Can you imagine eating Bananas Foster for breakfast and calling it healthy? With this overnight oats recipe you’ll be ready to eat a delicious and filling meal first thing in the morning!
One of my favorite restaurants in New Orleans, Brennans, makes the most amazing bananas foster dessert. Ordering it, is an experience on its own. The waiter brings a cart next to the table and combines the bananas, brown sugar, butter, liquor, cinnamon, and rum right on the skillet. Then, cooks it and flambés the dessert prior to serving it over vanilla ice-cream.
It sounds amazing, right? I won’t even tell you how delicious it tastes. Let’s just say… that if you ever come to New Orleans, Brennans is definitely a place you want to experience.
These oats are clearly super easy to make but still have all the “wow” factor in the taste department. Check out this quick video to see how easy they are to make.
How exactly did I decide to make a healthier version for breakfast? Well, my husband loves oatmeal. He used to buy oatmeal packets with the different flavors, bring fruit with him and mix it all up at work with milk. Feeling bad about the high content of sugar and fake flavors, I began pre-mixing his oatmeal in single serve jars.
After a while, I had to get creative… so I began adding fruits, cream, maple syrup… and recreating some of our favorite desserts right in the jar. The entire process is so easy and comes together rather quickly; so this is one breakfast staple you’ll often find in my fridge.
If you are eager for more tasty breakfast ideas, you’ll definitely want to check out my recipe for Banana Overnight Oats. This is another great one to make ahead so you have a healthy and hearty breakfast every day of the week!
Ok, so back to these bananas foster overnight oats. Assembly is fast and the fridge does the rest. While I like to make these overnight oats when bananas are at their prime, you can also use the overly ripe bananas you meant to use to make banana bread but somehow never got to baking. The mixture will be a bit more saucy, but just as delicious.
You can make these bananas foster overnight oats one night and enjoy them 3-4 days later! They are good right out of the fridge or warmed. Oatmeal is easy like that… you can mix and match to whatever rocks your boat.
Bananas Foster Overnight Oats Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil*
- 3 very ripe bananas, sliced
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup steel cut oats*
- 2 teaspoons ground flax
- 2 cups milk*
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat up coconut oil over medium heat. Add bananas, vanilla, and cinnamon to the heated pan and begin to sauté until they begin to break down and juice out its natural sugars – about 2-3 minutes.
- Add maple syrup, stir to combine and cook for another minute, remove from heat.
- Place 1/4 cup steel oats, 1/2 teaspoon ground flax, and 1/2 cup milk inside each of 4 glass jars. Divide cooked bananas evenly over each glass jar.
- Stir to combine and refrigerate overnight.
Notes
You can use butter instead of coconut oil and your favorite dairy free milk as well. If you use old fashioned oats, reduce milk to 1 1/2 cups.
You can eat your oats cold right out of the fridge or warmed in the microwave.
Want more overnight oats? Check out these other delicious recipes
My husband loves bananas foster, so I’m trying this tonight! I don’t have coconut oil though, what would be an easy replacement? And could I use regular old Quaker brand old fashioned oats?
Yes, and butter is just as good… 🙂
This recipe sounds amazing! I can’t wait to try it! Mmmm! One question before I make this…do I cook the steel cut oats first? It seemed too good to be true if I don’t cook them first as they take a while to cook, at least for me…I need to try making them overnight in the crock pot (after I search for tht recipe). : )
Thank you!
Cindy, you place them as is in the jars… but you can also use old fashion oats.
sorry to be ignorant, but do you cook the oats first?? (since steel cut oats take so long to cook, I am having trouble imagining that the overnight ‘soak’ ‘cooks’ them??)
no. just as they are. if you are concerned, you can use old fashioned oats.
I made these last night and enjoyed one this morning. It was so yummy. Thanks Laura for another great recipe. Not only do you save my kids from boring lunches, you save me from boring breakfasts. Lol! You’re the best!
So glad everyone loved them Elena!
So you are not cooking the steel cut oats? Is soaking them in milk overnight in the fridge enough to soften them for eating? Like muesli?
thanks
they have a soft muesli feel..you can also use old fashioned oats. I prefer steel cut.
