Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats (vegan)

Need a quick and satisfying breakfast? These vegan banana peanut butter overnight oats have the PERFECT porridge consistency and they’re made with simple, inexpensive ingredients like oats, banana and peanut butter. Plus, they’ll keep you energized all morning long with over 16 grams of plant-based protein and almost 8 grams of fibre!

When life gets hectic, one of the best things you can do is take a few minutes to organize your breakfast situation so you can keep your energy up, for whatever life is currently throwing at you.

This is when life calls for overnight oats. Because you can’t crush it on an empty stomach.

Whether you love my fruity blackberry pie overnight oats or dessert-like tiramisu overnight oats, I’ve got the plant-based recipes that are going to help keep you fuelled up. Quick, easy, and super nourishing. Oh, and don’t forget about DELICIOUS!!!

I’m not gonna lie…this month has kind of hit me like a ton of bricks: there is so much going on that I’ve been super grateful for a fridge full of overnight oats because in between getting the kids ready for school, organizing activities/work travel and showing up for my to-do list, it’s been a real lifesaver just being able to open the fridge and not have to think about breakfast.

I was ready for a new flavour in my life…and these banana peanut butter overnight oats deliver THE GOODS! I tried something different, mashing in a super ripe banana and WOW. It created this perfect, true porridge-like consistency and a boost of natural sweetness that is so satisfying that even my youngest – my toughest critic! – loves these ones (if you’re curious, the other overnight oats she enjoys is the brownie batter overnight oats. I mean, chocolate chips are always a win)

And…I haven’t even mentioned the nutrition side of things! So let me put on my dietitian hat and tell you that I really wanted to create a simple, affordable breakfast recipe that made a nutrient-dense breakfast a reality.

So each serving of these vegan peanut butter and banana overnight oats contains an impressive 16 grams of plant-based protein and almost 8 grams of fibre. All without any pricey plant-based yogurts, chia seeds or protein powder!! And, if you’re looking for more delicious recipes to help boost your gut health, you could always grab a copy of my book, Good For Your Gut!

What you need to make these vegan banana peanut butter overnight oats

All you need to make these easy, filling overnight oats are 4 main ingredients, plus a couple of flavour boosters. This is truly a pantry-friendly recipe: you probably have all the ingredients so no trip to the store!

• Rolled oats: I typically use a traditional rolled oat for overnight oats as I think it creates the best texture. You can use quick oats, which will create a thinner, looser texture…but if you want to use steel cut oats, you need to use my steel cut overnight oats recipe which is specially designed for them
• Soy or hemp milk: by far and away, unsweetened soy milk is the best storebought plant-based milk for protein content. If you’re allergic, or prefer to make your own vegan milk, you can whip up a batch of my homemade hemp milk in 3 minutes!
• Banana: these oats are best with a very ripe banana – the spotty brown ones you use in smoothies or banana bread – as it provides more natural sweetness and a creamier texture. You can absolutely thaw out frozen bananas if that’s what you’ve got on hand.
• Natural peanut butter: don’t overlook peanut butter as a source of protein! The 2 tablespoons of PB in this recipe add over 7 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of fibre to this meal. I use salted peanut butter. If you don’t, a tiny pinch of salt will enhance the flavour.
• Flavourings: I love a bit of cinnamon and vanilla as I find they make oats taste more dessert-like. As the banana adds natural sweetness, you may find you like these oats unsweetened but 1 tablespoon of maple syrup makes these overnight oats irresistible.

How to make these easy banana and peanut butter vegan overnight oats

It could NOT be simpler to make these yummy overnight oats! It takes just 5 minutes to mix them up the night before. In fact, because they keep so well in the fridge, you could set up a little assembly line on Sunday night and make enough for an entire week in just minutes!

Step One: mash the banana well in a small bowl, then whisk in the peanut butter, soy milk, peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon, maple (if using) and oats.

Step Two: pour the mixture into a larger (2 cup/500 mL) jar and fasten the lid. Chill in the fridge overnight.

That’s it! I enjoy these oats without any toppings but you could easily add some chopped nuts, apples or seeds if you want a bit of added crunch.

Ask the dietitian: how to make filling overnight oats that are blood sugar friendly

I tend to make my overnight oats a little differently than most other recipe developers. The standard ratio that most people use is ½ cup rolled oats to ½ cup of liquid. I, on the other hand, seemed to have settled in nicely to using ⅓ cup of rolled oats per serving to ½ cup of liquid.

I do this for a bunch of reasons: the first is that I really like creating vegan overnight oats that are more than just oats to increase plant diversity, flavour and nutrition. As a dietitian, I know that staying full and energized and keeping blood sugars balanced means enjoying your whole grains with some fruit or veg, healthy fats and protein. So I use a little less oat so there’s more room for other stuff!

There is a lot of misinformation out there right now about oats not being a good choice for blood sugars, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Rolled oats are so nutritious and contain soluble fibre, which is beneficial for blood sugar balance and tend to have a low/medium glycemic index, depending on how they are prepared.

What’s more, when you add fibre, protein and fat, those nutrients lower the glycemic response of the meal. So these overnight oats, with 16 grams of protein and almost 8 grams of fibre, are an awesome choice!

Of course, I also know that everyone’s appetite is different: so some of my oats recipes are smaller servings for those who have a smaller appetite or who like to enjoy overnight oats as a mini meal, like my blackberry pie overnight oats. And some, like these scrumptious banana peanut butter overnight oats and my high fibre overnight oats are larger servings for bigger appetites.

So if a standard overnight oats don’t fill you up, try this one!! If you do have a smaller appetite, you can always enjoy half a serving with a piece of fruit or something. Listen to your body!

Desiree’s tips, tricks and substitutions

• These oats will keep well for 3-4 days in the fridge, so you can totally meal prep them in advance!
• Prefer your overnight oats warm? Just pour into a bowl and zap them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or warm in a pot over medium heat until warm.
• Want a boost of omega 3 fatty acids? Make your own hemp milk and use it in this recipe, or add a tablespoon of hemp, ground flax or chia to these overnight oats.
• Love a topping? Try adding chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds or chopped apple for crunch.

More delicious vegan overnight oats recipes

• 5 minute brownie batter overnight oats
• Vegan tiramisu overnight oats
• Plum, ginger and oolong overnight oats
• 5 minute blueberry chia overnight oats

Print

Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats (vegan)

Need a quick and satisfying breakfast? These vegan banana peanut butter overnight oats have the PERFECT porridge consistency and they’re made with simple, inexpensive ingredients like oats, banana and peanut butter. Over 16 grams of plant-based protein and almost 8 grams of fibre!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword banana, overnight oats, Peanut Butter

Dietary Preference dairy free, Gluten-Free, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 1 serving

Author Desiree Nielsen, RD

Ingredients

• 1 small ripe banana mashed
• ½ cup unsweetened soy milk or your favourite milk (I love hemp milk!)
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional, to taste
• ⅓ cup rolled oats gluten free if needed

Imperial – Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl, whisk the mashed banana, soy milk, peanut butter, maple (if using), cinnamon and vanilla until smooth.
• Stir in the rolled oats and pour mixture into a larger (over 1 cup/250mL) jar, fasten lid and place in fridge overnight. Enjoy the next morning!

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