Simple Creamy Banana Oatmeal (2024)

Introduction

Cooking stovetop oatmeal with mashed banana is a recipe for the creamiest bowl of oatmeal ever! Making oats with banana is a great way to add creaminess and sweetness without the need for sugar or milk.

You’ll love how easy this recipe is and you’ll be sure to make it again and again, especially during the colder months. Bonus: You’ll need just 5 healthy ingredients and 10 minutes to make it.

Once cooked, scoop it into a bowl and enjoy as is or with toppings like walnuts, brown sugar and peanut butter and enjoy for your morning oats.

This recipe can also be made as overnight oats your 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.

If you’re looking for pancakes made with similar ingredients to these oats, you can try my Vegan Oat Banana Pancakes.

Recipe Highlights

• No added sweetener or refined sugar.
• Vegan (dairy-free).
• Gluten-free.
• Nut-free.
• 5 simple ingredients.
• 10 minute recipe.
• Customize with your favorite toppings.
• Can be made as overnight oats.
• Add protein powder to make protein oatmeal.
• Great way to use overripe bananas.

Ingredient Notes

• 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 Healthy 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.

Please see the recipe card at the end of the post for the complete ingredient list with measurements and detailed instructions.

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.
• 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, chia seed jam.

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.

Recipe FAQs