Cinnamon Swirl Protein Banana Oats (Print-Friendly)

Tender oat base with mashed banana and warm cinnamon sugar swirl, packed with protein for a satisfying single-serving breakfast.

# What You'll Need:

→ Wet Ingredients

01 - 1 medium ripe banana, mashed
02 - 1 large egg
03 - 1/2 cup unsweetened milk of choice
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Dry Ingredients

05 - 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
06 - 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
08 - Pinch of salt

→ Cinnamon Swirl

09 - 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - 1 teaspoon melted butter or coconut oil

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a single-serving ramekin with 8 to 10 ounce capacity.
02 - Mash the banana thoroughly in a mixing bowl. Whisk in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
03 - Stir in the oats, protein powder, baking powder, and salt into the wet mixture until well blended with no visible dry pockets.
04 - Pour the batter into the prepared ramekin and smooth the top surface with a spatula or back of a spoon.
05 - In a small bowl, combine the coconut sugar, ground cinnamon, and melted butter to form a paste.
06 - Spoon the cinnamon paste in small dollops over the batter surface. Use a knife or skewer to gently swirl the mixture through the top layer in a decorative pattern.
07 - Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until the center is just set and the top is golden brown.
08 - Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm, optionally topped with yogurt, banana slices, or nut butter drizzle.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's ready in 35 minutes total, which means you can have warm, homemade breakfast without the stress of timing a full batch of pancakes.
  • One scoop of protein powder sneaks in 21 grams of protein, so you'll actually feel satisfied until lunch instead of hungry by mid-morning.
  • The cinnamon swirl creates this gorgeous ripple effect that makes something so simple feel intentional and a little bit fancy.
  • It's the perfect vehicle for experimenting—swap the protein powder flavor, add chocolate chips, drizzle nut butter on top—and it always works.
02 -
  • The center will seem underbaked when you first pull it out—this is correct and intentional, so resist the urge to shove it back in the oven; as it cools those 5 minutes, carryover cooking finishes the job perfectly.
  • Don't skip the resting period even if you're hungry, because the texture transforms from custard-like to actually sliceable, and that's the entire point of this technique.
  • If your protein powder is particularly sweet or flavored, reduce the cinnamon sugar slightly so the whole thing doesn't tip into candy territory.
03 -
  • If your ramekin is ceramic, it'll retain heat longer and keep the interior warmer longer—if it's glass, it conducts heat faster, so watch the timing and don't be shocked if it needs a minute less in the oven.
  • The cinnamon swirl won't fully blend in, and that's the entire point; if it does, your batter was too warm or you over-swirled, so next time pour the batter first and let it cool for 30 seconds before adding the mixture.
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