This caramelized banana oatmeal is creamy, delicious and only takes about 15 minutes to make. It’s vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free and will be sure to impress!
What’s your favorite breakfast? I’m a sucker for a good blueberry smoothie when the weather warms up, but oatmeal and sweet potato breakfast bowls are my go-to’s on colder fall and winter days.
This caramelized banana oatmeal is one of my all time favorite recipes, and yours too! It’s creamy, super easy to make, and tastes like dessert yet is made with simple and wholesome ingredients.
It’s completely refined sugar free but somehow tastes like you’re eating a super decadent and fancy dessert like my caramelized banana pudding, but it’s breakfast and only takes 15, maybe even 10, minutes to make. Sounds like a win!
The oatmeal itself is made on the stovetop, but don’t worry you can definitely make it in the microwave instead! Use these caramelized bananas to top off my protein overnight oats, too!
Key ingredients
Oats: I prefer old fashioned/rolled oats but steal cut or quick oats also work. However, the cook time and method will vary. The recipe is written for old fashioned oats.
Oats are naturally gluten free, just be sure to use certified gluten free oats if you have Celiac!
Banana: When it comes to caramelizing bananas, I personally find it easier to use a banana that’s yellow. Not too ripe, but also not unripe.
If it’s too ripe it will get a bit mushy, and if it’s too green then it won’t soften properly. Right in the middle is what you’re aiming for!
Oil: I suggest using refined coconut oil for this recipe to make sure there is no coconut taste. If you don’t have it, regular coconut oil is fine.
I used 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to caramelize the bananas, but you can probably get away with only using 1, depending on the type of pan you use. If you notice the bananas sticking at all, just add some extra oil.
Non-dairy Milk: You can sub the milk for water, but the milk helps make the oats much creamier. I usually use almond milk, but soy, oat or coconut milk all work.
Maple Syrup or Sugar: In order to caramelize the bananas, they need to come into contact with a sugar. I like using maple syrup but coconut sugar or brown sugar works well and helps brown the bananas really nicely.
Cinnamon: To help flavor the oats and because it pairs SO nicely with the caramelized bananas.
Vanilla: You can use vanilla almond milk and leave this part out. I love vanilla, so sometimes I add extra!
Toppings of choice: Obviously the bananas make a great topping for oats, but I also love some almond or peanut butter, crushed walnuts, and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon for this recipe.
How to make caramelized banana oatmeal
If I had known how easy it was to caramelize bananas, I would have been doing it years ago! They’re so good and can take a boring bowl of oatmeal and make it a million times better.
Trust me, they’re amazing. Follow these simple steps to make the perfect golden brown caramelized bananas that you can use in oatmeal, on pancakes etc.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of refined coconut oil to a pan and let it melt over low-medium heat. Add in the maple syrup once it is sizzling and the sliced bananas.
Cook the bananas on each side for about 5-10 minutes. They will start to smell nice and sweet and become a golden brown color. That’s it! Making caramelized bananas is so simple and doesn’t require any refined sugar.
You can also have them as dessert with some coconut whipped cream, on top of pancakes, or with oatmeal like this recipe. YUM.
Caramelized bananas are the best way to make oatmeal more interesting. Oats are pretty bland on their own, but I promise this recipe is chock full of flavor.
Flavor tips
To make this recipe even more flavorful than it already is, you can mash 1/2 or 1 full banana and cook that into the oats.
It gives it almost a banana bread vibe and really takes this oatmeal to the next level. This is totally optional, the oats will still be delicious without it!
Can I add protein powder to oatmeal?
Yes! If you want to make this a more protein rich meal, you can add in a scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder and cook that into the oats.
You may need to add in some more milk since it will thick the oats quite a bit. You can also try collagen peptides if you don’t want to change the flavor much.
Can you prep oatmeal in advance?
You can prep the oatmeal in advance but I do not recommend preparing the bananas in advance. Once prepared, the oatmeal will keep for 3 days.
