Every morning around 6am my alarm clock goes off. It starts quietly and gets progressively louder and more annoying if I try to fall back to sleep. I’m usually in the middle of some random dream and I think about it for a few minutes as I try to will myself back to sleep.
If my alarm clock fails to rise me, it has no choice but to resort to other methods: walking up the length of my body, kneading my stomach and chest with sharp nails (ow!), purring – inflected as if it’s a question, and shooting laser beams through my eyelids to will them open. No matter what, do not open your eyes. I repeat: Do not make eye contact with the alarm clock!!!
If you do, it’s over.
Meet my alarm clock – highly reliable with a 0.000001% fail rate.
[This is Sketchie’s “I’m HUNGRY and haven’t had breakfast yet AND I happen to hate you right now” face. I snapped this while we were away over the long weekend. Sketchie was particularly unhappy that we slept til about 7:30 that morning!! gasp]
After 5 or 10 minutes of playing dead, I give in and stumble downstairs ever so slowly as Sketchie rubs his head along the staircase railing. He has now morphed back into Happy Cat and he’s prancing along to his feeding spot.
After I feed him, he ditches me and goes back to sleep (how nice), leaving me alone until Eric gets up.
I notice the morning feels a bit chillier than usual and make my first batch of hot oatmeal in a long time. The weather is dreary and creamy peanut butter oats sound like the perfect solution!
To add a fun twist to this bowl, I partially caramelized a ripe banana in the pot before cooking the oats with a tiny bit of non-dairy butter. This was just to intensify the flavours a bit more. Then I swirled in half the peanut butter and cooked the oatmeal as normal for about 8-10 minutes.
The result is a creamy bowl of oats lightly sweetened with banana and highlighted with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. It smells heavenly! On top, I added more peanut butter, a good dose of cinnamon, nuts, and a drizzle of pure maple syrup. It was just about perfect.
1 year ago: Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto
Early Morning Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
Yield
1 serving
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
- 1 large very ripe banana, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp non-dairy butter or coconut oil
- 1/2 tbsp natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2-1 tsp chia seed (or ground flax)
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For toppings
- heaping 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
- nuts
- cinnamon
- pure maple syrup
Directions
- In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, cook the banana and non-dairy butter or oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, and add the oats, chia, milk, spices, and a pinch of salt. Whisk well until combined.
- Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring often for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Scoop into a bowl and top with peanut butter, nuts, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
I can’t talk about Sketchie waking me up in the morning without sharing this classic Simon’s Cat video!
AHH I really need to start reading your posts BEFORE I eat breakfast! This looks beautiful! As for Sketchie’s face, that’s how I look if anyone gets in the way of me and my breakfast after morning workouts. ;) Have a great day Ange!
^Agreed. Totally making this at the cottage this weekend, and eating it out on the dock while I watch the sun rise in my slippers. I’m actually hoping for a chilly morning! :)
That sounds heavenly! Can I come? ;)
Haha, will Sketchie let you?
He says he has to come too.
How wonderful! I’m jealous :)
That sounds perfect! ;)
Oh, and banana peanut butter oatmeal is one of my favorite. It’s doesn’t look beautiful – but it tastes great!
Agreed x 2! I’ll settle with making this tmr morning :)
Last night I searched your blog for “banana” recipes, and I woke up to find this one. Second Career: mind-reader?
This makes me wish it was about 60 degrees outside so I could enjoy a bowl in fuzzy socks and a blanket on the porch. Of course it doesn’t have to be cold for me to enjoy oatmeal but this looks like cozy in a bowl.
Cats, much like humans, are much happier when fed. :-)
This looks delicious! I LOVE warm oats in the morning but I just can’t seem to find the time to make them, except for on weekends of course. Have you had any success heating overnight oats in the morning? I would guess, since they don’t need to cook much, I would be able to heat them up in a pot in 2min.
I suggest my make ahead steel cut oats – I think it makes about 4 servings worth and I love it cold too: http://ohsheglows.com/2011/09/20/make-ahead-steel-cut-oatmeal-4-new-oatmeal-recipes/
Also try instant steel cut oats: http://ohsheglows.com/2012/05/18/gooey-banana-bread-batter-instant-steel-cut-oatmeal/
Enjoy!
Hi, I make steel cut oats once or twice a week for my family in my slow cooker! Eat it warm that morning and reheat the left-overs. Spray the inside of your slow cooker and add 8 cups of water and 2 cups of steel cut oats. You can add a pinch of salt or some brown sugar if you want and then cook on low for 7-8 hours. It is wonderful to wake up to a warm yummy breakfast that’s already done! I throw in a handful of craisins and a splash of almond milk before I eat it. (Don’t add raisins or craisins before you cook – comes out weird!) You can also use a rice cooker that has a slow cook setting.
Partially caramelized banana? This has to be the most excited I’ve ever been to try one of your recipes!!
I LOVE caramelized banana. I made socca french toast the other day and did my banana topping like that – it felt like I was eating dessert at 8 am!
My problem is photographing oatmeal. never looks this scrumpcious. these are perfect. well, just means i need to practice more (w/ the chance of eating more oatmeal – woo hoo!).
Pinning the oatmeal recipe, too!
I don’t think Sketchie could be any cuter!! My cat Baxter used to wake me up by pulling my hair with his teeth – he’d bite right at the scalp and pull all the way through to the ends. If that didn’t work he’d body slam himself into things until I finally had enough. Gotta love cat alarm clocks! Oh, and this oatmeal look delicious too! :)
I LOVE YOUR POSTS ABOUT SKETCHIE! That cat is amazing. : )
Also, this looks soooo comforting and delicious! Yum!
Hi Angela,
LOL…….I too have the same alarm clock. I have two Bengal’s myself and without fail they will take turns waking me up starting at 5am. One will nibble at my toes and the other will meow until I give in ;0)
Love this recipe. I never thought of using Coconut oil in Oat meal. I will be trying this out ASAP =0)
I have the exact same alarm clock!
Yum! I will be making this on Saturday morning :)
Eeeeek! This looks incredible for a weekend fall morning!
It looks so good! can it please just be morning so I can try it :)
This looks absolutely, freaking delicious! How many calories in a breakfast like this though? I’m currently having to really pay close attention to details with my eating and working out to make any progress.
Sketchie has so much attitude in that picture! Hilarious. I like how you described him as your alarm. And that video is so cute. My cat died last year but that video just warmed my heart a little! :)
Sooo happy I saw this before breakfast…I made it and it’s fab!!
Oh, I LOVE PB and banana oats! Never thought to carmelize the banana before- genius! My alarm clock’s name is Ruby, and her pre”fur”red alarm “tone” is the fluffy tail into the nostrils. :-)
I miss my alarm clock! I can’t have cats where I live now so my aunt is taking care of her for me. This post is exactly how my mornings used to go. Except I’m lazy and usually microwaved my oatmeal :P
Sketchie looks majestic in that photo. What a cat.