Start your morning off right with a delicious and easy-to-make bowl of banana bread overnight oats! With only 5 minutes of hands on prep, it's sure to become a favorite breakfast go-to.
TBH, when overnight oats blew up all over the internet, I was not enthused. I thought "who wants cold, mushy oats for breakfast?". Well, I'm here to tell you that is NOT the case at all. They are DELICIOUS and absolutely, ridiculously easy. In fact, this banana bread overnight oats recipe came about due to leftover mashed banana I had sitting around after making banana bread from previously frozen bananas 🤣.
Ever since having a baby, the amount of overripe bananas in our house is just ridiculous. Sometimes she's ALL about the "nana", other times she wants nothing to do with them. Ergo, ALL the leftover banana recipes!
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The Magic of Overnight Oats
Just a few reasons why you'll love this recipe ⤵.
- Convenience - With banana bread overnight oats, you simply prepare them the night before, let them work while you sleep, and wake up to a satisfying and nourishing breakfast that's ready to go.
- Hands off - 5 minutes prep time. The rest is just leaving the oats in the fridge overnight. That's it!
- Flavor - As the oats soak up the liquid overnight, they soften and become wonderfully creamy, absorbing the taste of the banana, spices, and maple syrup.
Customizations and Variations
There are SO many ways to dress up a bowl of banana bread overnight oats:
- Toppings - For this particular iteration, I used sliced bananas, mission figs, golden berries, pomegranate seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup (there's also some star anise pods sprinkled about for aesthetics 😆). But really you can do whatever you want! Fresh fruits, dried fruits, a spoonful of peanut butter, chopped nuts, coconut flakes...just to name a few.
- Sweeteners - I like to use maple syrup but honey or agave syrup work nicely.
- Milk - Dairy, non-dairy, sweetened, unsweetened, the choice is yours. I always have unsweetened coconut milk in my house so I used that. We also always have whole milk (#toddlerlife) but my cholesterol levels won't allow that in my diet so coconut milk it is 🤣.
- Yogurt - For a basic overnight oats recipe, plain yogurt (greek or no) is the best starting point. Once you've got your flavors, feel free to experiment here. Fruity yogurts, different fat contents, non dairy options...go for it!
Commonly Asked Questions
Ehhh...While you technically can use instant oats in this recipe, I definitely still recommend using rolled oats for the best results. Rolled oats have a heartier texture and will soak up the flavors more effectively overnight and give you a creamier bowl of oatmeal in the morning.
You can store them in the fridge for up to five days. However, I find it best to enjoy within 2-3 days for optimal yums. If you're meal prepping, it's a good idea to make a fresh batch every couple days for best texture and taste.
Absolutely! The coconut milk in this recipe can be substituted with any type of milk you prefer or have on hand. Whether it's dairy milk, soy milk, oat milk, or almond milk, feel free to use what works best for your dietary needs or taste preferences.
Don't see your question answered here? Scroll down and leave it in the comments!
Banana Bread Overnight Oats
- Total Time: 4 hours
- Yield: Serves 2 to 3 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Start your morning off right with a delicious and easy-to-make bowl of banana bread overnight oats! With only 5 minutes of hands on prep, it's sure to become a favorite breakfast go-to.
Ingredients
For the Oats
- 1 cup gluten-free old fashioned oats
- 1 cup over ripe mashed banana
- 1 cup your favorite milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup your favorite yogurt (I used plain, nonfat yogurt but pretty much any kind will work here!)
- ½ to 1 tablespoon maple syrup, more (or less) as desired
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds or ground flax seeds (optional)
Optional Toppings (As Pictured)
- Black Mission figs
- Bananas
- Golden berries
- Pomegranate seeds
- Ground Cinnamon
- Maple Syrup
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- In a sealable container, stir together all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Mason jars or glass/plastic containers with lids are great here!
- Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Remove from fridge and give it a good stir. Add a splash of milk if it's too thick.
- Garnish with toppings as desired and enjoy! Can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for 5 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Resting Time: 4 hours to Overnight
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
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