10-Minute Stovetop Banana Oatmeal
This creamy, sweet, and satisfying homemade banana oatmeal uses fresh, ripe bananas and rolled oats. Top yours with chocolate, nuts, flaked coconut, or nothing at all for a breakfast that’s sure to delight. Ready in 10 minutes on the stovetop, it’s an easy breakfast idea for busy mornings.
Easy Banana Oatmeal Recipe
When it comes to breakfast, I am a fan of things that I can throw together quickly but leave me feeling full and ready to take on the day. Breakfast granola with yogurt and fresh fruit is always a favorite, but on chilly mornings, when I want something hot, stovetop oatmeal is perfect!
With mashed ripe bananas, old-fashioned rolled oats, and milk, this homemade banana oatmeal is filling and delicious. Using only whole ingredients, it’s less processed than a packet of instant oatmeal and only takes 10 minutes to prepare.
Thanks to the mashed bananas and the milk, it has an extra creamy texture with a natural sweetness. We then add a little bit of both maple syrup and brown sugar to add a unique, sweet flavor that makes the bananas taste even better. Enjoying a warm bowl on a chilly morning feels extra cozy, and it’s the perfect morning pick-me-up to carry you through the rest of your day.
What You’ll Need
This homemade banana oatmeal has just 6 ingredients, not including optional toppings. Ripe bananas, the ones with a few brown spots, are best for this recipe as they are easier to mash and have a more pronounced natural flavor than their still-green counterparts. You’ll need one or two to make a full cup of mashed banana.
Featured Ingredient: Rolled Oats
Whether you are making stovetop oatmeal or overnight oatmeal, the oats are the most important ingredient. They are responsible for creating texture and make up the bulk of the dish. There are three main types of oats that you will most often find in your average American supermarket: steel-cut, rolled oats (also called old-fashioned), and instant oats.
Each type will function differently when used to make homemade oatmeal. If instant oats are cooked according to this recipe, the results will closely resemble a thick, gluey blob without much texture. Rolled oats will make a soft, creamy oatmeal, while steel-cut oats will make a thicker, chewier oatmeal.
Rolled oats are most often used for baking and are featured in recipes for cookies, crisps, and granolas. They enhance the chewy texture of cranberry chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies and add a crunchy component to this butterscotch apple crisp.
My recommendation for stovetop oatmeal: use old-fashioned oats for creamy oatmeal or steel-cut for oatmeal with more texture.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
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- small saucepan
- measuring cups and spoons
- spatula or spoon
How to Make Banana Oatmeal
Making this banana oatmeal is super easy and takes just 10 minutes. Gather your ingredients and tools before you start cooking.
- Cook. Transfer the pan to the stovetop and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Drop the heat and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 5 – 10 minutes, depending on your preference.
- Serve. Divide your oatmeal into two bowls and add toppings as desired.
Tips for Success
When tackling a new recipe for the first time, it’s always helpful to have a few tips to help you get it right. Here are a couple of my favorite pointers for making this stovetop banana oatmeal.
- Don’t let it burn. Left alone on the stovetop, your oatmeal can burn, and the added sugar can cause it to stick to the pan. Cooking over medium-low heat (or lower) and stirring it every few minutes can help prevent burning.
- Adjust the sugar as needed. The added brown sugar and maple syrup can be adjusted to taste or omitted altogether if preferred. The natural sweetness in a really ripe banana will add more sweetness to the oatmeal, so you may want to reduce the added sugar if you are using very sweet, ripe bananas.
Topping Ideas
The best part of serving this banana oatmeal is adding your favorite toppings! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Chocolate is always a good choice! Try chocolate chunks, mini chocolate chips, or a swirl of chocolate syrup.
- Swirl in nut butter like almond butter, peanut butter, or even sunflower butter or Nutella.
- Add a hint of spice with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, ground ginger, or even ground cardamom.
- Do you have a few more bananas to use? Serve a few extra slices on top for added texture.
- Chopped or whole nuts like almonds, walnuts, pecans, or macadamias taste great with bananas.
- Shredded coconut or toasted coconut are also good choices.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
Leftover oatmeal can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for about 2 days. It can be reheated either in the microwave or on the stove. It will thicken as it sits, so you’ll want to add about a 1/4 cup of milk to make it creamy again.
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10-Minute Stovetop Banana Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup mashed banana (1 – 2 large bananas)
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: chocolate chips, extra banana slices, peanut butter, Nutella, chopped nuts, ground cinnamon.
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, mash the banana until smooth. Add the rolled oats, milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, then stir to combine completely.
- Transfer the pan to the stovetop, cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Once it boils, remove the lid and reduce the heat.
- Cook the oatmeal at a simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the oatmeal has reached the desired consistency, about five to ten minutes. The longer you cook it, the softer the oats, while a shorter cook time will give you more textured, chewy oats.
- To serve, divide this creamy oatmeal into two bowls. Add toppings as desired.
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Notes
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 ½ cup almond milk
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional toppings: chocolate chips, extra banana slices, peanut butter, Nutella, chopped nuts, ground cinnamon.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.
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