Banana Chia Overnight Oats

These Banana Chia Overnight Oats are a cozy and filling way to start your day. They require minimal prep and save you time and energy in the morning. The nutrient-packed ingredients support your health and keep you full and satisfied. Sweet banana, creamy oats and cozy peanut butter in every bite, so good!

Originally posted January 25, 2020. Updated September 10, 2024.

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Why I love these Banana Chia Overnight Oats

I have been making overnight oats for breakfast for years now and they are the perfect way to start a busy day. 

They are a modern twist on a classic bowl of oatmeal and they take less than 5 minutes to make the night before. Once they chill overnight you’re all set to go in the morning. They also make an easy meal prep option. Just double or triple the recipe to prepare a few in advance so you don’t have to make them every night!

This Banana Overnight Oats recipe is simple but elevated. It’s a delicious mash up between banana bread and oatmeal and can keep you energized for hours. You can also make a variety of adjustments and substitutions, depending on your preferences. I have listed several below.

The combination of protein and fibre in these overnight oats keeps you feeling full and satisfied. They energize you through your busy day so you can be as productive as you want to be!

 

Ingredients needed

Here’s what you need to make these easy banana overnight oats:

• Oats
  • I prefer using large flake oats for overnight oats because they hold the texture better.
  • See alternative oat options below.
• Chia seeds
  • These gel up when they are mixed with liquid and they add some volume and extra nutrients to the recipe.
• Plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
  • I recommend using Greek yogurt because it’s thicker and provides significantly more protein compared to regular yogurt.
• Milk
  • Milk makes this meal creamy and offers additional protein, fats, calcium and other nutrients.
  • Use your preferred choice of milk or plant-based beverage.
• Banana
• Peanut butter
  • We’re leaning into the classic peanut butter and banana combination.
• Chopped walnuts
  • These are used for topping and add an element of crunch.
• Cinnamon
  • Cinnamon makes this breakfast extra cozy!

 

Optional ingredients

You might not be a fan of some of the recommended ingredients in this recipe. Or maybe you don’t have access to them. Perhaps you just want to add your own personal twist to it! Here are some suggested alternatives:

• Quick oats or old fashioned rolled oats
  • If you don’t have large flake oats you can substitute quick or rolled oats instead. I recommend reducing the milk by 1-2 tbsp so that it’s not too liquidy or mushy.
• Flavoured Greek yogurt
  • If you prefer a flavoured Greek yogurt, you can use this in place of the plain Greek yogurt in this recipe. I recommend vanilla, banana or coconut flavoured yogurt.
• Regular yogurt
  • Instead of Greek yogurt, you can use regular yogurt. However, this tends to be more liquidy than Greek yogurt so I recommend reducing the milk by 1-2 tbsp.
• Alternative milks
  • If you are looking for a higher protein option, I recommend using dairy milk or soy milk. Other plant-based beverages like oat milk or almond milk will still work in this recipe but provide much less protein.
• Strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
  • You can use a variety of berries in this recipe if you prefer them to bananas.
• Almond butter or other nut or seed butters
  • Feel free to add an alternative nut butter if you’re not a fan of peanut butter. Nut and seed butters can add extra flavour, healthy fats and a creamy texture to the oats.
  • If you’re trying to manage a nut allergy, opt for a seed butter or disregard altogether.
• Protein powder
  • If you want to add an extra boost of protein to overnight oats, you can use protein powder. I recommend adding a small amount to start with to make sure you enjoy the taste and texture. 
  • If you need help choosing the best protein powder for you, check out my blog posts on this topic here and here.
• Maple syrup, honey, vanilla extract or chocolate chips
  • Add any of these ingredients to increase the sweetness of this breakfast.

Why add chia seeds to overnight oats?

Adding chia seeds to the oat mixture helps with the texture and the nutrient profile of this breakfast. When chia seeds are combined with liquid, they soak it up quite easily. This creates a gel-like texture that pairs really well with oatmeal and prevents the final product from being too liquidy.

Chia seeds are also incredibly nutrient-dense. They provide an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids, fibre and plant-based protein. Don’t forget to add these to your overnight oats!

 

How to make Banana Chia Overnight Oats

All you have to do to prepare these Banana Peanut Butter Overnight Oats is:

1. In a sealable jar or container, mix the oats, chia seeds, Greek yogurt and milk together. Stir well.
2. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight.
3. When you’re ready to eat, add the peanut butter, banana, chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Enjoy!

 

Tip: My favourite containers to store overnight oats in are mason jars or other glass jars with a tight lid. I have reused empty nut butter and salsa jars for this recipe. You just have to make sure to give them a good wash beforehand (especially the salsa jar)!

 

How many hours do you need?

You only need 5 minutes to prepare these breakfast meal prep overnight oats. To achieve the best texture of overnight oats, it is recommended to allow for enough time for the oats and chia seeds to soak up all of the liquid. This takes at least 1 hour in the fridge but ideally the mixture is left overnight (for at least 6 hours). 

 

What is the texture of overnight oats?

The final texture of overnight oats should be thick and creamy. If the mixture is really runny or liquidy then you have added too much milk. You can add extra oats or chia seeds to help soak up the excess liquid.

Overnight oats nutrition

Not only is this breakfast quick and easy but it’s also absolutely packed with nutrients! I have broken down the nutrition information for each base ingredient.

• Large flake oats: Per 1/3 cup, there are 3 grams of fibre, 4 grams of protein and 8% of daily value of iron.
• Chia seeds: Per 1 tbsp, there are 3.5 grams of fibre, 2 grams of protein, over 100% of daily omega 3s and a variety of minerals.
• Greek yogurt: Per 1/3 cup, there are 7 grams of protein and 7% of daily calcium.
• Milk (dairy or soy): Per 2/3 cup of 2% dairy milk, there are 5 grams of protein, 15% of daily calcium, and significant amounts of vitamin B2, B12 and K.

As you can see, the base recipe of overnight oats is extremely nutrient dense. By adding the toppings (banana, peanut butter, walnuts and cinnamon), we increase the nutrient profile even more! They add extra fibre, protein, fats and vitamins. 

If you would like to boost the protein content even more, you can always add in 1-2 tbsp of unflavoured or vanilla protein powder to make protein overnight oats!

 

Dietary considerations

Here are some ways to accommodate a variety of dietary restrictions with this recipe:

• To make this recipe gluten free, make sure you opt for gluten free oats!
• To make it nut free, opt for a seed butter instead of peanut butter. For example, tahini or sunflower seed butter.
• To make it vegan, choose plant-based yogurt and milk like soy, almond or oat milk instead of dairy milk.

 

How long do overnight oats last for?

As long as you store the overnight oats in an airtight container or jar in the fridge, they can last up to 3-4 days without any changes in the taste or texture.

 

More overnight oats recipes

If you’re looking for more overnight oats recipes, you need to check these out!

• Raspberry Overnight Oats
• Tiramisu Overnight Oats
• Biscoff Overnight Oats
• Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
• Mango Lime Overnight Oats
• Lemon Blueberry Overnight Oats
• Apple Pie Overnight Oats

I hope you love these Banana Chia Overnight Oats. If you make them, I would love to see your comment and rating below. It also makes my day seeing your creations of my recipes on Instagram- don’t forget to tag @allnutrition.rd!