Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats
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~$1.85 CAD per serving (estimate)
Ingredients
- 160 grolled oats (old-fashioned, not instant)
- 480 mloat milk (unsweetened)
- 60 gnatural peanut butter (smooth, no added sugar or oil)
- 20 mlmaple syrup (optional — taste before adding)
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 0.5 tspground cinnamon
- 1 pinchfine salt
- 2 mediumripe bananas (sliced into rounds just before serving)
- 2 tbsproasted peanuts (roughly chopped, for topping)
Nutrition / serving
- Calories480 kcal
- Protein15 g
- Carbs68 g
- Fat17 g
- Fiber8 g
Cost Estimate
~$1.85 CAD per serving (estimate)
These oats take about five minutes the night before and nothing at all the morning of. The peanut butter thickens the oat milk into something almost pudding-like overnight, and the banana softens just enough to sweeten every bite without a drop of added sugar. It travels well in a jar, holds kids through a full school morning, and scales up in seconds if you need more than two.
Instructions
Mix the base
In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat milk, peanut butter, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and maple syrup (if using) until the peanut butter is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth — no streaks.
Stir in the oats
Add the rolled oats and stir well so every flake is coated. The mixture will look loose at this stage; it thickens considerably overnight.
Divide and refrigerate
Divide the mixture evenly between two 500 ml jars or lidded containers. Seal and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 3 days.
Finish and serve
In the morning, stir each jar — the oats should be thick and creamy. Slice the banana directly over the top, scatter the chopped peanuts, and eat cold straight from the jar.
Chef's Cool Facts
Why peanut butter thickens the oats
Natural peanut butter is an emulsion of ground peanuts and their own oil. When stirred into oat milk overnight, the peanut proteins cross-link with the beta-glucan released by the soaking oats, producing a gel that is noticeably thicker than plain overnight oats.
The banana's sweetening trick
A ripe banana is roughly 15% sugar by weight, most of it fructose and glucose — no enzymatic conversion needed, unlike starch. Slicing it at serving time (rather than soaking it overnight) keeps the texture firm and prevents the flesh from oxidizing and turning grey in the jar.
Beta-glucan and satiety
Rolled oats contain beta-glucan, a soluble fibre that slows gastric emptying. Studies consistently show it extends the feeling of fullness compared with refined-grain breakfasts of equal calories — which is part of why this jar holds kids through a long morning.