Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter and Banana
~ Creamy and delicious, these Overnight Peanut Butter and Banana Oats have a nourishing combination of protein and complex carbs to keep you powered up and going strong, all morning long. They’re delectably just-sweet-enough, with no added sweeteners needed! And you can mix ’em up in mere moments, ready to pull out of the fridge (or even the freezer!) as you dash out the door. ~
This Recipe Is: • Freezable • Make Ahead • Vegetarian (with Vegan Option) • Gluten Free •
Don’t you wish every morning could be a relaxed, peaceful family moment? When everyone casually lingers ’round the breakfast table basking in togetherness and happily planning the day ahead?
Mmmmmm … yeah … let’s all wish hard about that together. Because it’s awesome when it actually happens.
But …
Most days, it’s pretty far from the reality of the situation (where morning is more like a mad dash toward the starting line as the day feels like it’s already off and running without you … and you still just want that first sip of coffee).
What we need are ways to make even crazy mornings calmer, and a little more like that idealized, wished-for, relaxed snapshot of familial bliss. (Remember, we’re all wishing and wishing together on this.)
Enter Overnight Oats.
This is where you hear victorious superhero music playing in the background. I’m not sure if the oats are the superhero in this story, or if the superhero is actually YOU for making them. Probably both.
Because here’s the deal:
When you’ve gotta come up with endless ideas for breakfasts that can be eaten on the go, overnight oats are probably the most brilliant solution yet. (Well, overnight oats and also Energy Balls … possibly in delicious weekly rotations.)
I’ve been keeping these Peanut Butter and Banana Overnight Oats on hand at all times lately, since they’ve become one of my husband’s favorite go-to breakfasts.
He grabs a container outta the fridge as he’s already halfway out the door in the morning … and then happily scarfs it down, whenever he has a free moment at work. (And yeah … you might remember that his other fave go-to breakfast has always been Energy Balls, especially those “original” Peanut Butter ones.)
He often unpacks his little lunch bag in the evening, while telling me {yet again} alllllll about how GOOOOOOD those oats were! I’m completely not kidding about how much he loves these! It takes a LOT to rival his favorite energy balls, so this high praise, indeed.
And me? Well, I like overnight oats as a pre-workout breakfast (or even mid-afternoon fuel-up, honestly!) that’s full of power nutrition but won’t bog me down mid-workout.
Plus, I never get tired of how that superhero music plays every time I reach in the fridge to pull out some more.
Seriously, though, there’s oh-so-much to love here!
Why You’ll Love This EASY Breakfast Idea (It’s Not Just Because of the Superhero Music)
Ok, Sounds Great – But Exactly What ARE Overnight Oats?
So, in case you haven’t tried overnight oatmeal yet, let me back up for a sec and introduce you to one of the best things that ever happened to busy mornings.
The basic idea is that you mix oats (old-fashioned, rolled oats) with a liquid (like milk) and possibly also Greek yogurt. (We include Greek yogurt in our recipes for Peach Oats, Blueberry Oats, and also Apple Oats.)
Then you mix in flavorings – like the peanut butter we’re using here – and usually fruits – like the banana in this recipe.
Maybe a dash of vanilla or a pinch of cinnamon or some crunchy nuts … whatever’s calling to you … and then you just stir it all up and stash it in the fridge.
Overnight, the liquid softens the oats, with no cooking needed.
And the flavors meld into a cool, creamy bowl of joy. Ready and waiting at a moment’s notice. Whenever your family needs to grab breakfast.
Mornings are more orderly and stress-free, and your family not only has a SCRUMPTIOUS breakfast, but also one that’s actually good for them.
And you’re more relaxed … already winning the day! With one thing (making breakfast) already checked off the day’s to-do list. Booyah!
Yup … overnight oats are a win in pretty much every single way!
How to Make Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter and Banana
We’re talkin’ a total of about 5 minutes of effort here. Tops.
The only work is mashing up your banana, crushing a few peanuts, and opening a jar of peanut butter.
If you need to stretch first, I’ll wait, no problem. But I feel like you’ve got this, no stretching or warm-up needed! 😉
Ready? Ok!
Step #1
So, after you mash up that banana, you whisk it together with your milk, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt.
Optionally, you can toss in some chia seeds at this point, too.
Ingredient Tip: Types of Milk
You can try this recipe with any milk you prefer. We fully tested it with both nonfat dairy milk and also plain, unsweetened oat milk.
Remember, though, that some non-dairy milks do include additional sweeteners or may add flavors (such as vanilla).
Step #2
Once you’ve got a relatively smooth mixture, you stir in your oats.
Ingredient Tip: What Type of Oats to Use
Always use old-fashioned oats (sometimes called rolled oats) for making this overnight oats recipe.
Quick oats will break down too much during overnight refrigeration, and will end up in a paste-like consistency that’s just not very good.
Steel cut oats, on the other hand, technically can be used in making overnight oatmeal, but they tend to still be super-chewy, particularly on day one, and some recipes for overnight steel cut oats actually call for cooking the steel cut oats.
Definitely stick with old-fashioned oats for this particular recipe.
Step #3
All that’s left to do is cover your overnight oats, tuck ’em in the fridge … and pat yourself on the back, knowing you’ve already conquered tomorrow’s breakfast rush!
Storage Options
You can choose to leave the entire batch of Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats in one big bowl, so tomorrow morning everyone can scoop out the amount they’d like.
Or, you can divide the oats into separate, individual containers. Cute little jars offer an irresistible presentation that makes breakfast seem truly special. But you can honestly go for whatever small bowls or storage containers you happen to have – whatever makes your life easiest!
Step #4
In the morning, you may find that the oats are a little browner on top (because the mashed banana browns where it comes into contact with oxygen). It’s totally not a problem, and you can simply give your oats a quick stir to fix that.
