As I was editing all of the recipes for 55 Knives, there were a bunch that caught my eye, but this was one that is so simple and yet so delicious that I just had to share it with everyone even if you didn’t buy the book.

Normally, when I make oatmeal I add in lots of butter, brown sugar, and other healthy stuff. It’s delicious but also kind of weighty if you know what I mean. Of course, it’s possible to make oatmeal in an extremely healthy way also, I just tend toward the other end of the spectrum when I do it.

I love this version of oatmeal because it tastes much more decadent than it actually is. It’s healthy. It’s really flavorful and, as with any oatmeal, you can pile on toppings and customize it to your liking!

I learned this recipe from, hands down, the expert on everything oatmeal-related, Kath from Kath Eats. She’s been writing her site for years and it’s really an awesome resource if you need some great ideas for meals. I especially go to it first when I’m looking for a delicious oatmeal situation. I mean… just check out her Tribute to Oatmeal!

Ok. Let’s make it.

Banana Whipped Oatmeal

5 from 1 vote
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 2 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Add a ripe banana to your oatmeal as it cooks and whip everything together. The results are creamy and delicious. Toppings are encouraged!

Ingredients 

  • 1 Cup rolled oats
  • 1 Cup lowfat or skim milk
  • 1 Cup water
  • 1 large very ripe banana
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
  • Toppings: Any dried fruits, any nuts, brown sugar, any nut butter at all, go crazy.

Instructions

  • Get the milk and water simmering over medium heat in a small saucepan.
  • Slice the banana thin and add the banana and oats to the pan.
  • As the oatmeal cooks, whisk like crazy to mix the banana in with the oatmeal.  The banana should disappear.  Add a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla at this point.
  • After about 7-8 minutes, the water should be evaporated.  Add the dried fruit about a minute before the oats are done.
  • Serve immediately and top with whatever toppings you choose!

Notes

Adapted from Kath.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Breakfast & Brunch
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crunchtimekitchen

The basics for this dish are pretty standard.

oatmeal ingredients
Basics plus a banana.

Before you start cooking, think about your add-ins and toppings also. Just because you want to serve the oatmeal as soon as possible and you don’t want to be fiddling with this stuff.

For this version, I went with some dried cherries, pumpkins seeds, brown sugar, and almond butter. I literally just used stuff I had left over in my pantry. This recipe is a great use of leftover nuts and stuff that you have.

add ins
Go crazy here people.

They only thing I would say is don’t use instant oats. You want something with some weight to them to absorb some of the banana mush. I use normal rolled oats and they work fantastically.

oatmeal
Heaping cup will do the trick.

As far as the banana goes, the riper the better in my book. I like mine to be right on the borderline between getting mushy. It should smell really ripe!

Chop it up into pretty thin slices which will help with the whipping part.

ripe banana
A bit over ripe is fine.

Add your milk and water to a medium saucepan and and get it going over medium-high heat. When it’s just starting to simmer, add your oats and also the banana slices.

making oatmeal
Don’t worry. This will work.

Then get out your favorite whisk (What? You don’t have more than one whisk?) Just start whisking like crazy. As the oatmeal cooks, the banana will whip up into almost a creamy consistency and basically disappear. It’ll start smelling really good.

Add your dash of vanilla and pinch of salt now!

whisk
Get whiskin’!

After about 7-8 minutes, all the liquid should be absorbed. I also added in my dried cherries about a minute before the oatmeal was done so they would plump up a bit and get hot. I also added a pinch of brown sugar because I’m crazy like that.

The final product was really creamy and delicious.

oatmeal done
7 or 8 minutes later.

Divide the oatmeal evenly between two bowls, top with your desired toppings, and serve. I’m telling you that if you make this for someone and don’t mention that you did the banana thing, they’ll be blown away by the taste and while it’s really creamy and a bit sweet, it’s actually hard to identify the exact flavor.

It’s a really awesome breakfast.

banana oatmeal
A great way to start the day.

There are literally thousands of variations you could make on this dish and trust me… once you make it, you’ll want to try all of them.

Start to finish this probably takes 15 minutes to cook and it’ll kick your day off right!