This six-ingredient banana and peanut butter overnight oats recipe is sweet, creamy, and so, so decadent. No chia seeds, no yogurt needed. Just plenty of PB and banana goodness!
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A banana and peanut butter is one of my favorite quick snacks, and those flavors work so well in oatmeal form! These banana and peanut butter overnight oats are thick, creamy, and satisfying.
I wanted to keep this recipe simple, which is why there are no extras in this recipe, like chia seeds or yogurt. These take under 10 minutes to whip up, then just stick them into the refrigerator overnight before enjoying.
Ingredients and substitutions
- banana - Ripe or overripe bananas add sweetness and flavor to the oats.
- peanut butter - This adds protein, healthy fat, and creaminess to your overnight oats. For a nut-free version, use sunflower or pumpkin seed butter. For peanut free, choose almond or cashew butter instead.
- rolled oats - Make sure you choose rolled oats, not steel cut or quick oats. If you're not sure, look at the cooking directions. They should say to cook them for five minutes.
- plant-based milk - The milk is the liquid that's going to make your banana and peanut butter overnight oats nice and creamy. Choose a vegan milk that you like! For added protein, soy milk is a great option.
- cinnamon - A little bit of cinnamon is so nice with the peanut butter and banana flavors! You can omit this, if you like. You can also use the same amount of pumpkin spice or apple pie spice instead.
- maple syrup - You may or may not need to sweeten your oatmeal, depending on how sweet your bananas, peanut butter, and plant-based milk are. If you do need to sweeten, maple syrup is my favorite! You can use other sweeteners, though, like agave nectar, brown sugar, or stevia to sweeten these to taste.
Helpful tips
- You can make this peanut-free or completely nut-free! Feel free to replace the peanut butter with almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or pumpkin seed butter, as needed.
- Make sure that you're using rolled oats, not quick oats or steel cut oats. Quick oats use less water, so your results will be soupy, and steel cut oats won't work in an overnight oats recipe. They have to be cooked.
How to make banana and peanut butter overnight oats
In a large bowl, mash together all of the ingredients, except the maple syrup, until the bananas are as smooth as possible.
Now, it's time to sweeten (or not!) with maple syrup. The amount of maple syrup you need will depend on a number of factors:
- your bananas - The riper the banana, the sweeter it is. If your bananas are super ripe, you may not need any extra sweetener.
- your milk - I used regular soy milk, which is a little sweet on its own. With unsweetened milk, you might want to compensate with more sugar.
- your peanut butter - Some peanut butters contain added sugars, and some don't. You may need less maple syrup if you use sweetened peanut butter.
- your personal tastes - I tend to like things that are less sweet, but I know some folks need more sugar before they can taste the sweetness. That is totally okay. Follow your tastebuds!
After sweetening, transfer the mixture to a pint jar, and stick it in the fridge. Go to sleep. Wake up, and eat your banana and peanut butter oats!
Storage directions
Overnight oats will keep for three to five days in the refrigerator.
More oatmeal recipes
Frequently asked questions
If you're new to overnight oats, they are what they say they are: oats that you soak overnight in the fridge. No cooking required!
Instead of standing over the stove to cook them, you can eat these straight out of the jar in the morning.
When you're making overnight oats, you want to use rolled oats. Quick oats (like 1-minute oats) or steel cut oats will not give you the best results.
Steel cut oats need cooking, though soaking them overnight does reduce the cooking time dramatically.
Some people like eating overnight oats cold or at room temperature, but I prefer them warm. You can warm them in a small pan on the stovetop with an extra splash of non-dairy milk, but I feel like doing all of that defeats the purpose! Instead, I just pop them into the microwave for a minute or two, until they're piping hot.
Basic overnight oats formula
I love the peanut butter and banana version below, but if you're like me, I bet you also like to mix up your flavors. Here's the basic overnight oats formula that I like to use:
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup dried fruit of your choice or ½ cup fresh fruit of your choice, cut into bite-sized pieces, if needed
- 1 cup liquid - Water or your favorite vegan milk will work. You can also use juice for part of the liquid. If you use a thick medium, like yogurt, up this to 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups.
- 2-4 tablespoons nuts, seeds, or nut/seed butter of your choice
- sweetener of your choice, optional and to taste
- ¼ teaspoon to 2 tablespoons additional mix-ins: coconut flakes, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, etc.
As you can see, you can really mix and match these elements to create infinite flavor combinations!
Banana and Peanut Butter Overnight Oats Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe bananas
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup vegan milk of your choice - I used regular soy milk.
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 0-4 teaspoons maple syrup - to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mash together all of the ingredients, except the maple syrup, until the bananas are as smooth as possible.
- Taste and add maple syrup, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you get your desired level of sweetness.
- Transfer the mixture to a pint jar, and stick it in the fridge. Go to sleep. Wake up, and eat your banana and peanut butter oats!
Jenny
I'm making this for tomorrow! I've never made overnight oats before so I can't wait to try these!
Becky Striepe
Hooray! Enjoy them, Jenny!
Nikki
By far our favorite peanut butter and banana overnight oats- I just got done making this for the second time this week! Thanks for the simple and delicious recipe!
Becky Striepe
You are so welcome, Nikki. I'm glad you're enjoying it and appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a rating and comment!
sabine
475 calories for one or two servings?
Becky Striepe
For one serving.
Angela McKee
Tried these with powdered peanut butter and it was scrumptious! Thanks Becky ?
Becky Striepe
Ooh I'm glad to know that works!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
I'm not usually a big fan of overnight oats, but this looks too good I'm in! I think the thick creamy peanut butter texture is what makes your recipe look extra good...plus you mentioned cookie :)
The Vegan 8
Oooh overnight oats and they taste like a cookie, yum! Love that you added peanut butter!
Becky Striepe
Thank you! I love me some peanut butter. :D
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
LOVE banana overnight oats. Such a filling and healthy breakfast! These sound so flavorful! :)
Jay
Thankyou - already using this, but FORGET THE STEVIA so many people are getting migraines from stevia. Use honey.
Becky Striepe
Vegans don't use honey, but you could use maple syrup, like in the recipe, if stevia isn't your thing.