This Banana Overnight Oats captures all the flavors of a banana nut muffin in a convenient overnight oats recipe - Healthy breakfast on the go!
Looking for easy banana recipes? Try my oatmeal smoothie or banana mug cake recipe.
With banana overnight oats, it's important to achieve the correct liquid-to-oat ratio to ensure a creamy, spoonable consistency.
Excessive liquid will result in a soupy texture, while insufficient liquid will hinder oat expansion, leading to a less tender consistency. Therefore, striking the right balance is crucial for optimal results.
Like the eggless banana muffin recipe, this oats is packed with banana flavor and is not overly sweet.
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Why you'll love it?
- An easy way to use an overripe banana sitting on your kitchen counter
- Customize the way you like it
- Mildy sweet
- No cooking required - Just mash, mix, sit and enjoy
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Oats - As in the baked oatmeal recipe, use old fashioned or rolled oats for the best texture
- Milk - You can use either whole or skim milk for your banana overnight oats. Alternatively, coconut or almond milk can be excellent substitutes as well to make it vegan.
- Yogurt - I like to use Greek yogurt for it's thick and creamy consistency.
- Banana - As in almond flour banana pancakes bananas with lots of brown spots are naturally sweeter, reducing the need for excess maple syrup or brown sugar.
- Chia seeds - Adds nutrition and gels up upon soaking and helps to further thicken into a pudding consistency as in coconut chia pudding.
- Sweetener - Feel free to sweeten your overnight oats with either maple syrup or light brown sugar. Adjust the amount based on the natural sweetness of the banana to suit your taste.
- Flavorings - I opted for ground cinnamon and just a pinch of salt in my recipe. For a more dessert-like flavor, consider adding a splash of vanilla extract.
Pro tip: Use only rolled oats! Steel cut oats take longer to soften, need more liquid, and may not be as soft as rolled oats, and instant oats dissolve quickly, resulting in a mushy consistency.
Variations
Peanut butter banana: Add a spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter for a nutty flavor.
Chocolate banana oats: Stir in cocoa powder, but be sure to adjust the sweetener to balance out the added bitterness of the cocoa.
Coconut banana oats: Stir in shredded coconut for extra texture.
Banana & mixed berry oats: Add a mix of fresh or frozen berries for a fruity twist.
More protein: Stir in a spoonful of protein powder.
Different sweetener: Use brown sugar or honey instead of maple syrup.
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How to make banana overnight oats?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
Storage instructions
Like the strawberry overnight oats, this banana oats typically last in the refrigerator for up 2 days when sealed in mason jar or an air tight container. Top them with chopped walnuts and sliced banana just before eating.
Will the banana overnight oats turn dark in color? The mashed banana will darken slightly in color, but it will remain delicious. However, if stored for longer period, the banana overnight oats will continue to darken. For optimal taste and appearance, it's recommended to consume them within two days.
Like all overnight oats recipes, this makes an easy and effortless Mother's day brunch recipe to make ahead, especially for little kids who want to make something special for mom.
Helpful tips
- Use only rolled oats. Instant oats will turn mushy and steel cuts will remain too hard and difficult to digest.
- Use gluten free oats to make it gluten free.
More overnight oats recipes
Banana Overnight oats
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 large ripe banana, mashed
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup adjust based on the sweetness of the banana
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a large mason jar or any glass container and stir until evenly combined.
- Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. Top with sliced bananas, chopped walnuts before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Kelly @ Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats
Sounds like the perfect breakfast to me! I love oatmeal and banana bread so this recipe sounds so amazingly delicious! Xoxo:)
Maria Doss
Thank you Kelly, have a great day:)
Ashika @ Gardening Foodie
This is the most perfect breakfast for busy mornings...which is every morning in my home,😃 so now there are no excuses for not having a healthy, wholesome breakfast. Love it. Thanks for the great idea and recipe Maria... Have a wonderful week😊
Maria Doss
Thank you Ashika, have a great day:)
Sues
I swear, toasted oats make almost everything more delicious (I always put them in my peanut butter cookies!) and I love the banana nut muffin flavor. Such pretty photos, too 🙂
Maria Doss
Thank you so much Sues:)
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen
I'm eating overnight oats as I type but they're just plain, no banana! This sounds SOOOO good--banana nut muffins are some of my favorite 🙂
Maria Doss
Thank you Kelsie:)
Pamela (BrooklynFarmGirl)
Yum! They look great 🙂
Maria Doss
Thank you Pam:)
Patrick@looneyforfood.com
Overnight oats are the best! And I always have bananas sitting around
Maria Doss
Thanks Patrick:)
Maria
I love Banana Nut Muffins!!! Love this idea! Healthier than the real thing too;) And I'm loving that you took the time to toast the oats! Such a flavor game changer!
Maria Doss
Totally. Thank you Maria
Katherine | Love In My Oven
You know what? I've never actually toasted my oats!! I love that idea. These will be so great for my busy mornings. Yum!
Maria Doss
Love the flavor of toasted oats, thanks Katherine:)
Zara
Very good!
Maria Doss
Thank you 🙂