This recipe was inspired by some stats about the incredible amounts of banana waste. In all the numbers I saw, there was no mention of the impact of the peels. Considering how most people I know (myself included) toss their peel, I thought it was time to make some changes where I could with some experimentation.
The concept of using the peel in a variety of dishes is not new. In India, the peel can be used for a chutney or thoran. In Venezuela, it has been used as a shredded meat replacement in times of meat shortages and in the emerging vegan/veg scene. In Southeast Asia, the peels are made into a delicious snack by being dehydrated then steamed. In the growing zero-waste movement, the whole fruit is blended in place of mashed bananas in recipes like pancakes.
Having tried the zero-waste banana pancakes, I was curious to see if replacing mashed banana with blended banana would be equally delicious. I'm happy to report that it is!
I would like to make note that the brown sugar (or sweetener of choice) is essential to this recipe. The peel is a bit flavorless (like adding zucchini to your baked goods) so this baked oatmeal needs the extra oomph to taste delicious. Basically, I would not try making this recipe refined sugar-free.
- 2 ripe bananas (with peel)
- 1/2 cup favorite unsweetened milk (I used soy)
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- pinch of salt, optional
- desired toppings (nuts, chocolate, fruit, etc.), optional
Preheat oven to 350F. Blend bananas with their peels on. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients.
Add mixture to a greased 8x8" baking dish. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Tastes great as is, but it also tastes great if you warm it up in the microwave for a minute, and add some milk and your favorite toppings.
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