Skip the banana bread and try this tahini overnight oats recipe with banana for a better-for-you breakfast option. With no refined grains, no added sugar, and no added oils, this banana overnight oatmeal recipe is a healthy way to start your day. Meal prep several jars so you’ll have a quick option on busy mornings. This easy breakfast is a nutritional winner, providing whole grains, fruit, and protein-packed Greek yogurt!

This overnight oats recipe is one of the first recipes posted here! I thought it was high time to give this dish an update with a new video, photos, and additional nutrition information. Enjoy!

My recipe today features a flavor combination that I have loved for years, bananas and tahini. Have you tried tahini?

Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds that has the consistency of peanut butter. It may be familiar to you as an ingredient in the sauce typically used on falafel sandwiches. Tahini is also used to make yummy halvah candy.

Years ago, I discovered a delicious smoothie recipe featuring bananas, tahini, and maple syrup. The “banini” smoothie quickly became a favorite since it used ingredients I usually had on hand.

Unfortunately, this probably had around 400-500 calories per drink, so it was really more like a small meal than a snack. I later learned that drinking my calories was not the best strategy to maintain a healthy weight.

My other main use for very ripe bananas was banana bread, full of sugar, oil, and flour. I think I considered it a healthy snack option at the time because it contained fruit and whole grains. I’ve since learned how many excess calories I had been eating with this “healthy” snack. (Cue my frustration.)

Tahini Overnight Oats

I created this overnight oat recipe as a way to enjoy banini flavors without all of the sugar, oil, and flour. Like the quick bread, this oatmeal contains fruit and whole grains. However, Greek yogurt and milk add some protein that turns a snack into a meal.

If you don’t like unsweetened Greek yogurt, that’s okay; I didn’t at one point either. I found that by switching from the flavored yogurts to the plain, my taste buds gradually acclimated to less sugar. Chobani offers some lower-sugar yogurt varieties that may be a good way to transition to the unsweetened yogurts.

That said, there is some bitterness to tahini that benefits from the addition of sweetness. This is why my original banini smoothie contained maple syrup. And that is why this recipe incorporates some mashed banana.

I know it may seem redundant to include the mashed banana when you already have the sliced banana in there. It is really not optional, though, unless you are the sort of person who would eat tahini from the jar. Tahini is not peanut butter in terms of taste; it is just too bitter for my taste buds as a standalone!

I firmly believe that it is important to enjoy the foods we eat and not just eat things because they are healthy. I hope that you like my recipe for banana-tahini overnight oats. One of the reasons I offer tips for modifying my recipes is that I want you to think your food is delicious too!

Overnight Oats Tahini Recipe Benefits

• Easy breakfast meal prep: It only takes a few minutes to throw together several jars of overnight oats. Taking the time to prep your food ahead means that you’ll have breakfast ready for the next few days. Don’t forget to add a spoon!
• Works as a complete meal with protein: Banana overnight oats with Greek yogurt has enough protein to be considered a complete meal. Oatmeal and the typical toppings (fruits, nuts, seeds, etc.) tend to be on the lower end for protein. By adding some dairy, we’re giving our oats a nice boost of satiating protein that will help us stay full until lunchtime.
• Vegetarian and gluten free: To make this recipe gluten free, use a gluten free variety of oats. Though oatmeal is a naturally gluten-free food, the oats are often processed with (and contaminated by) grains that contain gluten. These banana cinnamon overnight oats are vegetarian as well.
• Healthy fats: Banana nuts overnight oats are packed with healthy fats from walnuts, a particularly rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. In addition, the tahini (sesame seeds) brings even more healthy fat to the table.
• Helps boost your fruit intake: My banana cinnamon overnight oats feature bananas in two ways: sliced and mashed. Most of us in the U.S. don’t meet the recommendations for fruit intake. Bananas are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and taste good, making them a great option when you want to eat more fruit!

Tahini Overnight Oats Ingredients

This banana tahini overnight oats recipe fits perfectly in a wide-mouth pint glass mason jar. In terms of food ingredients, here is what you need to make this recipe:

• Fresh, ripe banana, cut into slices
• Overripe banana, mashed (I use bananas that were previously frozen for this)
• Tahini
• Rolled oats
• Plain Greek yogurt
• 2% milk
• Ground cinnamon
• Walnut pieces
• Lemon juice, fresh squeezed (optional)
• Pomegranate arils or other fruits for garnish (optional)

If you want to substitute the Greek yogurt or the milk, I recommend choosing a high protein option. (Almond milk and coconut milk really don’t cut it!) Regular dairy yogurt is not as high in protein as Greek yogurt, but skyr (Icelandic yogurt) would be a good choice.

Unsweetened soymilk that has been fortified with calcium can be used in place of the milk. Unfortunately, non-dairy substitutes with no added sugar but comparable protein and calcium to plain Greek yogurt tend to be tough to find. Dairy free Silk plain soy yogurt is a better option, but Greek dairy yogurt remains higher in protein.

