Banana Nut Oatmeal

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Banana slices cooked in a sweet sticky syrup with crunchy pecans and served over creamy oats! This banana nut oatmeal is a hearty 10 minute breakfast that will easily keep you satisfied until lunchtime.

I don’t follow any “food rules” and never have adhered to a particular fad diet in my life. I do however have a few food habits. And one that has followed me throughout my life and has always served me well is eating breakfast.

Breakfast is really a basic necessity for me. Without breakfast, I’m an empty shell of a person, sad and silent except for the thunderous rumbling of my belly.

That said, I never used to put much effort in breakfasts. At any given time I would have about 3 to 5 boxes of (boring) cereal on rotation and that was good enough for me.

But in recent years, I’ve discovered that there are ways to make breakfast more exciting with minimal effort, simply by making things ahead. Sometimes I make a batch of honey almond granola, to make these breakfast parfaits all week or blueberry overnight oats over the weekend that will get me through the week. Or when I’m feeling a little more indulgent, some chocolate baked oats for healthy breakfast all week.

Rarely do I endeavor to actually prepare breakfast from scratch in the morning.

But here’s where I make an exception! Banana nut oatmeal is one my favorite breakfasts of all time and it takes only 10 minutes to prepare. It’s perfect for when you have just one banana left and we all know that’s not enough to make banana bread.

So, make this creamy and delicious banana nut oatmeal and you won’t regret it. It might just also become your new favorite breakfast.

Why You’ll Love this Banana Nut Oatmeal Recipe

• It is so quick and easy to make and will only take 10 minutes on a busy morning!

• Oats are nutrient dense and an excellent source of fiber. This banana nut oatmeal can be a great addition to any meal plan for weight loss.

• This recipe is very versatile and you can make the oats in a microwave safe bowl, on the stove top, or even in the instant pot.

Ingredient Notes

Oats

Use your favorite oats for this banana nut oatmeal. This time I used old fashioned oats, but if I’m honest, most mornings I use quick oats, which are ready after a 2 minute blitz in the microwave.

Be sure to select gluten-free oats if you’re gluten-free (oats are naturally GF, but many brands contain trace amounts of wheat so check the packaging!).

Steel cut oats will work too, but do require a much longer cooking time.

Salt

While I wouldn’t normally devote a whole paragraph to a pinch of salt in a recipe, THIS pinch, in my opinion, makes all the difference with oatmeal. That little pinch of salt will bring out all the nutty umami flavor you never knew it had, and bring that bland grain to life. Hyperbole? Not even. Try it! You can experiment with the amount you like, I usually add about 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt for one bowl.

Butter

I like to cook my sliced bananas in some butter for the topping but you can also use coconut oil if you’re looking for a dairy-free option.

Banana

A ripe banana that’s not TOO ripe and soft will work best here. Some brown spots are perfectly fine. Some green is fine too, it will still get nice and soft as it cooks.

Pecans

I love the combination of banana and pecans (please tell me you’ll try these soft and fragrant banana pecan muffins some day!) but you can use any nuts of your choice, I often use walnuts if that’s what I happen to have. Just chop them up before adding.

Maple syrup

I like to use a natural sweetener to cook my sliced bananas and maple syrup is delicious. Brown sugar or white sugar work well too.

I also like to stir a little maple syrup into my cooked oatmeal, to sweeten it up a bit, but this is optional.

Milk

I personally like to make my oatmeal with milk instead of water for extra creaminess and also the calcium boost, but water works great too.

You can absolutely use a non-dairy milk of choice like coconut milk or almond milk or any plant-based milk.

Cinnamon

I like to sprinkle some cinnamon on the top of my banana nut oatmeal but this is also completely optional.

Step by Step Instructions

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, add in your oats, a pinch of salt (please don’t skip the salt), and milk of choice. Microwave for 4 minutes, stopping to stir when you see it bubbling up, so it doesn’t overflow.
   Alternatively, if you don’t feel like babysitting your oats, you can 1) use a larger bowl 2) cook your oats on the stovetop or 3) my favorite – use quick oats which cook so fast they never have a chance to bubble over.

1. Meanwhile, slice up one banana, about 1/2 inch thick. Add the butter and maple syrup to a small skillet and let it melt and get bubbly. Now add in the sliced bananas in a single layer.

1. Cook the bananas for about two minutes and then flip them over. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top and add in the chopped pecans.

1. Let it cook for a minute or two longer.

1. Stir the remaining maple syrup and milk into the cooked oatmeal and top with the caramelized bananas.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Topping Suggestions

Although these are great on their own, if you want to, there are a lot of things you can add on top.

• Chia seeds
• Cacao nibs
• Peanut butter or almond butter
• Add some protein powder to the oatmeal for a protein-rich breakfast option
• Add some hemp seeds
• chocolate chips

Storage & Reheating

Allow the banana nut oatmeal to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

For reheating, add a splash of milk or water to the oatmeal to loosen it up, as it will thicken in the fridge. Warm it on the stove top over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.

You can reheat it in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through to ensure even heating. Adjust with more liquid as needed to reach your desired consistency.

Love Bananas for Breakfast? Try these favorites!

• The BEST banana pecan muffins
• Bananas Foster Crepes
• Banana Granola with Coconut
• Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Banana Granola with Peanut Butter and Coconut
• Banana Blueberry Muffins
• Peach and Banana Smoothie