Simple Creamy Banana Oatmeal

Name: Simple Creamy Banana Oatmeal
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 1 ripe, spotty banana (110 g); 1/2 cup rolled oats (50 g, use GF-certified if needed); 1 tbsp chia seeds (12 g) or ground flax (7 g); 1/2 tsp cinnamon; pinch of sea salt; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup almond milk (or other plant milk of choice)

posted: 11/16/18 — updated: 10/20/22 by Deryn Macey

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This simple creamy banana oatmeal made on the stovetop is sure to be your new favourite oatmeal recipe!

Bowl of creamy oats with banana, topped with peanut butter. A spoon rests in the bowl and there are a few chia seeds scattered around.

Cooking stovetop oatmeal with mashed banana is a recipe for the creamiest, coziest bowl of oatmeal ever!

You’ll love how easy this recipe is and you’ll be sure to make it again and again, especially during the colder months. It’s like a hug in a bowl!

This banana oatmeal recipe has the most delicious, fluffy and creamy texture! Bonus: You’ll need just 5 healthy ingredients and 10 minutes to make it.

Making oats with banana is a great way to add creaminess and sweetness to oatmeal without the need for sugar or milk. In addition to the banana, all you’ll need is rolled oats, cinnamon, chia seeds and non-dairy milk of choice.

To make it, just add everything to a pot and heat it up, mashing the banana as it cooks, until you have a thick and creamy texture. There’s no need for additional sweetener as the ripe banana does the trick.

Once cooked, scoop it into a bowl and enjoy as is or with toppings like walnuts and peanut butter.

Enjoy these oats for a healthy breakfast any day of the week!

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Since it’s naturally sweetened with the mashed banana, this oatmeal has no added sugar.
It’s vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free and nut-free (allergy-friendly!).
It can be customized with your favourite toppings like cacao nibs, peanut butter, hemp seeds or blueberries.
It can be made as overnight oats.
You can add protein powder to make protein oatmeal.
It’s a great way to use up ripe bananas.

Ingredient Notes

1 ripe banana, a measuring cup of rolled oats and two small measuring spoons with chia seeds and cinnamon in them.

Oats: The best oats for this recipe are rolled oats (old-fashioned oats) or large flake oats. These will give you the best thick and creamy texture. You can use quick oats if needed but rolled oats are best!
Banana: You can use a perfectly ripe banana or overripe banana. The riper the banana, the sweeter the oats will be. I wouldn’t go as far as a completely brown and mushy banana but a lightly brown-spotted banana works great!
Chia or Flax: Both of these seeds absorb moisture helping to thicken the oats. I love using chia seeds in oats and find they add the best texture but ground flax works too. Use whole chia seeds if you’re using chia but make sure it’s ground flax, not whole flaxseeds, if you’re using flax.
Flavouring: To make it banana cinnamon oatmeal, I like to add a generous pinch of cinnamon. Cinnamon and banana just pair perfectly together. A little pinch of salt also helps to enhance the flavour!
Milk: I suggest using half water and half milk for the liquid, though if you don’t have milk on hand, you can use all water. Any plant-based milk you enjoy works. I would suggest almond milk, cashew milk or soy milk. If you want to use canned coconut milk, I would suggest using light coconut milk as full-fat coconut milk is a bit too heavy in this recipe.

How to Make Banana Oatmeal

Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a small pot on the stovetop.

Milk, rolled oats, chia seeds and a broken up banana in a small pot with a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Cook the oatmeal over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and mashing the banana as it cooks.

Cook for 8-10 minutes until thick and creamy, making sure to stir it often so it doesn’t burn. I like to remove it from the heat after 7-8 minutes and let it sit for a few more minutes to further thicken.

You can stir in more plant-based milk as needed to adjust the consistency to your liking.

Overhead image of a pot of cooked oats with banana.

Step 3: Scoop the oatmeal into a bowl, add your favourite toppings and enjoy your warm and delicious banana oatmeal!

Overhead view of a bowl of banana chia oatmeal topped with peanut butter and maple syrup. A spoon rests in the bowl.

Topping Ideas

Any nuts like chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds.
Any seeds like hemp seeds, toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Easy homemade berry chia seed jam.
A spoonful of homemade date paste or drizzle of maple syrup or honey.
Melted coconut butter.
Any nut or seed butter like peanut butter, almond butter or tahini.
Baked apple slices, sautéed apples or sliced baked pears.
Fresh or frozen berries like blueberries, raspberries or chopped strawberries. If you’re using frozen berries you can mix them into heat or thaw them separately in the microwave before adding as a topping.
For a treat, try chocolate chips or homemade caramel sauce.
Cacao nibs or shredded coconut.
Sliced stone fruit like nectarine or peach.
More banana!

FAQs

Is banana oatmeal gluten-free?

Yes, banana oatmeal is naturally gluten-free but be sure to use gluten-free certified oats if cross-contamination with gluten is a concern.

Can I make this as overnight oats?

Yes. To make banana overnight oats, mash the banana in a jar then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix it up really well then place in the fridge overnight.

Can you make this in advance and reheat it?

Yes. You can make this as is or double or triple the recipe for meal prep and store the portions in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Note that it will get thick and congealed after storing. When you’re ready to reheat the oats, heat briefly in the microwave or in a small pot on the stovetop, then add more milk and break it up with a fork or spoon to loosen the oats.

Continue heating and adding milk as needed until it’s creamy and heated through.

Can I use steel cut oats to make banana oatmeal?

Yes. To use steel cut oats, the recipe is the same but you may need more liquid as they cook since the’ll take up to 25 minutes to finish cooking.

For the additional liquid, you can use milk or water. Keep an eye on it, stirring often to prevent burning and stirring in a little extra liquid as you go until the oats are cooked through.

Bowl of banana oatmeal topped with peanut butter.

Variations & Add-Ins

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal: Add 1-2 tbsp peanut butter or powdered peanut butter with the rest of the ingredients.
Protein Banana Oatmeal: Add up to 1 full scoop of vanilla vegan protein powder and use more liquid to reach a creamy consistency.
Other spices that work well are nutmeg, ginger or allspice. A pinch of apple pie spice also works well.

More Oatmeal Recipes

Loving this simple bowl of oats? You’ll love these ones too:

For more baked oatmeal recipes, try these banana baked oatmeal cups, carrot cake baked oatmeal or easy banana baked oatmeal. Extra ripe bananas? Make this banana bread, carrot cake banana bread or these 3-ingredient banana breakfast cookies.

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