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If you haven’t tried overnight oats yet, it’s time.  It’s one of those “is-this-really-healthy?” recipes made with all real, whole foods but tastes like a treat.  And when the weather is hot, this is a nice alternative to a warm bowl of oatmeal.

It’s a super quick way to pack some nutritional punch with oatmeal that tastes oh-so-good  and that you can make the night before.  The convenience of overnight oats can be enjoyed year ’round too!  Just grab and go for breakfast or even lunch and you are all set.

Here is the basic recipe for overnight oats

1. First, mix rolled oats (the old-fashioned kind) with an equal amount of your liquid of choice. You can use any combination of dairy or non-dairy milk, yogurt, or even juice; but the basic ratio is 1:1.   Feel free to play around with the ratio of milk to oats so that you will have texture that is best for you.

2. Mix any spices, sweeteners, or dried fruit you like into the oats and milk.

3. Store in a glass jar or another airtight container and let the oats soak for at least three hours, ideally overnight.

4. In the morning, you can add fresh fruit, nuts, and other favorite toppings to your oatmeal.

I have refrigerated oats with whatever fruit is in season,  but bananas you can get year round and this is one of my favorites variations of the basic formula for overnight oats.

Maple Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats

Ripe bananas (you know the ones with brown spots that you may not want to eat straight up) are perfect for using in recipes.  They are sweeter and more flavorful than the more beautiful yellow bananas.  But the natural sweetness of the banana means you won’t need to add much maple syrup to the oats.

Make sure you use real maple syrup.  Check the ingredient list on your bottle.  There should only be one ingredient:  real maple syrup.  It is a great natural sweetener rich in minerals and tastes really good.

I found that you can buy pure maple syrup (and chia seed) very economically from Aldi – the discount grocer.  If you haven’t visited Aldi yet, you gotta go.  It’s a great resource for nuts of all kinds, organic milk, organic produce and organic frozen fruit.

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)

• 1 cup oats (make sure you have old-fashioned)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut
• 1 ripe banana, sliced
• 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

1. In a small bowl or mason jar, combine oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, almond milk, and vanilla. Cover and chill in refrigerator overnight, at least 8 hours.
2. Before serving, microwave sliced bananas and peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds, or until bananas are soft and peanut butter is melted. Add to chilled oats.
3. Drizzle in maple syrup to taste and top with coconut; stir until combined. Enjoy!