How to Make Tahini Overnight Oats

Gather your ingredients; you’ll have these jars of banana tahini overnight oats done in a flash! If you haven’t already, slice the fresh banana and mash the overripe banana. If you are making the jar(s) a couple of days in advance, sprinkle the sliced banana with the optional lemon juice.

Stir the mashed banana, tahini, rolled oats, yogurt, milk, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. Combine them thoroughly.

Place half of the oat mixture into the bottom of a pint-sized wide-mouth canning jar. Next, layer half of the sliced bananas on top of the oats. Now repeat these layers to finish up the oat mixture and sliced bananas.

Top the jar with the walnuts and the pomegranate seeds (or any other fruit you choose to use for garnish). Put the lid on the jar and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, enjoy your overnight oats chilled and straight from the jar. It’s basically a layered fruit and yogurt parfait, with oatmeal added to bump up the fiber!

Does banana go brown in overnight oats?

Yes, after a few days in the fridge, the sliced bananas in your tahini overnight oatmeal may turn brown. Before assembling your jars of oats, try sprinkling the banana slices with fresh lemon juice to help prevent browning.

I prefer skipping the lemon in this recipe because I can taste it in the finished oats. If you’re only making a single oat jar that you will be eating the next morning, I would skip the lemon. If you’re meal prepping the jars in advance, you’ll probably want to add it.

What are some other ways to use tahini?

If you make this tahini overnight oats recipe, you are going to end up with leftover tahini. Here are some other recipes using tahini that you might want to try next:

• Kale Apple Slaw
• Chickpeas for Babies (try the family version)
• Air Fryer Chicken Shawarma Bowls
• Air Fryer Whole Carrots
• Nourish Bowls Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do banana overnight oats last?

Your banana overnight oats will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Once they are assembled, you can think of overnight oats like other prepared foods or leftovers. Consuming leftovers within 3-4 days helps to reduce the risk of getting food poisoning.

Are instant oats suitable for making overnight oats?

I prefer old fashioned rolled oatmeal for making overnight oats, but quick oats and instant oats will also work. Overnight oats made with instant oats will be smoother than overnight oatmeal made with old fashioned rolled oats. This is because instant oats are chopped into smaller pieces than rolled oats.

Are oats soaked overnight in milk safe to eat?

Yes, oats soaked overnight in milk is a safe food to eat! Just make sure the oats are soaked in the fridge overnight and not at room temperature.

Soaking oats helps to reduce their phytic acid. This may help your body to use certain nutrients in the oats more efficiently. (P.S. Cooking is another way to reduce the phytic acid content of oats.)

Are overnight oats unhealthy?

My short answer is that overnight oats are usually a healthy option. Oatmeal is a whole grain, and overnight oat recipes typically incorporate additional healthful whole foods, such as fruit, milk, and nuts.

That said, it doesn’t mean overnight oatmeal is a good choice for everyone. For example, this recipe is likely too high in carbohydrates for a person managing weight or blood sugar control with a low-carb diet.

Another potential issue with overnight oats recipes is that they may contain a lot of added sugar. I always add sweet fruit to my overnight oats recipes (e.g., bananas, dates), so added sugar is not needed.

Can you freeze banana porridge?

Porridge generally refers to a dish of mushy hot cereal boiled in milk or water until thick. This banana overnight oats recipe doesn’t count as a porridge under most definitions, as it was not cooked.

While most hot oatmeal dishes (including banana porridge) do freeze well, the same cannot be said for some overnight oats recipes. Freezing this banana cinnamon overnight oats recipe will change the texture of the fresh banana. Your thawed overnight oats won’t be quite the same as they were fresh.

How do I store bananas in the fridge?

I don’t typically store bananas in the fridge because refrigeration causes the skin to darken while slowing the ripening process. In other words, refrigeration can help the bananas stay at peak ripeness longer but ruins the aesthetic appearance of the fruit. I typically store fresh bananas on my countertop.

When the bananas turn black and overripe, I peel them, break them into chunks and freeze them in snack-sized baggies. (One banana per baggie.) Frozen bananas are terrific in a lot of different recipes!

Other Recipes Using Ripe Bananas

There are so many things that you can make with ripe or overripe bananas beyond spelt flour banana bread! Here are some of my favorite ways to use mushy bananas:

• Low Calorie Baked Oats – No Added Sugar!
• Air Fryer Banana Muffins
• High Calorie Strawberry Banana Smoothie
• Sugar-Free Mango Ice Cream
• Baked Oats with Egg White Recipe

In addition, there are many more ways to use frozen bananas on this site. Feel free to poke around if you’re looking for more!

Join our community! Subscribe for all of the latest and greatest recipes, and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube! 

❤️ Share it on social! ❤️