I’ve been switching up my normal breakfast routine lately. Instead of my usual vegan nice cream sundae, I’ve been making big bowls of this comforting vegan & gluten-free caramel banana oatmeal. It’s getting so much cooler here in Hong Kong, meaning it’s the perfect weather to cozy up with some oatmeal. The good thing about oatmeal is it’s really healthy, easy to make, and super satisfying. Just look at those delectable swirls of coconut nectar and cinnamon on top!
You really can’t go wrong with banana in anything, so I mashed up two super ripe bananas and threw them in a pot with some oats, oat milk, coconut water, coconut sugar, and cinnamon. I ended up with the best flavor combination ever. Then, I added in a sticky date and oat mixture. The result was the most ideal fall porridge I’ve ever tasted.
This oatmeal is creamy, sweet, warm, and gooey.
Basically, it’s everything you want out of oatmeal and more. I made sure to keep it vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free like all of my meals. It’s nut-free as well, so it’s a lower fat alternative to most oatmeal, muesli, or granola out there. Not that I have anything against nuts, but I really prefer this flavor without them. It’s a lot more affordable that way as well!
I ate the entire bowl of oatmeal by myself, but you could probably share it with someone because it was a pretty big portion. As for the toppings, feel free to have fun with it. I sprinkled on a bunch of cinnamon, drizzled on some coconut nectar, and placed a few sliced bananas on top. I highly recommend trying this out because you’ll probably fall in love with the taste like I did.
Oatmeal is a staple breakfast that you can enjoy in the colder months.
I really like it because it took a total of only 10 minutes to make. The easier, the better. For some reason, I always imagined oatmeal being a complete mess and hassle to make, but I promise you this one is not. It’s a stress-free, healthy breakfast option.
You’re probably wondering how in the world I got a caramel flavor.
It’s a simple combination of rolled oats, sticky Medjool dates, coconut sugar, and cinnamon that I added in with regular rolled oats. Then after cooking, I drizzled coconut nectar on top which really gave it a caramel-like taste. If you try this recipe, please share with me on Instagram and let me know what you think!
Caramel Banana Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup rolled oats or porridge oats gluten-free
- 1 cup oat milk
- 1 cup coconut water
- 2 ripe bananas mashed
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 6 Medjool dates pitted
For topping
- ½ ripe banana sliced
- 1 tsp coconut nectar
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Place 1/2 cup of the rolled oats, 1 tbsp of coconut sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, and dates in a blender.
- Blend until completely broken down into small pieces.
- Pour into a medium-sized pot.
- Add in remaining 1 cup of oats, oat milk, and coconut water. The liquid should be enough to just cover the oats.
- Heat oats over the stove on medium/low heat.
- Immediately add in the bananas and the remaining 1 tbsp of coconut sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon.
- Continue to cook as normal, stirring every couple of minutes until creamy and soft. It should take 8-10 minutes depending on the consistency you want.
- Transfer to a bowl and top with coconut nectar, banana slices, and cinnamon.
- Dig in!
3 Comments
This looks super yummy! It will be a nice change from my normal bowl of oats for sure!
Thanks Bethany!! The coconut nectar on top is life changing 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
This looks absolutely DELICIOUS, Laura! All the sweetest flavours, too!