The ultimate healthy breakfast recipe, this peanut butter banana oatmeal is creamy, voluminous and will keep you full all morning long! Plus it only takes about 10 minutes to make. Each bowl has around 370 calories, 17 grams of fiber (woot!), and 11 grams of protein.
Happy 2017! I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend. I started the New Year with a vinyasa yoga class at Om On Yoga and then spent some time in the kitchen… meal prepping and whipping up a garlicky greens and black-eyed peas dish (similar to this recipe) for good measure — so ready for all good luck and cash $ that’s going to be coming my way now.
Anyhow, I decided we’d start the year with one of my absolute favorite oatmeal recipes that has somehow never made it to the blog.
Several years ago this oatmeal combo with banana, chia seeds and pb was my daily breakfast for months on end. At some point I switched things up and sort of forgot about peanut butter banana oatmeal but this winter I started making it again and was quickly reminded just how delicious it is.
As a volume eater I love being able to eat a big bowl of something while still feeing good about it. That why I love salads so much!
Oatmeal, especially when made with extra water and pumped up with bananas and chia seeds, is a volume eater’s best friend. The trick is using double the amount of liquid typically recommended. Most old fashioned oatmeal packages recommend a 1:2 ratio so 1/2 cup oats and 1 cup of water, but when I make oatmeal I do 1/2 cup oats and 1 1/2 – 2 cups of water (or non-diary milk). The oats take a little bit longer to cook, but they easily soak up all the liquid resulting in a much larger portion.
With this recipe, the banana and chia seeds help too. The banana slices add sweetness, but they also soften and expand making the oats extra voluminous while the chia seeds pack in a ton of nutrition and make the oats fluffy and thick. The key is making sure you stir the oats while cooking so the banana slices break down and the chia seeds get even distributed rather than clumping in one spot. No one likes clumps of chia.
And let’s not forget the peanut butter topping! It may not add a ton of volume but it gives the oats a delicious nutty flavor and a boost of healthy fat and protein, which will help keep you full through a busy morning. My trick for making it super drizzly? Add 1/2 teaspoon melted coconut oil to 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter and stir to combine. The peanut butter will thin and you can get your drizzle on.
Of course, peanut butter and banana is one of the best combos ever so it makes sense that this peanut butter banana oatmeal is sooo good. If you’re looking for a healthy breakfast recipe to add to your rotation for the New Year, this would be a great recipe to try. Each bowl has around 370 calories, 17 grams of fiber (woot!), and 11 grams of protein!
And here’s a little video of how to make this recipe at home:
Peanut Butter Banana Chia Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 banana, sliced (save a few for topping)
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- 3 cups of water, non-dairy milk or a blend of both
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter or another type of nut butter
Instructions
- Add oats, banana slices, chia seeds, cinnamon and sea salt to a pot. Add water and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Be sure to stir the oats several times while cooking to make sure the banana slices melt into the oats and the chia seeds don’t clump. You’ll know the oatmeal is done when all the liquid is absorbed and the oats are thick and fluffy.
- Portion oats into two bowls and serve with peanut butter, banana slices, and a sprinkle of chia seeds. Add a splash of non-dairy milk and/or maple syrup on top before serving, if desired.
by Brittany Mullins
Recipe Notes
Agreed on peanut butter and banana, this looks amazing – thanks!
This looks delicious! A filling, healthy breakfast is so important! Yum!
This is sure to hit the spot on a cold winter’s morning. Looks so good….pb and bananas are the best 😀
Do you think it would still work if I just used the banana as a topping? I love peanut butter and banana, but don’t like warm bananas.
Looks delicious and I love the idea of using extra liquid to increase volume.
Yup! It will definitely still work! Enjoy.
I forgot how much I love sliced bananas cooked with my oats- I haven’t made oatmeal like that in forever!! I need to change that ASAP 😉
Love how healthy (and delicious) this is! I’m printing it to make for tomorrow’s breakfast — love that fiber content, too!
Yay!! You’ll have to let me know how it turns out.
Just made this quick recipe this morning for our 9 months old son and myself. Super baby friendly and delicious!! Thanks!
Yay! So glad that both you and the babe enjoyed it!! I just had a bowl this morning too! 🙂
Looks really awesome. Have to try it our when I get home.
http://utochspring.com
Thanks Pilla! You’ll have to let me know what you think of it. 🙂
Hi Brittany,
Just pinned this to my board. Great idea for oats. The peanut butter is the best part. I stumbled upon your site and really love what you are doing. Can’t wait to browse around more. Thank you for bringing conscious eating to so many. Well done!
Happy New Year,
Victoria
YUM! This has all my favorite foods – PB, banana, and oats!
So no peanut butter in the actual oatmeal? Just on top?
That’s correct. Just stir the peanut butter in right before before serving. 🙂
Any alternative suggestions for a non-banana lover? (I know it’s a rarity) This looks amazing but I just can’t do bananas!
Happy New Year! Hope you are well!
hmmm… you could always make it without the banana! If you need a little sweetness you can try adding maple syrup or honey. Another option would be chopped apples. I love apple cinnamon oats!
This is one of the healthiest breakfasts that I had seen in the recent times.
Just finished the 2nd portion this morning — yum! Perfect right before a snowstorm…
A side note: my oats weren’t even close to being done at the 8-10 minute mark. It took twice as long (22min) for it to look like somewhat like your pic. I followed the recipe (no substitutions). I’m just letting others know it might take a tad longer. I loved adding the coconut oil to the peanut butter! I never thought of doing that! I’ve always loved the combo of peanut butter and coconut. Thanks for another yummy (and easy) recipe! 🙂
Yay! So glad you enjoyed the oats, Kristen. Interesting about the cook time. You used old fashioned rolled oats, correct? I’m wondering if your temperature was just a bit lower so it took the oats longer to cook up? I usually do medium-high heat.
This was easy and quick to make with staple ingredients. It made a large portion to serve my family of 4. It tasted delicious! Thank you!
Yay!! So glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe, Jackie!
Could slow-cooking steel-cut oats be used in place of the processed oats, and if so, does it change anything else as far as timing goes?
Yes, you can totally use steel cut oats. You’ll do the same oat to water ratio (1 cup of oats to 3 cups of water). Add everything to your pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the oats are tender. I have a steel cut oat recipe too if you’re interested.
Thank you! Yes, I would LOVE the steel cut recipe!
THANK YOU for the oatmeal:water ratio tip. I’ve made my oats this way for two mornings now, and I don’t think I’ll switch back. I’m a volume eater too (usually my dinner plate is covered in a layer of lightly sauteed kale, and then the main/sides go on top of that…) If you have any other volume tips, I’d love to hear them!
OMG, I made this Friday and ate it for breakfast that day and again Saturday, so, so good, thank you for sharing!
Hooray!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Dawn!!
Great oatmeal recipe you have here! Love it! Can’t wait to give this one a try. Its perfect for winter and those chilly mornings.
I’m making this right now! Was trying to think of something to make for breakfast when I stumbled on this recipe on Pinterest. I will be saving it and will be making this for my family soon 🙂
For now I’m going to enjoy this by myself
Yay!!! I hope you loved the oatmeal, Sheena-Rae. 🙂
The best recipe to ever be posted on the internet!