Banana Nut Oatmeal With Cinnamon and Pecans

When you need a filling yet wholesome breakfast, oatmeal is just the thing. Quick to assemble and loaded with the homey flavors of bananas, cinnamon and pecans, this Banana Nut Oatmeal recipe will make healthy breakfasts easy!

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Confession: I’m not a foodie.

After a lifetime working in restaurants, heading my own catering company and running a café, you’d think I’d be more of a foodie.

But I’m not.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but when we go out to eat I tend to order the same thing every.single.time. Hey, I know I’ll like it, and it saves me from having to make yet another decision.

So perhaps you’ll not be surprised to know that I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast. Every day. And find comfort in that. Yep.

My absolute favorite breakfast is oatmeal because it’s:

1. super delicious
2. easy to make
3. adaptable to whatever ingredients I have on hand
4. high in fiber
5. filling so I don’t get hungry til dinner
6. part of my weight maintenance agenda

if you’re an oatmeal hater

If you’ve shunned oatmeal because of a bad history with the stuff I understand. Oatmeal is just so… MUSHY!

Or so I thought.

I avoided it for years, until my energetic elderly neighbor told me she ate it every day and had a secret cooking technique: cook it FAST so the liquid evaporates before completely soaking into the oats! This produces a more rustic, textured result that I love.

So if you, too, struggle with mushy oatmeal, give this technique a try.

Banana nut oatmeal ingredients

• Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. I prefer the texture of old fashioned oats, as quick oats tend to get all mushy when cooked. Plus they just seem more natural and less tampered with.
• Water. Straight forward, eh? You may use milk for all or part of the water if you prefer creamier oatmeal.
• Spices. Cinnamon is classic in banana bread, but I also add ground ginger for warmth and a touch of nutmeg for its exotic sweetness.
• Coconut Oil. The coconut flavor is, to me, totally hidden in this recipe. I use it here because it’s heart healthy and the taste is a bit lighter than butter.
• Flax Seed. It’s true — ground flax seed are a nutritional powerhouse so I try to eat them as often as possible. Since they’re not terribly tasty on their own, though, I love sneaking them into oatmeal where they can do their magic without me really thinking about it…
• Bananas. To me, bananas are comfort food. I also love that they add natural sweetness, allowing me to skip or at least reduce any added sugar. 
• Pecans. I’m all about nuts. (Or maybe I’m just nuts!) I’ve made this Banana Nut Oatmeal with cinnamon and pecans because I’m from the south and because they’re what I usually keep on hand. Feel free to substitute walnuts or chopped almonds. Just be sure to lightly toast any nuts, as it intensifies their flavor phenomenally!

how to make banana nut oatmeal

1) Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a smallish saucepan. (I love my rather ancient Farberware 1 quart pot.)

2) Add 1 chopped banana, 1/2 cup oats, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to the pot. Stir to combine.

3) Lower heat to medium high and cook for about 5 minutes til most of the water is gone and the oatmeal is just starting to stick to the bottom of the pan.

4) Add 1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 1 tablespoon coconut oil to your serving bowl, then ladle on the oatmeal.

5) Mix everything together well before topping with toasted pecans. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.

variations

• substitute almonds or walnuts for the pecans
• use butter in place of coconut oil
• add 1 tablespoon peanut butter powder instead of ground flax seed for Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal
• use milk in place of water for creamier oatmeal

Banana Nut Oatmeal With Cinnamon and Pecans

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Equipment

• Saucepan
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup water
• 1 banana, chopped in largish pieces any size banana is fine
• ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground ginger
• ⅛ tsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup pecan pieces lightly toasted
• maple syrup to drizzle over the top optional

Instructions

 

• Bring water to a boil in a smallish saucepan.
• Add banana, oats, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
• Lower heat to medium high and cook for about 5 minutes til most of the water is gone and the oatmeal is just starting to stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Add ground flax and coconut oil to your serving bowl, then ladle on the oatmeal.
• Mix everything together well before topping with toasted pecans. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.

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