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These Caramelized Banana Overnight Oats combine oats, chia seeds, and cinnamon with irresistibly sweet roasted bananas to give you a meal prep-friendly breakfast or snack that tastes just like caramelized banana French toast! Vegan, Gluten-Free Option.
Treat yourself to a jar of Vegan Banana Overnight Oats, a make-ahead breakfast that tastes just like banana bread and banana French toast. Intensely sweet caramelized banana slices are blended into a smooth banana milk, then combined with wholesome ingredients, like oats, chia seeds, and maple syrup. It’s a cozy treat that makes busy mornings so much better!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
I pretty much have a vegan overnight oats recipe for every occasion and time of year, but these Caramelized Banana Overnight Oats are what I want for late summer and early fall. You know, when it’s still too warm for a hot bowl of oatmeal, but I’m already craving cozy fall flavors. Served cold with caramelized bananas on top, these creamy oats always hit the spot. 🍌
- Low-Maintenance Caramelized Banana Hack: Bananas are usually caramelized in a hot pan with lots of butter and brown sugar. But because this is a low-maintenance, make-ahead breakfast, I opted to slice the bananas into coins and caramelize them in the air fryer instead. It works like a charm, and it’s sooo much more hands-off!
- Tastes Like Banana French Toast: Blending half of the caramelized bananas into a rich and creamy “banana milk” gives you a breakfast that tastes like a cross between banana bread and French toast.
- Make Them Your Own: Add a scoop of protein powder for a post-workout snack, stir in extra cinnamon for a seriously cozy vibe, or make an extra-wholesome version with coconut oil or avocado oil.
Prep a batch over the weekend, and you’ll have a week’s worth of satisfying, fiber-packed breakfasts or snacks ready to enjoy whenever you are!
What You Need for Banana Overnight Oats
This overnight oats recipe transforms 10-ish pantry staples and fresh ingredients into a simple, satisfying, and wholesome breakfast. These are the key items you’ll need:
- Yellow Bananas: firm, yellow, ripe bananas with no green left on the peel hold their shape best in the air fryer. Save the old, brown, spotty bananas for this Vegan Banana Bread or these Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls.
- Dairy-Free Milk + Yogurt: these oats have decadence written all over them, hence why we’re making them with both unsweetened non-dairy milk and dairy-free yogurt. Coconut yogurt is my favorite, but if you want to sneak in more plant protein, soy-based yogurt is the way to go.
- Quick or Rolled Oats: use quick-cooking oats for a soft, pudding-like consistency, old-fashioned rolled oats for more chew, or a 50-50 mix of both for the best soft-chewy textures. Just don’t use steel-cut oats; they’re much better off in this Instant Pot Steel Cut Oatmeal.
How to Make Caramelized Banana Overnight Oats
- Slice the bananas into coins and arrange them on a parchment-lined air fryer basket. Spray lightly with oil, then air fry until golden brown.
- Blend half of the caramelized bananas with the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
- Mix the oats, chia seeds, yogurt, and banana milk together in a large bowl. Set it aside to thicken, then stir again.
- Fold the remaining caramelized bananas into the thickened oats. Portion the oats into jars, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Don’t skip the blended banana milk! Blending half of the caramelized bananas with the milk infuses the base with an intense banana-y flavor. The oats absorb all that goodness, rather than just having the caramelized banana sitting on top.
- Adjust the consistency: If your oats feel too thick after sitting in the fridge, stir in an extra splash of milk to loosen them up. If they’re too runny, stir in another teaspoon of chia seeds or rolled oats, then set aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
- You can caramelize the banana coins in the oven if you don’t have an air fryer. Arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spray with oil, and broil on the top rack until golden brown. I would start checking them at the 5-minute mark and then every 60 seconds after to keep them from burning.
Serving Suggestions
The comforting, caramelized flavors in these banana oats make them perfect for a late summer/early fall morning when it’s just a little too warm to turn on the stove or microwave my usual bowl of hot oatmeal. A few reserved caramelized banana slices are perfect on top of every jar, as is a spoonful of peanut butter, a sprinkle of toasted walnuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup.
If you’d prefer to eat these oats warm, zap the unsealed jar in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until they’re warmed through. Just wait to add the reserved banana slices until after the oats are hot.
If you’re looking for more overnight oat recipes that taste like dessert, you’ll also love these Apple Pie Overnight Oats, these Carrot Cake Overnight Oats, and these Chocolate Overnight Oats!
How to Store Overnight Oats
The overnight oats are ready to eat after soaking for a minimum of 4 hours, but will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. I prefer to store them in individual airtight glass containers, like mason jars, because they’re easier to grab and enjoy.
If you plan to top yours with caramelized bananas or any other toppings, refrigerate the toppings separately in airtight containers and add them right before eating.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats to keep this recipe 100% gluten-free. Some oats are processed with wheat products, making cross-contamination very common.
- Optional Protein Boost: Turn these into protein banana overnight oats by stirring a scoop of vanilla or unflavored vegan protein powder into the oat mixture in step 4. Because protein powder absorbs liquid, add an extra 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk (or water). And if your protein powder is already sweetened, omit the maple syrup.
- Cooking Spray Substitutions: Instead of cooking spray, gently toss the banana slices with 1 to 2 teaspoons of avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or melted vegan butter before air frying.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Caramelized Banana Overnight Oats
Ingredients
- 3 yellow* bananas
- Cooking spray see notes for substitutions
- 3 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons grade A maple syrup plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
- 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking or rolled oats*
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- Prep: Line your air fryer basket or tray with parchment paper. (see recipe notes for an oven option!)
- Caramelized Bananas: Cut each banana into 1/2” coins and arrange on the parchment paper. Spray lightly with spray oil, flip, and spray again. Air Fry at 415F for 15 to 18 minutes, until the bananas are golden on top. Set aside and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Banana “Milk”: Add about half of the caramelized bananas to a blender along with the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon (if using), and salt. Blend on high for 45 to 60 seconds, until smooth.
- Mix: Add the oats, chia seeds, yogurt, and banana milk to a large bowl and mix well. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly, then mix again.
- Divide: Fold the remaining caramelized banana coins (I save a few as a topping) into the thickened oats, then divide between serving containers. Seal and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Protein Boost: Add 1 serving of your favorite protein powder to the mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients in step 4, along with an extra 1/4 cup of non-dairy milk or water. Omit the maple syrup your protein powder tastes sweet.
- Oven Option: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare your bananas in the same way as step 2. Place the baking sheet on the top rack of the oven and broil the bananas for 5-10 minutes, until golden brown. Ovens heat up at very different speeds, so I recommend starting to check for doneness at the 5 minute mark and continuing to check the bananas at 1 minute intervals to prevent any burning.
- Cooking Spray Substitution: If you don’t have cooking spray, add all of the sliced bananas to a bowl and drizzle with 1 to 2 teaspoons of avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or melted vegan butter. Mix well, then transfer to the lined air fryer basket.
