Give Your Oats The Banana Bread Treatment For A Breakfast Treat

When it comes to hearty breakfasts that fill you up for a while, the perfect bowl of oatmeal can be a great choice. Oatmeal is packed with fiber, carbs, and other important nutrients such as manganese and copper. Plus, there is a mouthwatering variety of oatmeal toppings you can add for a boost of flavor, whether you prefer savory oatmeal with eggs and cheese, or something sweet, like a drizzle of honey, or a handful of chocolate chips.

If you don't want to take the time in the morning to make oatmeal, you can make overnight oats. Simply mix dry oats and water (or milk for a creamier texture) and leave them in a covered or sealed container in the refrigerator overnight to soak up the liquid. In the morning, you're ready to add whatever toppings you like and tuck into your breakfast.

Although a basic mixture of oats and water is the simplest way to make overnight oats, you can go ahead and add mix-ins to the oats the night before, imbuing them with even more soaked-in flavor. One such tasty and time-saving trick is to make banana bread oats. Adding mashed banana along with a few other key ingredients to your overnight oats can give you a breakfast that tastes just as good as homemade banana nut bread.

Although mashed bananas are the key ingredient that gives overnight oats their banana bread flavor, that's not the only thing that can go into this meal. You'll also need either water or milk so that the oats become soft and mushy as they soak up the liquid. If you go with milk, either dairy or plant-based will add creaminess to your oatmeal (keep the theme going by using oat milk). Stir in yogurt to ramp up the creaminess, add volume, and provide a protein boost. 

Several other ingredients can help make your oatmeal taste like banana bread. Banana bread is known for the warming spices in it, namely cinnamon and nutmeg, so adding a dash of either to your breakfast oats can help give them a similar flavor profile. You can also play around with other spices, such as ginger and allspice. Extracts such as vanilla and almond can also enhance the banana bread flavor. Add chopped nuts to your overnight oats to add some texture.

Lastly, don't forget to add a sweetener. Maple syrup is a great choice here, but you could also go with sugar, honey, agave, or any other you prefer, to provide your overnight oats the sweet taste of banana bread. Once you've mixed all of your ingredients, pop your oats into a lidded container, and the container into the fridge overnight, and let the magic happen.

The next morning, it's time to enjoy your banana bread overnight oats. Sure, you can dig into the meal as is — or you can enhance it further by tossing in toppings. A few slices of fresh banana can amplify the banana bread flavor in the oats. Conversely, top it with different fruits, such as a handful of fresh blueberries, to expand the flavors and textures.  Another option is to dust your banana bread oatmeal with brown sugar for a sweet effect; a dollop of whipped cream on top of your banana bread oatmeal would increase creaminess and sweetness.

Chopped nuts, such as walnuts and pecans, for instance, add both crunch and elements of buttery, earthy flavor. If you prefer to skip the crunch factor, you could drizzle swirls of your favorite nut butter throughout. Regardless of whether you use one, all, or none of these toppings when you make banana bread overnight oats, you'll be in for a tasty breakfast treat.