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This banana steel-cut oat recipe uses over-ripe bananas for a naturally sweet breakfast. We add ground cinnamon and vanilla for flavor, then milk to make it creamy. If you enjoy steel-cut oats, I also have a recipe for apple instant pot oatmeal and pumpkin oatmeal with dried cranberries.

It kind of reminds me of banana bread oatmeal, but this version uses the instant pot for a hands-off recipe. If you don’t have an instant pot there are instructions below on how to make the banana steel-cut oats on your stovetop.
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Tips
- Mash the bananas before adding them to the steel-cut oats for a more cohesive texture and banana flavor.
- Use browned spotted bananas (very ripe) like you would if you were making banana bread. Lots of brown spots and soft. This adds natural sweetness to the oats and spotted bananas give a more intense banana flavor versus more solid yellow ones.
- The tablespoon of maple syrup is for more sweetness, everyone has their own personal preference when it comes to sweetness. If you’re not sure if you want the oats as sweet skip the syrup. Once the oats are done, and cooled, taste and adjust to meet your sweet preference. Alternatively, instead of adding it to the entire recipe, you can add your desired amount to your individual serving.
Instructions
Mash the bananas really well in a bowl. Then transfer to the instant pot along with all of the other ingredients (except the toppings) and stir really well.

Move the valve to seal and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes (it will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure), and turn off the keep warm function.

Let the instant pot naturally release for about 15-20 minutes, then you can go ahead and manually release any remaining pressure. When the oats are done, they will probably have some liquid separation, just stir the liquid back into the oats. As the oats cool, they’ll thicken up.

Stovetop method
Add all of the ingredients to a pot and cook covered for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. The time varies depending on how thick and creamy you like your oats. Remove from heat and cool, the oats will thicken more while cooling.
Serving suggestions
My favorite way of serving the steel-cut oats is by adding additional banana slices, a pile of fresh berries, and ground flaxseed. I love the combination of fresh strawberries with warm steel-cut oats; plus strawberries and bananas just go so well together.
For leftovers, I do add more milk to thin back out. Other options are a drizzle of peanut butter, cocoa powder for a chocolate version, or chopped walnuts.
Can I substitute with old-fashioned oats?
Old-fashioned (rolled oats), quick-cooking, and instant oats cannot be substituted. The time in the pressure cooker and the liquid-to-oat ratio is specifically for steel-cut oats.

Storage
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Reheating Instructions
The banana steel-cut oats firm up once cooled and chilled. They can be reheated using the stovetop or microwave. When reheating on the stovetop, add a splash of water or milk to get the desired consistency you prefer, and slowly heat up the oats in a pot, stirring occasionally. To heat up in the microwave, add the desired milk or water to thin the oats out, then microwave until warm.
Related recipes
More instant pot recipes
- Instant Pot Red Lentil Chili
- Instant Pot Wheat Berries
- Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce
- Instant Pot Millet
I hope you enjoy this recipe for instant pot steel-cut oats with bananas! If you like the recipe, feel free to rate it and leave a comment.
PrintRecipe

Banana Steel Cut Oats (Instant Pot)
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This banana steel cut oats recipe uses over-ripe bananas for a naturally sweet breakfast. We add ground cinnamon and vanilla for flavor, then milk to make it creamy.
Ingredients
- 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened dairy-free milk
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional if you need it sweeter)
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Toppings
- More bananas
- Fresh berries
- Ground flaxseed
- Cocoa powder
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Vegan chocolate chips or cacao nibs
Instructions
- Mash the bananas really well in a bowl.
- Then transfer to the instant pot along with all of the other ingredients (except toppings) and stir really well.
- Move the valve to seal.
- Set the instant pot to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes, turn off the keep warm function, (it will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure).
- Once the timer goes off and the oats are done, let the instant pot naturally release for 15-20 minutes before manually releasing any remaining pressure.
- When the oats are done, they will probably have some liquid separation, just stir the liquid back into the oats. As the oats cool they will thicken up.
- Serve with your favorite toppings.
- Let the leftovers cool before refrigerating, then store them in an airtight container for about 4-5 days.
Equipment
Notes
Use steel-cut oats, not quick-cooking or rolled oats.
Cinnamon likes to stick to the walls of the instant pot, stir well. When done stir back in any cinnamon clumps.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- time to come to pressure/depressurize: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: breakfast
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: instant pot banana oatmeal, banana steel cut oats, vegan steel cut oats
Jessie
Lovely recipe and very easy for lazy mornings. Definitely going to try the apple and pumpkin next.
★★★★★
Allie
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for the lovely comment!