Banana Oat Breakfast Biscuits
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Simple banana oat biscuits with chocolate chunks. Vegan, gluten-free, no dairy or eggs. Uses flax and hemp seeds for texture and binding. Quick mix, bake until edges turn golden. Keep soft inside, slightly crisp outside. Perfect for breakfast or quick snack. Substitutions for oil and nut butter mentioned. Baking cues provided for timing and doneness. Two large biscuits from small batch.
Prep:
18 min
Cook:
25 min
Total:
43 min
Servings:
2 large biscuits
#vegan
#gluten-free
#breakfast
#snack
#banana
#oats
#baking
#quick bake
#plant-based
Banana plus oats equals one of those quick fixes that holds me over mornings no time for fuss. Chocolate bits hidden in rough, chewy biscuits feel indulgent yet simple. Flax plus hemp seeds carry the moisture and hold structure—learned that the hard way with dry crumbly biscuits before. Oil and nut butter tweak richness and manage stickiness. My first tries used peanut butter; cashew or sunflower mellow edge, less risk of peanut allergy freakouts in morning rush. Watch for that telltale golden rim during baking—sweet smell and subtle crackle sound under finger means biscuit is ready, too early and they fall apart, late and they turn brickish. No eggs or dairy—a breeze for anyone avoiding them. Only two biscuits, because two is just enough when hunger strikes but also for small kitchens or single bites of comfort.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana medium-sized mashed
- 20 ml (1 1/3 tbsp) oat milk or another plant milk
- 18 g (2 1/2 tbsp) ground flax seeds
- 5 ml (1 tsp) hemp seeds whole or crushed
- 12 ml (4 tsp) avocado oil or light olive oil
- 20 ml (1 1/3 tbsp) natural cashew or sunflower seed butter
- 45 g (7 tbsp) large rolled oats
- 18 g (3/4 oz) dark chocolate chunks 65% cacao
About the ingredients
Bananas must be mashed very ripe, spotted skins good here — flavor and binding both. Oat or plant milk choice is flexible, but thicker alternatives like oat or almond give body better than watery soy. Ground flax seeds swell and gel, critical to mimic egg-like texture and keep biscuit together. Swapped out chia for hemp seeds here — hemp adds subtle crunch and nutrition, plus hemp doesn’t thicken aggressively so batter stays scoopable; can replace with chia or omit but expect texture change. Oil keeps crumb soft; avocado or light olive oil recommended for mild flavor. Nut butter swap from almond to cashew or sunflower changes flavor profile slightly, sunbutter great allergy alternative but use natural unsweetened types — commercial processed ones weigh down mixture with sugar and stabilizers. Big rolled oats not quick; keep chewy, not mushy. Dark chocolate chunks at 65-70% cacao — bittersweet, no sugar overload. Can use cacao nibs for less sweetness but remember texture contrast. Baking parchment necessary, avoid greasing sheet or biscuits spread too thin.
Method
- Preheat oven 175 C 350 F rack centered, line baking sheet with parchment. I do this last because it saves time after mixing.
- Mash the banana fully. Add plant milk, ground flax, and hemp seeds. Stir well, set aside 6 mins; flax thickens mixture which glues oat bits together, don’t rush this or biscuits crumble.
- Pour in oil and nut butter, mix until creamy, not too runny. Stir in oats until just combined — no overwork or biscuits get tough and dense.
- Form two thick discs about 5 inches diameter with a spoon directly on parchment. Don’t flatten too much, thickness gives contrasting textures. Sprinkle chocolate chunks over each biscuit, pressing lightly so they stick but don’t sink.
- Bake 20-25 mins. Watch edges — when lightly golden and biscuit surface tightens without cracks, done. Internal softness remains but biscuits hold shape. Remove and cool on rack to avoid soggy bottoms.
- Store two days room temp airtight. Nut butters can separate in fridge and harden biscuits; keep out if eating quickly. If chocolate melts too much during baking, lower oven next batch or press chunks just before baking to retain texture.
Cooking tips
Preheating oven and prepping sheet last cuts down wait time between mixing and baking, keeps ingredients fresh. The 5-6 minute rest after mixing banana, milk, and seeds crucial—try skipping this and see how crumbly later batches get. Stirring oil and nut butter in until just creamy prevents biscuit getting greasy or too dry. Don’t overmix oats; distribute them evenly but keep batter lumpy rather than smooth. Shaping thick discs is non-negotiable for texture — thin spreads bake dry and crack too much. Chocolate chunks sprinkled on top after forming prevent them sinking and burning internally. Bake at medium heat — higher temps scorch edges before center cooks, lower temps dry biscuits out. Visual is everything: check golden edges, tight top surface, and slight resistance to touch. Cool completely on rack—skip this and bottoms steam, lose crispness. Airtight storage under 48 hours max; longer and biscuits lose tenderness or grains go rancid. If you want to freeze, wrap well and thaw on counter before eating. If overbaking occurs, sucks the moisture out; biscuit becomes too hard to enjoy, so better underbake slightly and let residual heat finish job.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Mash banana fully ripe, spotted skins add flavor plus binding power. Use thicker oat or almond plant milk to help batter hold moisture better than watery soy or rice milk. Rest flax and hemp seeds mix after stirring, crucial step. Flax swells, gels, gluing oats together. Skip rest? Biscuits dry, crumbly, fragile as learned from past batches.
- 💡 Oil and nut butter blend in creamy, no overmixing. Almond swapped for cashew or sunflower nut butters changes taste, sunbutter safer allergy-wise but use unsweetened natural types only. Adding too much oil makes batter greasy, too little makes crumb dry and fragile. Balance important, adjust by texture, batter should hold but stay scoopable.
- 💡 Oats large, rolled not quick oats, keep chew and texture. Stir in flour-like but keep batter lumpy, overmixing makes tough biscuits. Shape thick discs at 5 inches diameter, thin discs bake crack and dry out quick. Thickness gives contrasting texture—soft center, crisp edges.
- 💡 Chocolate chunks sprinkled on after forming shaped biscuits. Press lightly so they don’t sink or burn inside. Baking temp medium heat, 175 C or 350 F recommended. Higher temps burn edges before center cooks, lower temps dry biscuits out. Watch for slight crackling sound and sweet aroma near end bake time. These sensory cues key.
- 💡 Cool on rack completely to keep bottoms crisp, skip and bottom steams soggy. Airtight storage room temp only 48 hrs max, longer biscuits toughen, grains turn rancid. Fridge hardens nut butter, changes texture, avoid if eating soon. Freeze wrapped, thaw at room temp before eating to keep chew.
Common questions
Can I skip resting flax and hemp mix?
Not really. Flax gels, binds oats. Skipping leads to crumbly, dry biscuits. Hemp less thickening but adds crunch and nutrition. Rest gives batter structure, holds shape while baking. Tried no rest, biscuits fell apart fast.
What nut butter works best?
Almond, cashew or sunflower natural unsweetened types. Avoid processed with sugar and stabilizers, they weigh batter down. Sunflower great allergy alt peanut but changes flavor. Mixing consistency important too, runny tough to hold shape, too stiff won’t blend well.
Edges burn but center raw. What gives?
Oven temp too high or biscuit spread too thin. Medium heat bake crucial; 175 C or 350 F ideal. Shaping discs thick stops edge scorch. Also check oven rack position center is best. Higher racks burn edges faster.
How to store leftover biscuits?
Airtight room temp best under 2 days. Fridge toughens nut butter, hardens texture. Freeze wrapped, thaw counter before eating keeps chew. Avoid fridge if soon snack. If chocolate melts too much baking adjust temp or press chunks right before bake start.
