Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Creamy, filling and healthy, these banana peanut butter overnight oats are the ultimate meal prep breakfast. They're gluten free, vegan friendly and packed with all the energy you need to take on the day.

How To Make Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Overnight oats couldn’t be easier to make. For two servings, this is what you’ll need:

• 1 bowl
• 1 fork
• 1 spoon or spatula 
• 2 mason jars or lidded containers

And here's what you do:

1. Add banana to a medium bowl and mash it with a fork. It’s fine to leave a few larger chunks.
2. Add all other ingredients and stir well.
3. Transfer the mixture to two jars or containers, seal the lid and let the oatmeal sit in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but best overnight.

Which Oats Should I Use?

Most often, overnight oats are made with rolled oats, but you can also use quick oats or even, in certain recipes, steel cut oats. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common types of oats:

• Rolled oats, also known as regular or old-fashioned oats, are made when oat groats are steamed and then rolled into flakes. When used for overnight oats, they result in a creamy but still chewy texture.
• Quick oats, also known as instant oats, are a step further from rolled oats. They’re steamed longer and rolled into thinner flakes, which results in a fluffier texture. These only require 30 minutes of soaking, and can be cooked in the microwave in just one to two minutes. If you leave them soaking overnight, they will turn out very mushy, almost pudding like.
• Steel cut oats, sometimes also called  Irish oatmeal, act and look a bit differently. They are not rolled, but cut into small pieces, which makes them a lot coarser and harder to cook. If you’re looking for an overnight steel cut oats recipe, I recommend these coconut overnight oats.

Why Are Overnight Oats Better Than Oatmeal?

Unless you’re following a keto diet, oatmeal has been considered one of the most filling, wholesome and delicious breakfasts for ages. Overnight oats are a bit different, but arguably even healthier, and definitely easier to make. Here are some of their major benefits:

• No cooking required (fast and easy)
• Ideal for meal prepping
• Delicious warm and cold, so you can eat them whenever 
• Even healthier than traditional oatmeal
• Often made with more fruits and healthy toppings

When Did Overnight Become So Popular?

Contrary to popular belief, overnight oats were not invented by millennials (but we sure did our share in popularising them, and making them look instagrammable). Traditional Bircher muesli was “invented” in the early 20th century by a Swiss physician named Maximilian Bircher-Benner, who served it to his patients to get them to eat more fresh fruit. He believed that the treatment against human degeneration was based on eating whole foods, and that raw fruits and vegetables held the most nutritional value.

Bircher muesli remained a popular healthy breakfast option for more than a century, when they were rediscovered and turned into the diverse, pretty bowls we all know and love today.

I Love Overnight Oats, But I’m Not the Biggest Fan of Banana. Any Suggestions?

Yes, in fact I have a whole section dedicated to overnight oats. Here you’ll find recipes for overnight oats with apples, blueberries, cocoa, even overnight steel cut oats, overnight oats with no yogurt, as well as overnight oats with yogurt.

How Long Do They Keep?

These banana peanut butter overnight oats can sit in the fridge for up to two days, but they are best on their first day.

This article was first published in July 2018 and updated in November 2019.