Banana Coconut Baked Oatmeal

Now for something completely different....

This recipe is very loosely based on a baked oatmeal recipe from the "Heartwarming Recipes, Bourbon Chapel" cookbook.  Actually, I had never heard of baked oatmeal before buying this cookbook (from a church that was no longer called Bourbon Chapel) but there were three slightly different versions, so I thought it might be worth trying.  From the beginning I added whatever sounded good and found it a very flexible recipe.  This version can easily be dairy free.

So since I usually skip most of the chatter on food blogs I will go straight to the recipe.

Ingredients
6 C oats (can use instant or regular.  I usually use half and half.)
4 t baking powder
1 t salt
2-3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed
4 eggs
1 15 oz can coconut milk
1/3 C honey (or to taste)
2 C mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix bananas, eggs, coconut milk and honey in a smaller bowl using a fork or whisk.  Add wet ingredients to dry all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed.  It will be a fairly stiff mixture.  Add chocolate chips and stir well.  Bake in muffin tin (as shown above with liners or well greased) for 20-25 minutes OR a greased 9x13 for 40 minutes.  It should start to brown and be pulling away from the sides slightly.  This actually "ripens" and tastes sweeter if you let it sit overnight.  Refrigerate leftovers.