Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats
Rolled oats, mashed banana and peanut butter stirred together in a jar and left in the fridge to soften overnight — five minutes of work the night before and breakfast is already done.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 ripe banana mashed
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped peanuts optional
Instructions
- Mash the banana in the bottom of a jar or any container with a lid until mostly smooth.
- Add the peanut butter and stir it into the banana first, while there is little else in the jar. Mixing it in at this stage is the only way to avoid a clump of peanut butter at the bottom.
- Add the oats, milk, cinnamon, salt and the honey or maple syrup if using.
- Stir until everything is combined and no dry oats remain at the edges.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- In the morning, stir once. Add a splash of milk if you want it thinner, and top with chopped peanuts or sliced banana.
Notes
Bananas are often the least expensive fruit in the store, and overripe ones are perfect for this. Buy them on the markdown rack on purpose.
Freeze spotted bananas whole, peeled, in a bag. They thaw in a few minutes on the counter and mash even more easily than fresh.
Any lidded container works. A clean jam jar, a deli container, a plastic tub with a lid: no special jar is needed.
Make four or five jars at once. They keep in the refrigerator for up to five days, and the texture is best on days two and three.
Old-fashioned rolled oats are required. Instant oats turn to sludge overnight and steel-cut never soften.
Water works in place of milk in a pinch, though the result is noticeably thinner. A few tablespoons of yogurt stirred in adds body and more protein.