If you do prep the oatmeal in advance, it will thicken a bit as it sits in the fridge, so I suggest adding it to the stove with a splash of milk so it gets nice and creamy again.
Just heat until its warm through the center and enjoy!
You’ll also love…
- Baked Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal
- PB & J Overnight Oats
- Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes
- Blueberry Overnight Oats
- Gluten Free Granola
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list! As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram so I can see your creation and leave a comment below with your thoughts!
Caramelized Banana Oatmeal
by: claire cary
Ingredients
Oatmeal:
- 1 cup rolled/old fashioned oats
- 2 cups non-dairy milk I like soy or almond
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Bananas:
- 2 bananas sliced into disks
- 1-2 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup plus more for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Add the oats and non dairy milk or water to a pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, add cinnamon, sea salt, and vanilla and let simmer until thickened.
- While the oatmeal is cooking, add the coconut oil and maple syrup to a large saute pan. Once it is sizzling, add in the sliced bananas. It’s best to cut them a bit on the thicker side for this recipe.
- Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, or until nice and golden brown.
- When the oatmeal is done, top with the caramelized bananas and additional maple syrup if desired.
- Top with an extra pinch of cinnamon, crushed walnuts, pecans, or nut butter and enjoy.
Kristina says
Loved this! Super easy, very filling. I’d recommend cutting your bananas into bigger slices. I made some of my thin, and they turned to mush! I’m trying to give a 5 ***** but it keeps reverting to three… so FIVE STARS!
Lucy says
My whole life I’ve been plagued by bland oatmeal. However, recently I’ve discovered steel cut oats and I’ve been having a breakfast love affair with them ever since. I love adding fruit and brown sugar into my oats to add flavor… so this recipe was right up my alley! Instead of coconut oil, I used butter (not vegan). It turned out so yummy, however I want to experiment with cooking time and heat for this recipe because the bananas turned out more mushy and not as crispy as I would ideally want. Maybe that wouldn’t have happened if I used the coconut oil. Also my maple syrup has a bourbon flavor to it. That added a nice flavor element to the bananas but I think I would have preferred just plain maple syrup. I’m curious if anyone else has tried this recipe with a different oil and how that turned out. Nothing against coconut oil but I don’t have any rn!
Morgan says
This was amazing! Just added some pecans as well and now I’m obsessed. Thank you for this!!!
Claire Cary says
Sounds perfect, thanks Morgan!
JILLIAN says
I recommend adding whipped topping to the top. It adds a needed creaminess. And while your at it, a twist of crushed salt. Makes all the difference.
Watch the bananas carefully, they go from carmelized to burnt real quick.
Hillary says
I make bland oatmeal for my kids everyday , thank goodness they still eat it. I noticed right away the 1 cup of oats to 2 cups of milk. I figured it would be drowning, but stuck with it. unfortunately, my oats are drowning. Looks like milk with floating oats lol. What am I missing ? I’ve tried twice with keeping the heat up a little higher and then longer but with no success.
Claire Cary says
What kind of oats are you using? If you’re using quick oats, you will need less milk. But old fashioned/rolled oats require a 1:2 ratio.
Ash says
I eat banana oatmeal with peanut butter every day for breakfast (what can I say? I’m a creature of habit) and saw this recipe while perusing on Pinterest. Figuring it wasn’t too far out of my comfort zone, I gave it a shot and WOW this was soooo delicious. On mornings where I am willing to put in a little extra effort in my breakfast prep, I’ll definitely be revisiting this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing!
Sam says
This was delicious it literally tastes like dessert!
I also love this site but it’s honestly so consumed with advertisements. I can barley make it through a video without being interrupted and when I scroll I’m just riddled with ads. Disappointing.
Claire Cary says
Hi Sam, I totally get it. However, keep in mind the content I share is completely free. I do not get paid to put out content, and the only way for me to support myself and this business is to have ads on my website. It’s just the reality of the business.
