Baked Banana Oatmeal Bread

So I saw this recipe on Carrots 'n' Cake and immediately knew that it was going to be a hit. It had a lot of my favorite ingredients but I modified a few things to really make it my own. If you don't like or want bananas, then you could try mixing chopped up apples, frozen blueberries, or any fruit you like into the batter! Keep in mind that this is a slightly sweet bread, so if you want it to be a sweeter treat then add the optional sugar cinnamon topping (or double the amount of maple syrup) before baking! This was delish with some starbucks this afternoon for brunchy!

Baked Banana Oatmeal Bread

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp chia seeds or flax meal
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 banana, sliced thinly (for topping)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon (optional topping)

Preheat oven to 350*F.Combine all ingredients (except for the banana) in a mixing bowl.
Coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Pour oatmeal batter into pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
Slice banana and place on top of oatmeal batter. Add optional brown sugar and cinnamon topping if using.
Bake for 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting.