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There’s no better breakfast than a bowl of creamy oats, topped with delicious sweet bananas easily “caramelized” in pure maple syrup with a touch of cinnamon and sea salt. One of my all-time favorite recipes, I came up with this banana oatmeal recipe years ago and have been making it ever since. It’s so easy you won’t need a recipe after making it once, but so delicious it’ll be requested often by the family!

Overhead view of caramelized banana oatmeal in a white bowl on a neutral charger plate.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • The flavor! The texture! This is one decadent way to start the day. Sort of like a breakfast version of bananas foster. Sweet and cinnamony with delicious banana flavor, all on a bed of creamy tender oatmeal.
  • I make this year-round, but with all the rich warmth of the cinnamon and maple syrup, this is a perfect-for-autumn recipe. Picture it – crisp, fall air. The leaves changing colors out the window. You’ve got your favorite oversized sweater and a giant mug of coffee or tea. What could possibly make the morning more incredible? Oh, that’s right. A bowl of warm, creamy oatmeal topped with warm maple-y bananas with cinnamon. Bath and Body Works, if you’re reading this, let’s chat candle scents.
  • There’s no refined sugar here. All the sweetness is natural, coming straight from the bananas and the maple syrup.

Chef’s Tips

  • Don’t stop at oatmeal! The caramelized bananas would also be amazing on top of pancakes and waffles or even with a bowl of vanilla yogurt.
  • The banana needs to be ripe, but make sure you don’t use one that’s too ripe. If it’s too ripe, it’ll end up as banana mush. Underripe, it won’t have that sweetness it needs.
  • If you want to break up the texture of the oatmeal and bananas, add a little crunch by topping it with chopped pecans or walnuts. Caramelized banana bread oatmeal? No complaints here!
Close-up of maple syrup caramelized bananas on top of a bed of oatmeal.

More Incredible Breakfast Recipes

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

Caramelized Banana Oatmeal


Prep 10 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 20 minutes
Creamy oats topped with sweet bananas in maple syrup with hints of cinnamon and sea salt.
2 servings

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • rubber or silicone spatula
  • small skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk see Notes
  • 1 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1 tablespoon butter plus more for serving, see Notes
  • 1 large ripe banana sliced
  • 4 tablespoons maple syrup see Notes
  • teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 large pinch sea salt

Instructions

  • Heat small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour in milk and stir occasionally, bringing milk to boil.
  • Add oats to boiling milk and reduce heat to medium. Cook oats 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
  • Heat small skillet over medium heat. Add butter to skillet and let melt, then add banana slices. Cook bananas 1 to 2 minutes until browned on one or both sides, but not mushy.
  • Add maple syrup, cinnamon, and sea salt to bananas. Allow mixture to boil 15 seconds or until syrup has thickened.
  • Spoon oatmeal into serving bowls. Top oatmeal with caramelized bananas, and add additional butter, maple syrup, or milk as desired. Serve immediately.
  • Sweetener: Honey, brown sugar, coconut sugar, and a maple-flavored sweetener alternative (like Lakanto syrup) will all work here.
  • Make it Dairy Free/Vegan: Use an unsweetened, non-dairy milk and vegan butter.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 514calProtein: 14gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 845mgTotal Carbs: 81gFiber: 6gSugar: 45gNet Carbs: 75gVitamin A: 614IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 369mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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