Vegan Banana Foster Oats

These vegan banana foster oats taste like dessert for breakfast with caramelized bananas in a brown sugar coconut sauce. ♡

If your morning oats have been a sad bowl of plain mush, this vegan banana foster oats recipe is the upgrade. Sliced bananas caramelize in brown sugar and coconut oil until they look like the dessert New Orleans is famous for. The sauce gets poured over creamy oatmeal cooked in almond milk. The whole thing tastes like banana bread in a bowl.

You only need 6 main ingredients. The whole bowl comes together in 12 minutes. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Vegan Banana Foster Oats

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced into rounds
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup toasted chopped walnuts and pecans
• 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 tbsp coconut cream for drizzling

Optional add-ins

• 1 tbsp rum extract for true banana foster flavor
• 1 tbsp chia seeds for fiber
• 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp almond butter swirl
• Pinch of nutmeg

How to Make Vegan Banana Foster Oats

1. Cook. Bring almond milk to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats, salt, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy.
2. Caramelize. While oats cook, melt coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Stir until the sugar dissolves into a glossy caramel, about 60 seconds.
3. Banana. Add the sliced bananas to the caramel. Cook 90 seconds per side until golden and bubbly. Do not move them too soon or they fall apart.
4. Vanilla. Pull the pan off the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract and maple syrup.
5. Plate. Spoon the oatmeal into 2 bowls. Top with the caramelized bananas and the warm caramel sauce.
6. Finish. Drizzle with coconut cream. Sprinkle with toasted nuts and shredded coconut.

Why This Recipe Works

Ripe bananas are everything. Brown spots on the peel mean the natural sugars have developed. These bananas caramelize beautifully in 90 seconds because they already have the sweetness to bind with the brown sugar. Green bananas just stay starchy and the sauce never sets. The browner the better.

Coconut oil is the dairy free butter swap that actually works. Most vegan caramels are made with margarine which tastes flat. Coconut oil delivers the same browning chemistry plus a subtle tropical note that pairs perfectly with banana. According to USDA nutrition data rolled oats also bring 5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of plant protein per cup, which makes this vegan breakfast surprisingly filling.

Cooking the oats in almond milk instead of water is the texture upgrade. Almond milk adds creaminess that water never can. The fat in the milk also carries the cinnamon flavor through every bite. Try this with our mango banana protein smoothie on the side for a fruit forward breakfast.

Tips

• Use very ripe bananas with brown spots. Green bananas will not caramelize.
• Do not move the bananas in the pan too soon. They need 90 seconds undisturbed to get golden.
• Use rolled oats. Quick oats turn mushy and steel cut take too long for this recipe.
• Storage: oats keep for 3 days in the fridge but the caramelized bananas should be made fresh.
• Reheating: warm oats in a saucepan with extra almond milk for 2 minutes. Re-caramelize fresh bananas.
• Make ahead: pre-cook the oats and refrigerate. Caramelize fresh bananas on the day.
• Substitution tip: maple syrup works in place of brown sugar but the texture will be slightly less crunchy.
• Toast your own nuts in a dry skillet for 90 seconds for the best flavor.

Variations

• Chocolate chip: add 2 tbsp of dark chocolate chips to the warm oats.
• Peanut butter swirl: stir 2 tbsp of peanut butter into the cooked oats.
• Bananas foster with rum extract: add 1 tbsp of rum extract to the caramel for true New Orleans flavor.
• Steel cut: use steel cut oats and cook 20 to 25 minutes for chewier texture.
• Overnight oats version: mix the oats and almond milk overnight, then top with fresh caramelized bananas in the morning.
• Tropical: add 1/4 cup of diced pineapple to the bananas in the caramel.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using green bananas. They will not caramelize and stay starchy.
• Moving the bananas too soon. They fall apart instead of forming a golden crust.
• Cooking the caramel too long. Past 90 seconds the sugar burns and tastes bitter.
• Skipping the salt. A pinch in the oats balances the sweetness.
• Using sweetened almond milk. The dish ends up cloyingly sweet.

Vegan Banana Foster Oats

Creamy oatmeal topped with caramelized bananas in a brown sugar coconut oil sauce, drizzled with coconut cream and toasted nuts.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Servings: 2 bowls

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 480

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 2 ripe bananas sliced
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/4 cup toasted nuts walnuts and pecans
• 2 tbsp shredded coconut
• 2 tbsp coconut cream for drizzling

Method

 

1. Simmer almond milk in a saucepan. Add oats, salt, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Cook 5 minutes until thick.
2. Melt coconut oil in a skillet. Add brown sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Stir 60 seconds until glossy.
3. Add sliced bananas. Cook 90 seconds per side undisturbed until golden.
4. Pull off heat. Stir in vanilla and maple syrup.
5. Spoon oats into 2 bowls. Top with caramelized bananas and sauce.
6. Drizzle with coconut cream. Sprinkle with nuts and shredded coconut.

Notes

Use very ripe bananas with brown spots. Do not move the bananas in the pan for 90 seconds. Cook oats in almond milk instead of water for creaminess.

FAQ

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