Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Base
- 100 g rolled oats
- 15 g chia seeds
- 1 g kosher salt
Wet Base & Flavorings
- 240 ml almond milk, unsweetened
- 32 g creamy peanut butter, stirred well
- 15 ml maple syrup
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Fresh Produce
- 1 banana, ripe
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 251 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 16 g
- Sodium
- 309 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Potassium
- 482 mg
- Calcium
- 355 mg
- Iron
- 1.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 77 mg
- Phosphorus
- 142 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 12 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 5 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 9.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 0 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.20 mg
- Niacin
- 3.3 mg
- Folate
- 31 mcg
- Water
- 165 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Peel the banana and cut it in half. Place one half into a mixing bowl and thoroughly mash it using a fork until mostly smooth. Reserve the other half for topping later.
Add the almond milk, creamy peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl with the mashed banana. Whisk vigorously until the peanut butter is mostly dissolved and the liquid is uniform.
Add the rolled oats, chia seeds, and kosher salt to the wet mixture. Stir well to ensure all dry ingredients are completely moistened and no dry pockets remain.
Divide the oat mixture evenly between two mason jars or sealable containers.
Seal the mason jars securely and place them in the refrigerator. Chill for at least 8 hours, or overnight, to allow the oats and chia seeds to fully hydrate and thicken.
When ready to eat, thinly slice the reserved banana half. Top the chilled oats with the fresh banana slices immediately before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Using a very ripe, heavily spotted banana will provide more natural sweetness, allowing you to reduce or completely omit the maple syrup.
- Stirring the oats halfway through the initial chilling process prevents the chia seeds from clumping at the bottom of the jar.
- For a deeper, toasted flavor profile, toast your dry rolled oats in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes before mixing them with the wet ingredients.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Keep in airtight containers. Add fresh banana slices only on the day of eating to prevent browning.
Troubleshooting
Oats are too runny after resting overnight
Cause: Inaccurate measuring of liquids or using a larger than average banana adding excess moisture
Fix: Stir in an extra 10g of chia seeds and let sit in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes to absorb the excess liquid
Prevention: Measure liquid ingredients accurately by weight or volume in metric units
Oats are completely completely dry and stiff
Cause: Oats absorbed all liquid due to highly absorbent brand of rolled oats or chia seeds
Fix: Stir in an additional 30ml to 60ml of almond milk until the desired creamy consistency is reached
Prevention: Ensure correct ratio of 1 part oats to roughly 2.5 parts liquid
Cultural Context
Overnight oats are a modern, convenience-focused variation of Bircher muesli, popularized in the United States as a healthy meal-prep breakfast. The combination of peanut butter and banana is an iconic American flavor profile, notably championed by cultural figures like Elvis Presley and now adapted into this nutritious morning staple.
