnuts, and chocolate chips. These baked oats are so moist and fluffy - they taste like dessert for breakfast. The whole family will love this easy meal prep idea for the week ahead. It's especially great for kids! #oatmeal #oats #banana #healthybreakfast #breakfastideas #veganbreakfast #glutenfreerecipes #veganrecipe #coconut #mealprep
Ingredients
Baked Oatmeal:
- 1.5 cup mashed banana
- 1 cup almond milk
- ⅓ cup nut butter (peanut or almond)
- ¼ cup shredded coconut
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- ¼ cup crushed walnuts
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp water)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 2 tsp baking powder
Optional toppings:
- 2 tbsp chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp coconut flakes
- 2 tbsp crushed walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Create the flax eggs by combining 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoon water. Stir together and set aside to thicken for 15 minutes.
- Add mashed banana, almond milk, nut butter, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, walnuts, flax eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine the ingredients.
- Add rolled oats and baking powder to the bowl. Mix together until evenly incorporated.
- Lightly grease a square baking dish with coconut oil (or nonstick spray). Pour the oatmeal batter into the dish. Top with chocolate chips, crushed walnuts, coconut flakes, or any other ingredients.
- Bake the oatmeal for 35 minutes. Remove oatmeal from the oven and allow it to cool before slicing.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 15g
- Fat: 13g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
Keywords: chunky monkey baked oatmeal, chocolate chip banana baked oatmeal vegan
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Kat
Can you freeze these after baking??
Kaylie Grace
Hey, Kat! Yes, you should be able to freeze this baked oatmeal with no problem. Make sure it's stored in a sealed/airtight bag or container to maintain freshness. If you're saving multiple slices, place a small piece of parchment paper between each one (to keep them from sticking together when frozen). Enjoy! xo
Molly
Hi! Can this recipe be baked into muffins instead of bars? If so, how would the oven temp and bake time change? Thanks 🙂
Kaylie Grace
Hey, Molly! They are essentially bars already 🙂 I have not tried baking them into muffins, but it should work just fine! I recommend baking at the same temperature (375F) for 20-25 minutes. They may end up needing a full 30 minutes, but just keep a close eye on them. Enjoy! xo
Alycia
Made this for my breakfast for the week, and all I can say is YUMMMMMY! This recipe is so easy and delicious. Definitely a keeper😁
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hey, Alycia! Thank you! So happy you love this baked oatmeal 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
Lakin
I made these for me and my girlfriend this morning and they turned out really well! With baked oatmeal/oat bars, it can be difficult to get the right amount of moisture to the point where they come out either too wet/soggy or too dry, but these came out really well! I'm not a big fan of coconut so I didn't use it and instead opted for more chocolate chips but I honestly don't think it needed them because the flavor was already really good without it. It was also really easy to make from a technical standpoint and I love the simple ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
★★★★★
Kaylie Grace
Hi, Lakin! I'm so happy to hear you loved the baked oatmeal 🙂 I totally agree - getting the correct level of moisture can be tricky! Glad it worked well for you!