Easy Creamy Banana Oatmeal Recipe
on Nov 16, 2018, Updated Apr 28, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links.
This banana oatmeal has been a weekday staple for years. You mash a ripe banana directly into the oats as they cook on the stovetop. It melts into the oats and makes them naturally sweet and creamy without any added sugar or milk required. Five ingredients, ten minutes, one pot.
I make mine with half water and half almond milk for the perfect texture. My favourite toppings are peanut butter and maple syrup. The peanut butter melts slightly into the warm oats and the banana and syrup take care of the sweetness. Simple and so satisfying.
Readers Love this Recipe
This is the best banana oatmeal recipe I’ve come across! It’s so good and comforting on a chilly morning. Will definitely be making this again!
Why You’ll Love Mashed Banana Oatmeal
- No added sweetener or refined sugar.
- Vegan (no dairy), gluten-free and nut-free recipe.
- 5 simple ingredients ready in about 10 minutes.
- Customize with your favorite toppings.
- Can be made as overnight oats.
- Add protein powder to make protein oatmeal.
- Great way to use overripe bananas.
This recipe can also be made as overnight oats or you can try these Carrot Cake Overnight Protein Oats, Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats or Apple Pie Overnight Oats. For a similar recipe but for baked oatmeal, you can try this Easy Vegan Banana Baked Oatmeal or Vegan Baked Oatmeal Cups.
🔍 Recipe at a Glance
Prep Time: 2 min
Cook Time: 10 min
Servings: 1
Per Serving: 345 calories, 11g protein, 13g fibre
Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free.
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- 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! Use gluten-free oats if needed.
- Banana: You can use a perfectly ripe banana or overripe banana. The riper the banana, the sweeter the oats will be. Extra ripe bananas? You can use them in Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars, Carrot Cake Banana Bread, Easy Vegan Banana Bread Recipe or 3-ingredient Banana Oatmeal Cookies.
- Chia or Flax: Both of these thicken the oats and add healthy fats. I love using chia seeds in oats and find they add the best texture but ground flax seeds work too.
- Milk: I suggest using half water and half milk, 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, oat 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.
Variations & Add-Ins
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal: Add 1-2 tbsp peanut butter or powdered peanut butter with the rest of the ingredients. Almond butter works too!
- Flavouring: To make it banana cinnamon oatmeal, I like to add a generous pinch of cinnamon. A little pinch of salt and/or splash of vanilla extract also helps to enhance the flavour.
- Chocolate Banana Oatmeal: Add 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder and sweeten to taste with your choice of sweetener such as maple syrup.
- Blueberry Banana Oatmeal: Stir in up to 1 cup fresh blueberries at the end of cooking. You can use frozen blueberries if you don’t mind purple oats.
- Protein Banana Oatmeal: Add up to 1 full scoop of vanilla vegan protein powder and use more liquid to reach a creamy consistency. For extra protein, top with Greek yogurt.
- Spices: Other spices that work well are nutmeg, ginger or allspice. A pinch of apple pie spice also works well.
- Sweetening: If you’d like your oatmeal sweeter, you can mix in 1-2 tbsp choice of sweetener such as brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey, etc.
- Topping Ideas: Walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, caramelized banana, baked apple slices, caramel sauce, drizzle of maple syrup, banana slices, little bit of brown sugar or coconut sugar, cacao nibs, chocolate chips, hemp seeds, coconut, blueberry chia seed jam.
How to Make Mashed Banana Oatmeal
Step 1: Add all of the ingredients to a small pot on the stovetop.
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 stick to the bottom of the pan. 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 a splash of milk as needed to adjust the consistency to your liking.
Step 3: Scoop the oatmeal into a bowl, add your favourite toppings and enjoy your warm and delicious banana oatmeal!
Deryn’s Notes
- Use a spotty banana if you have one. The riper the banana the sweeter and more flavourful the oats, but a just-ripe banana works too. These are also a great use for overripe bananas that are past their prime for eating.
- The best texture comes from half water and half milk. Any plant milk or dairy milk works. All water is fine too, the mashed banana adds enough creaminess on its own. Full milk makes it richer if you want that.
- You can stir peanut butter directly into the oats while they cook for peanut butter banana oatmeal, or add it as a topping at the end. Both work well.
- I prefer the texture chia seeds give over flax but use whichever you have on hand. Both thicken the oats and add healthy fats. Chia seeds make them extra fluffy!
- I like to top my banana oats with peanut butter and Greek yogurt for extra protein.
- Remove from heat a minute before you think it’s done and let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes. It thickens even more as it rests for an extra creamy texture.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, banana oatmeal is naturally gluten-free but be sure to use gluten-free certified oats if cross-contamination with gluten is a concern.
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.
You can enjoy these cold in the morning or heat in a small saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave with a little bit of milk to adjust the consistency.
Yes. You can make this as is or double batch or even triple the recipe for meal prep and store the portions in an airtight container the fridge for up to 5 days for busy mornings.
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.
Yes. To use steel cut oats, the recipe is the same but you may need more liquid as they cook since they’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.
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
Easy Creamy Banana Oatmeal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 medium ripe spotty banana, 110 g
- 1/2 cup rolled oats, 50g
- 1 tbsp chia seeds, 12 g or ground flax seeds (7 g)
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup almond milk
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small pot stovetop and mix well.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring and mashing the banana with a wooden spoon as it cooks and softens.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes until thick and creamy, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. I like to remove the pot from the heat after 8-10 minutes and let sit for a few more minutes to thicken a little more. If you want it a little creamier, stir in a little additional almond milk, light coconut milk or other plant milk of choice to reach desired consistency.
- Scoop into a bowl and enjoy with your favorite toppings such as chopped walnuts, blueberries or almond butter.
Thank you!
I loved the flavor and consistency. I dry-toasted the oats, chia seeds, and cinnamon for about two minutes in the pot first, not sure if that really made a difference. Topped it off with walnuts and blueberries. Absolute perfection!
This was probably closer to two servings for me. The rich, creaminess made it heavy (in a good way), I ate less than half before feeling full.
So glad you enjoyed them, Lori!
Fluffy and delicious!
Excellent!
The mixed banana and chia seeds were delicious. I added walnuts on top and was soo good! 🤩
I loved the recipe………absolutely delicious.
So glad to hear that, Rita! Thanks for letting me know!
This is my all time favourite version of oatmeal! I use plain water and cinnamon and I like to add a tbs of tahini instead of peanut butter when it cooks, as it goes great with the banana and it helps with the overall thickening of the oatmeal.
Thank You for sharing it was delicious!
Made this today. It’s my new morning breakfast. I added to the recipe 1/4 tsp nutmeg and topped with a banana slices and pecans. Yum!
So glad to hear it! It really is so yummy, isn’t it? Sounds just perfect with banana, nutmeg and pecan too. Thanks for the review!
The perfect comfort food for a chilly fall morning… and so easy to make!
Have you made this the night before and reheated?
I haven’t but you definitely can! Reheat stovetop, in the microwave or eat cold. May need to add a little additional milk to adjust the consistency.
Do you have a crockpot version?