This delicious, healthy, and nutrient-packed banana bread oatmeal is made easily on the stovetop. It’s the perfect fast breakfast that keeps you full.

After eating this Banana Bread Oatmeal almost every morning for the past 9 months, I figured it was high time it hit the blog.
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I’ve never been a breakfast person and I’ve talked in length about struggling with breakfast for years. I usually opt for something quick, like this kefir smoothie, but literally days after I found out I was pregnant this past November, my eating habits HAD to change in the morning.

I’ve always been a big eater, but I suddenly had to eat something really substantial almost immediately upon waking up, and this Banana Bread Oatmeal was really the only thing that sounded appealing, day in and day out. I never had morning sickness, but I had some pretty intense food aversions and definitely craved sweeter, carb-based food, especially in the beginning.

I usually get so busy and ready to start the day in the morning that food takes a backseat to coffee, work, etc, but I’ve really started to enjoy my little routine of cooking something every morning, and it helps that this meal comes together in less than 10 minutes.
By the time I make my oatmeal, take all of my vitamins, drink my lemon water and sit down to eat, straighten up the kitchen (and run my new Roomba!!) I’ve had 20 minutes of peace in my kitchen and it’s really lovely. So, maybe I am starting to be a breakfast person after all!

Oatmeal is best made on the stovetop
I love overnight oats, and baked oatmeal (these are some of my favorite make-ahead recipes), but to me, oatmeal is best made on the stovetop. Growing up, we ate oatmeal quite frequently in the mornings and my mom always made it on the stovetop with a sprinkle of brown sugar and a splash of milk. Heaven.

But, the key to creamy oats that aren’t too thick is cooking them on the stovetop with plenty of liquid. And, not stirring them too much. You’ll see that I start them out cooking in just water and then add a bit of milk when I turn the heat down for some richness. I think this results in the best texture, and you can use any milk you like. We like organic whole milk, but I know that isn’t everyone’s choice. Almond, cashew, oat, coconut – it will all work perfectly.

What makes this oatmeal taste like banana bread?
The secret to this oatmeal – cooking half of a sliced banana IN with the oatmeal. Not only does this provide a good amount of natural sweetness, but the banana gets that soft, caramelized flavor that you get in your favorite banana bread recipe.
I top the cooked oats with the other half of the banana, some Greek yogurt, chia seeds and just a teeny bit of maple syrup. And sometimes berries! It’s such a treat in the morning, but it’s a healthy and super filling way to start the day!

If you love oats as much as I do, be sure to check out my banana blueberry and apple pie baked oatmeal recipes! Here’s the pan I love to make this recipe in:
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Banana Bread Oatmeal
This delicious, healthy, and nutrient-packed banana bread oatmeal is made easily on the stovetop. It’s the perfect fast breakfast that keeps you full.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old fashioned, rolled oats (gluten-free if you prefer!)
- about 1 cup water – enough water to just cover the oats
- 1 medium banana, sliced
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 2 Tbsp. milk of choice (I like whole milk and full-fat coconut milk)
- optional toppings – maple syrup, chia seeds, yogurt, berries
Instructions
- Add the oats to a small or medium-sized saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the oats entirely, which is about 1 cup. You’re going to add milk later and you can always add a little extra if it looks dry.
- Add half of the sliced banana to the saucepan, along with the cinnamon and sea salt.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and let it simmer up without mixing it. This will take about 3-4 minutes.
- Once it bubbles, add the milk and turn the heat to low. Stir the milk in and let it cook so the milk can absorb. Stir occasionally to break up the bananas and to make sure the oatmeal isn’t sticking to the pan. Cook until the desired consistency is reached, this takes about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the oatmeal to a bowl and top with the remaining banana slices. I top mine with just a touch of maple syrup (about 1 teaspoon), chia seeds, and plain Greek yogurt!
Notes
- This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. to serve as many as you need. It does re-heat but it’s best made fresh.
- I really do prefer old fashioned, rolled oats here. Gluten-free rolled oats are fine, but any other variety of oats will give you a different result. Quick-cooking is your second best bet, you may want to reduce the amount of liquid a bit.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (no toppings, with whole milk))
- Calories: 349
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 151 mg
- Fat: 4 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 76 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: oatmeal, breakfast, banana
Thank you so much for this enlightening post, I have significantly got some thing right here and I will bookmark this page for your next upcoming post.
★★★★★
I love this recipe & I am gonna try it. It looks delicious & super easy to make. Thank you for sharing the recipe;)