This looks yummy! I am wondering if this recipe would work with old-fashioned oats?
This sounds great! Can you also use rolled oats? I haven’t made the leap to steel cut oats yet…
Gina, yes… just not “quick” oats.
These came out great! They are hearty kind of like muesli and not soft and mushy like my old microwavable oats. Yum!
So glad you liked them! Yes, they are hearty but not “mushy” like microwavable oats. Thanks for letting me know you tried and loved them!
Let me know if you get this comment.
Oh My, Thank You!!! I just came across your blog and am definitely going to read more and try this recipe!!!! Finally a Mom I can relate with. I dont feel alone!! Thank You !!
Here is to a lot more awesome recipes coming your way Natalie!
These look great! I think I’ll make a batch right now!! Just a quick question: how long do you heat it up in the morning, or is it better eaten cold?
Sharon, wether you eat them warm or cold is up to you. My husband warms them up 30-45 seconds in the microwave but i like it cold.
I made some of these up last night (using old fashioned oats) and was wondering what the consistency was supposed to be like … mine are still fairly runny this morning. Is this right? Or did I mess it up somehow? Thanks!
Hi Brenda,
I wouldn’t call it “runny” but old fashioned oats aren’t going to absorb as much as steel cut oats. next time, reduce the liquid amount slightly in each mug. How was the taste?
Ok – I’ll try that! The taste was VERY good (and I am usually not a huge fan of bananas)! I tried it cold & warmed up but I think I like it cold best. Thanks so much for this recipe! I love having breakfast for the kids (and adults) in the fridge, ready to go, and it’s healthy!
thanks Brenda! I have a few more yummy ideas that can be prepped ahead that I’ll be sharing soon!
I made this last night, FINALLY for my two toddlers and my husband and I. WE LOVED IT!! THANK YOU for a new Breakfast idea!!! I will pass this along to others….actually I just did last night 🙂 SO nice to come across your website and see fresh, healthy recipes and ideas for families.
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I’m so glad this was a success for you Natalie! stay tuned… more is to come!
Finally made this today (with old fashioned oats). I couldn’t wait for it to sit, so I ate one right away. Holy cow!! I’m not a breakfast person, but I can’t wait until morning to have another! Thank you!
I’m thrilled you can’t wait for breakfast Kim! I’m leaving for a trip tomorrow morning and bought loads of (green) bananas so they’ll be ready for when I get back! thanks for coming back and letting others know how much you enjoyed them!
I can’t wait to try this tomorrow. BUT, and sorry to not get this but I live in another country, what are ‘steel cut’ oats as oppose to normal oats that I buy (organic) here? Thanks in advance!
Katie, steel cut oats are also called Irish oats. You an also use regular oats, the kind that need to be cooked longer, not instant. See the comment above regarding using regular oats.
This is the absolute BEST recipe; especially great for the morning rush and even an afternoon snack . I’ve eaten them every day for 2 weeks straight and still can’t get my fix. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
How far in advance can you make these? If I made a few, could they sit in the fridge for a couple days? Or are they better eaten within a day?
I make the recipe on Sunday and they stay in the fridge for 3-4 days 🙂
Are they suppose to have the lid on when you out then in the fridge overnight?
Thanks
for overnight storage it doesn’t matter really. In my fridge, given that my kids aren’t always super careful when getting other things out… the answer would be yes 😉
Thank you!
I was just wondering what would happen if i skipped the ground flax? I have everything else here except that. Should i use more oats?
ground flax is just for extra nutrition. Sure, you can add a little bit more oats or reduce the milk a little.
Does a dairy free alternative work for this recipe? i.e almond or coconut milk
It sure will! Canned coconut milk will be a bit too thick so I suggest almond milk. Enjoy!
I don’t have jars like that… are there any certain sized bowls I could use to make this in, or would my ramekins work? I have 4 that are the perfect size for making flan…
alternately, I have two of the quart sized jars… could I just make 2 servings per jar instead? I know it’s the same amount, but I wasn’t sure if it would create a problem with how it sets.
2 servings in one jar will work fine too!
