Golden Cardamom Banana Oat Breakfast Squares with Date Tahini Yogurt

Golden Cardamom Banana Oat Breakfast Squares with Date Tahini Yogurt 🍌✨ Soft, chewy, lightly spiced oat squares for the kind of breakfast that still feels like a treat. Ripe bananas sweeten the bake, dates melt into little caramel pockets, walnuts add crunch, and the cold date tahini yogurt makes each slice creamy without turning it heavy. Yield: 12 squares Time: 15 minutes prep, 28-34 minutes bake, 20 minutes cooling Ingredients For the oat squares: 3 ripe bananas, about 330 g peeled weight 2 large eggs 120 g thick Greek yogurt 60 ml olive oil or melted butter 60 ml maple syrup or runny honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 180 g rolled oats 90 g plain flour or wholemeal flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 90 g soft dates, pitted and chopped 70 g walnuts, roughly chopped 1 extra banana, sliced for the top 1 tablespoon demerara sugar, optional, for a lightly crisp top For the date tahini yogurt: 220 g thick Greek yogurt 2 tablespoons tahini 3 soft dates, very finely chopped 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey, optional 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Small pinch of sea salt 1-2 tablespoons cold water, only if needed To serve: Extra banana slices Toasted walnuts Tiny drizzle of honey or maple Pinch of cardamom Method 1. Heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper, leaving a little overhang so you can lift the bake out cleanly. 2. Mash the 3 ripe bananas in a large bowl until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are fine and help the finished squares stay moist. 3. Whisk in the eggs, yogurt, olive oil or melted butter, maple syrup and vanilla. The mixture should look glossy and loose before the dry ingredients go in. 4. Add the oats, flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon and salt. Fold gently until no dry flour remains. Stir in the chopped dates and most of the walnuts. 5. Scrape the thick batter into the lined tin and level the top. Add banana slices, the remaining walnuts and optional demerara sugar. Press the toppings down lightly so they stick without sinking. 6. Bake for 28-34 minutes, until the edges are golden, the centre feels set, and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs rather than wet batter. Do not overbake; the squares should stay soft and chewy. 7. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then lift out and cut into 12 neat squares. For the cleanest slices, let the bake cool almost fully before cutting. 8. Make the sauce. Stir yogurt, tahini, chopped dates, lemon juice, maple or honey, vanilla and salt until creamy. Add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time only if you want it looser. 9. Serve the squares warm or chilled with a spoonful of date tahini yogurt, extra banana, walnuts and a tiny drizzle of honey. 🍯 Serving and storage tips Keep the squares in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Rewarm a square for 10-15 seconds in the microwave or 5 minutes in a low oven if you want the crumb softer. Keep the yogurt sauce separate so the top stays fresh. The sauce keeps for 3 days and thickens slightly as the dates soften. Save this one for breakfast prep, lunchbox snacks or a not-too-sweet dessert with tea. 🌿 Tasteloom.club