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January 13, 2020

Banana Nut Steel-Cut Oatmeal

A pair of hands holding a bowl of banana nut steel-cut oats with bananas on top.
A bowl of banana nut steel-cut oatmeal nestled in a cloth napkin with overripe bananas in the background.
Two small mason jars of banana nut steel-cut oatmeal with bananas and walnuts on top, with overripe bananas in the background.

Steel-cut oats, overripe bananas and walnuts come together for a healthy, hearty breakfast that tastes like it just came out of grandma’s oven.

A pair of hands holding a bowl of banana nut steel-cut oats with bananas on top. Graphic text on the bottom says "Banana Nut Steel-Cut Oatmeal" in white script on a teal background.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means I get a small commission if you buy products I recommend at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I believe in from companies I believe in—either I use them myself or I’ve at least done thorough research.

You know what I get really mad at myself for doing? Wasting bananas. There are so many things you can do with them, there’s basically no reason they should hit the trash… except bananas are one of those foods that you either want all the time or not at all. That’s the way it always goes right? You can’t keep them in the house one week, so the next you buy more and suddenly everyone’s over it.

This, my friends, is an easy solution. And a delicious one.

This Banana Nut Steel-Cut Oatmeal is sweet (but not too sweet) and toasty, with warming cinnamon to round everything out. It’s just creamy enough, thanks to mashed bananas and almond milk—but the chewy steel cut oats keep their nutty bite with a quick toast in browned butter.

A blue dutch oven filled with banana nut steel-cut oatmeal on a pot holder with banans in the background.

The perfect time to make this oatmeal is when the bananas are overripe. I personally like bananas best when they have a few brown spots, but you’re going to want to wait until they’re just a little too brown. They should be very soft and almost too easy to mash.

You can use bananas that are less ripe, but you’ll lose some of the sweetness. You can always add a little more sugar to make up for it if that bothers you. But a little piece of advice: If the banana has green on it, don’t bother. Wrong flavor profile, not worth it unless you’re pretty desperate for potassium. Maybe just eat the banana if you’ve got shin splints.

P.S. White beans, leafy greens and potatoes have more potassium than bananas anyway. Zuppa Toscana anyone?

If you really need an overripe banana now, you can always see if your local store has a section for overripe discounted fruit. Mine sells bags of overripe bananas for baked goods.

How Are Steel-Cut Oats Different?

I get into that more in my recipe post for Apple Cinnamon Porridge, but the quick answer is that it’s less processed than your typical rolled oats, which makes it chewier, more nutritious, and it keeps you full longer.

How to meal prep using Steel-Cut Oats

This is also a great recipe for the new year, because it’s super easy, healthy and you can make a big batch and separate it out into jars to heat quickly or even take with you. I see you trying to make changes, I appreciate you for making the effort!

I like to separate it out into 8 oz jars with some walnuts and bananas on top. Easy peasy! You could do bigger jars of course, but a little goes a long way with this recipe.

Two small mason jars of banana nut steel-cut oatmeal with bananas and walnuts on top, with overripe bananas in the background.

You can totally eat this in the car on the way to the container store. It’ll give you strength for the the inevitable argument over whether you actually need that gift wrap organizer 🙃

Recipes like this were huge for me when I had an office job. I’m not NOT a morning person, I just don’t like to be rushed.

I’d walk in like a zombie, but with a container of oatmeal and a giant thermos of coffee. I’m a work-eater*, so having my breakfast while I caught up on email and did research for my news releases almost (almost) felt leisurely.

A bowl of banana nut steel-cut oatmeal nestled in a cloth napkin with overripe bananas in the background.

*Grazing on charcuterie as I write this, for the record.

Honestly though, you need to bring the discipline to make this last all week, because if you’re like me, there’s a strong chance you’ll eat a significant amount with a wooden spoon.

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Banana nut steel-cut oats on a gray napkin

Banana Nut Steel-Cut Oatmeal


  • Author: Leannda
  • Total Time: 35
  • Yield: About 4 1/2 cups 1x
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Description

Steel-cut oats, overripe bananas and walnuts come together for a healthy, hearty breakfast that tastes like it just came out of grandma’s oven.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats
  • 2 slightly overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup crushed walnuts
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or other milk of your choice
  • Optional for serving: sliced bananas, walnuts, more cinnamon, milk of your choice

Instructions

  1. Bring 5 cups water to a boil.
  2. In a Dutch oven or other large pot, brown the butter over medium heat.
  3. Pour in the oats and stir until they begin to absorb the butter.
  4. Pour in the boiling water reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring frequently so the oats don’t stick to the bottom.
  5. Stir in all remaining ingredients until smooth and serve warm topped with sliced bananas, cinnamon and milk.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: oatmeal, steel-cut oats, banana nut, overripe bananas, oats, porridge, pinhead oats, irish oats, coarse oatmeal, banana nut oatmeal

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @leanndacavalier on Instagram and hashtag it #whipsmartkitchen

A pair of hands holding a bowl of banana nut steel cut oatmeal over a cloth napkin and overripe bananas.
Apple Cinnamon Porridge

Filed Under: Breakfast, Comfort Food, Meal Prep, Recipe, Slow Food, Uncategorized, Vegetarian

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    January 14, 2020 at 3:25 pm

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About Leannda

Hey, I'm Leannda! I love to cook and I'm always down for some tiramisu. When I'm not cooking I'm probably teaching or sideline reporting. DWest Virginia native. Lover of mountains and rivers. Currently living in Tennessee with my husband, Adam; daughter, Siena; and our cats, Professor and Steely. read more

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Hey, I'm Leannda! I'm into healthy eating, but I'm always down for some tiramisu. When I'm not cooking I'm probably teaching or sideline reporting. I live outside Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband Adam, and our cats Professor and Steely. Read More…

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