Carolin says
This was so good!! Thank you for the inspiration!
Judy Ameche-Kromschroder says
What a delicious vegan gluten-free breakfast!!! It’s like having candy with oatmeal! We really enjoyed it and thank you for sharing ❤️
Claire Cary says
Thank you Judy! I feel the same way 🙂
Tammi says
Super easy and yummy! It legit tastes like a dessert 😊
Claire Cary says
dessert for breakfast is the best!
Andrea M says
I was ready to surrender myself to tasteless yet healthy meals when I decided to become (mostly) vegan. This recipe has given me hope! I almost felt like I was cheating my diet- it’s THAT good! Thanks for the new breakfast staple!
Claire Cary says
I love hearing that!! Enjoy 🙂
Emily says
This was amazing!! I followed the recipe exactly and used the bananas, PB and some chopped walnuts topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. YUM!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Emily! So happy you enjoyed it!
Sundee says
Wish I would have cut my bananas a bit thicker because they turned mushy, but the flavor was still great! Thanks for this recipe it will be a staple!
Claire Cary says
I will definitely make a note in the recipe card about the banana thickness! Happy you enjoyed it regardless 🙂
Jenn says
This recipe is so easy and has amazing flavor!
I make a batch for the week and put into separate containers . Sunday’s I eat it with the amazing carmelized bananas . The rest of the week I use other frozen fruit I have on hand and add when I reheat it along with some almond milk.
This is definitely my absolute favorite oatmeal recipe !!
Claire Cary says
Yum! So happy you’ve been enjoying it, Jenn!
Nicole says
So yummy! Love the nut butter in it adds some flavor.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Nicole! If you don’t mind leaving a star rating with your review next time, I’d really appreciate it!
Bonnie says
Bland oatmeal is definitely a downer. Morning oatmeal should be a happy, healthy, flavor explosion of organic fruits, nuts, a splash of eggnog, ginger jam or maple syrup (occasionally some chopped, cooked sweet potato or kabocha squash!). I always start with oats, raisins and cinnamon. Sometimes chopped apples. These carmelized bananas sound like a perfect awesome topping.
Olivia Boffa says
This was super delicious. I love the flavor of the bananas and the oats together. My sister doubled the recipe and now we are super excited about the next few days worth of caramelized banana oatmeal!!!
Claire Cary says
Thanks Olivia!! I hope you and your sister enjoy 🙂
Erin Streams says
I came across this recipe and made it the next morning. OMG!! It was soooo good, I made it a second time in the same week. I love cinnamon, so after adding the sauteed bananas + almond butter to my big bowl of oatmeal, I topped it off with quite a bit more cinnamon, a dollop of almond butter and a little pour of my NutPod (Unsweetened Coconut Creamer). I also used a banana that had just turned ripe, because I’m not fond of a one that’s gone too soft. . . Sauteing up a firmer one worked out perfect for me! It was AMAZING!! Definitely a new favorite of mine!! Thank you for posting, Claire!!
Claire Cary says
I always drown mine in cinnamon too! Makes it so much better. So happy you liked it and thanks for the feedback 🙂
Nicole says
I’ve made this at least 3 times and on a dreary, rainy day like today this is the recipe i’m making as soon as I get home! It tastes so naughty and is ridiculously easy to make. I could eat it day after day after day! Could not recommend it more 🙂
Claire Cary says
OMG yes! It tastes like literal dessert but the ingredients are so simple. My favorite 🙂
lindsay says
this was the best caramelized bananas ever! we put it on pancakes and that was delicious!
Claire Cary says
Thank you Lindsay! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Samantha says
DELICIOUS breakfast this morning. Thank you for the recipe.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Samantha! So glad you liked it 🙂
Megan | Ginger Mom & Company says
This looks amazing! I have a problem with oatmeal being bland. This one doesn’t sound like it would be.
Claire Cary says
Thanks Megan! This is definitely not a bland bowl of oatmeal 🙂