Then, sprinkle some crushed peanuts on top. Sure – you technically could do that the night before, but I like to add the nuts at the last minute, so they’re as crunchy as possible.
Yum! That little pop of salty crunch really does magical things as a counterpoint to the sweet flavor and creamy texture of the oats!
I mean, this overnight oatmeal will still be good if you forget the nuts in the blur of the morning rush, but that final flourish of nuts truly does make it extra-special (totally worth the effort of remembering to add them!).
This is also a great time to get creative with enticing toppings …
Variations and Optional Toppings
Here’s where it gets fun! (If you have the time … if not, keep it simple and you’ll still be winning, I promise!)
Optional Toppings
As you serve this up, you can layer in (or top) your overnight oats with:
- Even more crunchy, salty nuts
- Some fresh banana slices
- A drizzle or dollop of peanut butter
Oooooooh … Wondering How to Make That Impressive PB Drizzle Action Happen?
Super easy!
Put a dollop of peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it for 20 seconds or so. Just until it’s drippy-runny, so it slides beautifully off a spoon.
Feeling really fancy? For perfectly thin drizzles, you can spoon the melty peanut butter into the bottom corner of a zip-top bag and snip the corner for mess-free but professional-level drizzling.
You can also:
- Swirl in some banana or vanilla Greek yogurt if you’d like. Or serve some alongside.
- And don’t forget about the option to add chia seeds when you’re first whisking everything together.
- Lastly, for a little decadence, stir in a few mini chocolate chips, layer them into your breakfast masterpiece, or sprinkle a few on top. Yeahhhhh … go ahead … you’ve earned it!!
How to Freeze Overnight Oatmeal
In the process of running through some final tests (and then actually photographing this recipe), I ended up with three or four batches stockpiled in the fridge. Waaaaaay more than we could reasonably eat anytime soon! And you know I HATE to waste food.
Soooooo … I tried one last experiment. And it worked like a charm.
You can freeze overnight oats!!! Woop woop!
If you’re seriously into meal prepping, this is a slam dunk.
Freezing Directions
- Just make up a massive double- or triple-batch of these Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter and Banana, and let it sit overnight.
- Then, spoon out individual portions in mounded circles on a baking sheet lined with wax paper (they’ll look sort of like domed hockey pucks).
- Pop that in the freezer until your disks-o-oats are frozen solid, and then put each frozen disk into its own sandwich-sized zipper bag.
- Lastly, tuck all your individual baggies together into a large, gallon-sized bag (so they don’t get lost from each other and go milling around your freezer).
- Move each one to the fridge the night before you’ll need it, and it’ll be perfectly thawed by morning! (Or, if you forget to move them to the fridge the night before, a very low and gentle defrost in the microwave works, too.)
- Sprinkle on your peanuts and any optional toppings you’d like!
Even MORE Overnight Joy
It’s so ridiculously liberating to have breakfast already done and waiting for you when you roll out of bed in the morning!
To be sure you’re always armed and ready with crave-worthy variations, try these favorites, too:
And, if you get addicted to overnight oatmeal like my family does, the next logical step is overnight chia pudding. Mmmmmmmm …
So many scrumptious ways to start your morning on Easy Street!
FAQs At-a-Glance
No – definitely use old-fashioned oats, also known as rolled oats. Quick oats aren’t hearty enough to hold up well when refrigerated overnight. By morning, they will have broken down too far, and will have become paste-like. Throughout our testing on various overnight oatmeal recipes, we’ve found that old-fashioned oats are unquestionably the best choice.
Yep! You can definitely make this up to two days ahead, maybe even three. Although some of our other overnight oats recipes last a little longer, this peanut butter and banana version is best within a couple of days. The mashed banana tends to get a little brown and doesn’t look as appetizing the longer it sits. And, after a couple of days, you may also see a small bit of liquid separating out around the edges. Although both the browning and the liquid separation are easily fixed by re-stirring the overnight oats before serving, I still recommend eating this within a couple of days, or freezing leftovers (as described in the article above).
Virtually any type of milk will work. As mentioned above, we specifically tested this recipe with both nonfat dairy milk and also oat milk, but you can try subbing your favorite milk instead.
These Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats really and truly have been on constant repeat at my house. They’re so easy to make, so delicious (and nutritious, too!), and they make mornings such a total breeze.
Right from the start, I’ve got a checkmark in my win column for the day!
Cue the superhero music (grab a cape if you’re really feeling the hero vibe) … and start conquering mornings, one breakfast at a time!
~ by Shelley
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Overnight Oats with Peanut Butter and Banana
Ingredients
- ¾ cup mashed banana (from a yellow banana, not one that's over-ripe and brown-speckled; see note)
- ¾ cup nonfat milk (or milk of choice; we tested both dairy milk and plain, unsweetened oat milk)
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 1/16 teaspoon kosher salt
- optional addition: 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 cup old-fashioned (rolled) oats (NOT quick oats; see note)
- 4½ tablespoons coarsely crushed, salted peanuts
- optional toppings: banana slices, drizzled or dolloped peanut butter, extra nuts, or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk together mashed banana, milk, peanut butter, vanilla, kosher salt, and (if using) optional chia seeds.
- Once the mixture is thoroughly combined, stir in oats.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Before serving, you can give the oats a quick stir if they've turned a bit brown on top (this isn't a problem and simply happens when the mashed banans in the oats come into contact with the oxygen in the air). Then, sprinkle each serving with peanuts and add any of the optional toppings you'd like. (While you technically can do this as part of Step #3 above, I recommend that you wait until morning, so the nuts are as crunchy as possible and any banana slices you add on top don't get brown overnight in the fridge.)
Notes
Nutrition
* Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
