It’s been a week now since summer officially started and every night I go to bed hoping for beach weather tomorrow, in spite of the weatherman and his forecasts.
I’m not sure when summer will get here; it’s been teasing at best and I’m still wearing scarves, albeit light flowy scarves, but still…
It’s no surprise then that I hang up on these warm, hearty and comforting cool-weather breakfasts.

The thing I love about this baked oatmeal is how simple and yet satisfying it is, being so easy to prepare is an added bonus.
I make a variation of this oatmeal at least once a month, especially on those rainy weekend mornings – if we wake up to dark clouds and the rhythmic sounds of rain on my window, I sleep in a little and I call it an oatmeal kind of morning.
Baking it in an oven means less time in the kitchen, prep is so easy I can do it in my sleep, which I usually do.
I use large flakes of rolled oats; and sometimes a combination of rolled rye, barley, wheat and oats from Country Choice.
The peanut butter and banana makes it decadent, like a treat, I’ve tried apples and fig butter and I’ve loved them all. And when it finally feels like summer I want to try chunks of mango and peaches.

I almost always eat this in bed, crossed legged, watching tv or catching up on my blogs and listening to the rain.
And then, somehow rainy Saturdays doesn’t seem so bad – as I try to come up with other sweet possibilities for rainy Saturdays…

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Baked Peanut Butter & Banana Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (old-fashioned) rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon turbinado (raw) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted & cooled
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large banana, sliced
• A handful of dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the oats, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a casserole dish or deep baking pan
3. Whisk milk, peanut butter, melted butter and vanilla together in a small bowl
4. Add banana slices and dried cranberries to oats and pour milk mixture over it, stir gently
5. Bake for 25 – 35 until the top is nicely golden and the oatmeal has set
6. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes
7. Serve warm with extra milk or sugar
8. Enjoy!

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