Banana Cinnamon Overnight Oats

The oats are vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, and gluten-free.  The banana cinnamon oatmeal can be made in advance for a portable breakfast, and you can add a variety of toppings to change things up.

For more dairy-free overnight oats, try cinnamon oatmeal with raisins instead of bananas, frozen cherry overnight oats, raspberry overnight oats with almond butter, overnight oats without milk, or mixed berry cheesecake overnight oats.

Ingredients and substitutions

The banana cinnamon overnight oatmeal uses simple ingredients for an easy sweet breakfast, but please see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

Ripe banana - Use half of a ripe brown spotted banana.  Solid yellow bananas will not mash as well and won’t be as sweet.  The more brown they are, the sweeter and stronger the banana flavor is.  I prefer an in-between stage, so not solid brown, but yellow with brown spots. For more banana-inspired oats, try vegan oatmeal banana cookies or steel-cut banana oatmeal.

Rolled oats - Old-fashioned oats are the base for making overnight oats and give the best texture.  The whole grains soak up the liquid to become soft and creamy.  If you need gluten-free, use certified gluten-free oats.  Rolled oats cannot be substituted with steel-cut oats since they take longer to break down.  Quick-cooking oats break down much quicker and may become mushy.

Dairy-free milk -Use your favorite non-dairy milk for this plant-based overnight oats recipe.  Try it with unsweetened almond, oat, soy, or cashew milk.

Ground flax seeds - The ground flaxseed makes the easy banana and cinnamon overnight oats recipe a little thicker.  Chia seeds can be used instead, but I prefer to reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons instead of a tablespoon. For a chia seed breakfast idea, try chia seed pudding with oat milk.

For more recipes with flax seeds try flax seed pudding with banana or a basic overnight oat recipe with flaxseed.

Maple syrup - Pure maple syrup can be substituted with agave syrup or your sweetener of choice.  You may need to adjust the sweetener based on how ripe your banana is.  Add it to taste to suit your preferences for sweetness.

Ground cinnamon - Start with ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to flavor your overnight oatmeal.  If you prefer more ground cinnamon then try ½ teaspoon.  Pumpkin pie spice can also be used instead of ground cinnamon.

Peanut butter - This is optional to add to the overnight oats with mashed banana.  I use natural peanut butter that is just peanuts and maybe salt.

Tips

• If you prefer the cinnamon banana overnight oats thinner, add a splash more of milk.
• When the mashed banana is mixed with other ingredients it doesn’t noticeably turn brown, except for any banana chunks that may be on the surface.  If you add slices as a topping, they will turn brown.  So add your slices in the morning before enjoying.
• The serving is for one, but multiple portions can be made at one time.

Toppings and variations

Enjoy the banana cinnamon overnight oats as-is or enjoy the delicious breakfast with your favorite toppings.  Some toppings can be added while the oats are being prepared and others will need to be added when you're ready to enjoy the oat recipe.

• Fresh berries or fresh fruit - Add fresh fruit right before enjoying.  If you opt for frozen fruit as an oatmeal topping it can be added the night before so it thaws by morning.
• Sliced bananas - Add right before enjoying so they don’t turn brown.
• Chopped peanuts, walnuts, or pecans - Add right before enjoying for a crunch.
• Shredded unsweetened coconut - This can be added while making the oats or right before consuming.
• Nut or seed butter - Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower butter can be added while making the oatmeal or drizzle on top as a topping.
• Plant-based granola- Add for a crunch before enjoying the oatmeal.
• Chocolate chips - Vegan chocolate chips can be added while making the oats or right before enjoying.
• Raisins - The dried fruit can be added as a topping or mixed in when making the oats, or try cinnamon overnight oats with raisins.

Instructions

Start the banana cinnamon overnight oats by mashing half a ripe banana with a fork. Mash the banana until it’s creamy, leaving some chunks is fine.  I mash the banana in the jar I’m using for storage. 

I make multiple servings at one time and use jars for individual servings.  Multiple servings can also be made together in a larger container.  In this case, either let it sit to thicken then portion out, or keep all of the servings together and remove a portion as needed for breakfast. 

Then mix in the rolled oats, dairy-free milk, ground flax seeds, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, and peanut butter (if using) into the mashed banana.

Stir well, cover, and store in the refrigerator.  Let them soak for at least 2 hours, but longer is best to soften the oats. Before consuming, give the oats a good stir and top with any toppings.

Frequently asked questions

Storage

Store the overnight banana cinnamon oatmeal in an airtight container with a lid or a wide-mouthed mason jar in the refrigerator. With the bananas, I would consume them within 2 days.  If the oatmeal becomes too thick, add a little extra milk to thin out.  

The recipe is for one serving, but multiple portions can be made at one time.  Store multiple servings in individual containers for a grab-and-go portion or add multiple servings to one large container and then scoop out the serving needed.  

Related recipes

• Blueberry cheesecake overnight oats
• Mango overnight oats
• Cinnamon overnight oats
• Chia seed pudding with oat milk
• Overnight oats with water

I hope you enjoy the banana cinnamon overnight oatmeal recipe!  If you did, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.