Good… because that’s what I ended up doing! I’m tasting it right now! I must admit, it’s hard to eat out of such a large jar! I have one of those long handled spoons, thankfully, but I don’t get much out on it. I might just pour it over into a bowl. 🙂
A bowl it is! 🙂
What size jar do you recommend? Thanks!
I use 8 ounce jars or bowls.
Can you make these in mugs?
I could, I just didn’t know if it would hold well (size)
New question! How do you think pumpkin seeds would taste in this? Pumpkin seeds are high in magnesium and we are trying to eat more of them. I was just trying to find things to incorporate them into. 🙂
i am sure they would taste delicious! why don’t you toss 2 tablespoons with the bananas and you give them a little toasting? I am sure they will taste amazing 🙂
Do you know the nutritionals on this recipe, along with calorie content?
I do not. You are welcome to plug the ingredients into a nutritional website.
Made these last night but forgt to stir! Can’t wait to try them! Hope they don’t take too much longer!! 🙂
ooooh yum! you an always “speed it up” by microwaving them for 30-60 seconds…
I made this using buttermilk. Delicious!
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This sounds divine, I can not wait to make them, but it makes four jars, how long do they stay good for?
They will stay good for 3-4 days in the fridge. Enjoy Kallie!
Oh. My. Goodness! I found these yesterday and made some up for breakfast this morning. They are divine! I’m definitely going to make up some individual servings to grab from the fridge next week. They are so so SO good. Great work.
I’m glad you liked them Amber!
Laura, made this last night for today! So yummy! thanks! and easy 🙂
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I’m so glad you liked them Jennifer!
I do not like oatmeal but have been looking for ways to get my 2 year old to eat it and this might work 🙂 wondering if I can use almond milk instead of dairy? Thank you so much! Love your recipes!
Melissa, yes! you can use almond milk in these. Enjoy! Also, for your 2yo I recommend using old fashion oats (like in the video) instead of steel cut. The texture tends to be much more appealing to kids.
I don’t usually stock maple syrup at my home. Can I replace it with honey or agave nectar? if yes, do I use the same measurement as maple syrup? thx
Absolutely Anny! Thank you!
Do you possibly have the calculations or the nutrition facts?
the bananas cooking with the vanilla & cinnamon smells absolutely divine! i can’t wait to eat this in the morning! 🙂 i guess i should have read through the recipe before i started making them though- i cooked the banans & then realized this makes four servings! 😀 surprise breakfast for the work week! thanks!
..do you happen to steel-cut your own oats? i just tried in my vitamix & got powder & some steel cuts… hm. i think i’m going to add chia seed in lieu of the flax. yum!
I don’t but I know people that do. You can definitely add chia seeds instead of flax. Enjoy!
Thanks for this recipe. It was very tasty but WAY too sweet, definitely more of a dessert taste. I’d recommend trying it with less maple syrup, you can always add more to taste. The coconut oil gave it wonderful flavor.
Wow this was yummy!!! My daughter and I LOVED IT! To the person who said too sweet that it felt like dessert…that was my favorite part 😉 I hate oatmeal but I know it’s good for me..now thanks to this recipe, I’ll happily eat it!
Thank you for such a great share!!!
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For the true steel cut oats texture, I recommend cooking the steel cut oats for 10 min, covered, letting sit for another hour and then transferring them to the jars overnight.
I also used some spiced rum during the last 30 seconds of cooking the bananas (make sure to cook it off), and tossed in some brown sugar upon leaving the heat as I prefer a mine a little sweeter. Overall, a good recipe.
Hi! If I wanted to just make one serving, what would be the proportions?
Even the bananas alone are really good! Thanks for the recipe!
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We have made this several times and LUV it! Thank you for the great recipe! I did have to double the portion size of oats(to 1/2 cup dry) for each person, we must be bigger eaters ;). I love your office lunch ideas too. Been loving looking around at your site.
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Thanks so much Traci! I’m so glad you love this recipe.
hi, wondering wether i can use quick oats for this … the recipe looks fabulous and it has bananas! my favorite ingredient
Absolutely, just reduce some of the liquid since quick oats don’t need as much. Enjoy!