All the flavour of a warm slice of banana bread, none of the baking. This jar leans on one ripe, spotty banana for natural sweetness, a handful of walnuts for that signature banana-bread crunch, and a little cinnamon to tie it together. It sets overnight into something that genuinely tastes like dessert but eats like a proper breakfast.
The trick is a really ripe banana — the browner the skin, the sweeter the jar, and the less added sweetener you need. Mash it right into the base so the flavour runs all the way through.
390Calories
12gProtein
58gCarbs
9gFibre
Ingredients
1/2 cupRolled oats
1/2 cupMilk (dairy or plant)
1/4 cupPlain yoghurt
1Very ripe banana, mashed
1 tbspChia seeds
2 tbspChopped walnuts
1/2 tspCinnamon
1 tspMaple syrup (optional)
PinchSalt and a little vanilla
Method, tonight
1
Mash the ripe banana in the bottom of your jar until mostly smooth.
2
Add the oats, milk, yoghurt, chia, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a little vanilla. Stir really well.
3
Stir in most of the walnuts, seal, and refrigerate overnight or for at least six hours.
4
In the morning, top with the rest of the walnuts, a few banana slices and a drizzle of maple if you like.
SA kitchen tip
The riper the banana, the sweeter the jar — use one with a heavily spotted skin and you can skip the maple syrup entirely. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for two minutes first for a deeper, more banana-bread flavour. Walnuts are in the baking aisle at Pick n Pay, Woolworths and Checkers.
SA supermarket shopping guide
Why it works
A ripe banana does the heavy lifting.
Banana bread gets its flavour from very ripe bananas, and the same trick works here with no oven required. As a banana ripens, its starch turns to sugar, so a spotty one sweetens the whole jar naturally and adds a soft, cake-like moisture as it soaks. The walnuts bring the crunch and nutty depth that make banana bread taste like banana bread, plus a little extra protein and healthy fat.
Built on the classic overnight oats base, it’s the same reliable method as our best overnight oats recipe — just with banana and walnuts folded in. Prefer it nut-free? Our swaps guide has easy alternatives.
Common questions
Banana bread overnight oats, answered.
What do banana bread overnight oats taste like
Like a soft slice of banana bread in a jar — sweet ripe banana, warm cinnamon and crunchy walnuts, with the creamy texture of overnight oats. It tastes like dessert but is built on wholegrain oats and fruit.
How ripe should the banana be
As ripe as you can get it. A banana with a heavily spotted or browning skin is much sweeter and softer, so it mashes smoothly and sweetens the jar without any added sugar.
Can you make banana bread overnight oats without walnuts
Yes. Leave them out for a nut-free jar, or swap in pecans, seeds or a spoon of nut butter. The banana and cinnamon carry the flavour on their own.
How long do they last in the fridge
Up to three days in a sealed jar, so you can prep a few at once. The banana is best stirred in fresh rather than left many days, so eat these within two to three days for the best flavour.
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