Oatmeal with Caramelized Bourbon Bananas and Hazelnuts

For a luxurious variation of a simple bowl of oats, I created this recipe for oatmeal with caramelized bananas. With cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla in the oats, they’re already great on their own. To make the caramelized bananas, I made a quick salted toffee sauce of butter, brown sugar and cream, with a splash of bourbon. The bananas only need to cook in the toffee sauce for a few minutes before you can spoon it onto the oatmeal. For a little crunch, I topped the oatmeal with chopped hazelnuts. It’s comforting, indulgent, and totally delicious.

Be sure to also check out my recipes for oatmeal with blueberry rhubarb compote and maple cinnamon oatmeal with apples and toasted pecans.

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Why We Love This Oatmeal

• Oatmeal with caramelized bananas is quick and easy to make, coming together in about 15 minutes.
• Oats are hearty and filling, so this breakfast will keep you full for hours.
• It’s a little indulgent with the sweet and salty toffee sauce, making it perfect for a special weekend breakfast. Think Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or any other special occasion!
• There are so many good textures from the creamy oats, plump raisins, soft bananas and crunchy hazelnuts.
• It has bourbon in it!

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Oatmeal

• Old-Fashioned Oats. I love using old-fashioned oats for oatmeal, because they cook in about 5 minutes, they’re heartier than quick oats, and don’t take as long to cook as steel-cut oats do.
• Water + Whole Milk. A combination of water and whole milk for cooking the oats makes them creamy and delicious. You can make them extra creamy by cooking them in just milk.
• Dark Brown Sugar. A little sweetness. Usually I add about 2-3 teaspoons of brown sugar per 1/2 cup of dry oats. But since the caramelized bananas and toffee sauce are so sweet, you can get away with less sugar in the oats.
• Spices. You can use any spices you like, but I love a combination of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg (always freshly grated) and vanilla extract in oatmeal.
• Raisins. The raisins are optional, but no matter what I top a bowl of oatmeal with, I always add raisins. I love their soft, plump texture in the creamy oats.
• Hazelnuts. A handful of chopped hazelnuts sprinkled on top adds delicious crunch and texture. Pecans or almonds would also be great.

Bananas

• Unsalted Butter. The butter adds richness and flavor to the toffee sauce.
• Brown Sugar. Sweetness and a hint of molasses.
• Coarse Kosher Salt. Balances the sweetness.
• Heavy Whipping Cream. Makes the sauce smooth and creamy.
• Bourbon. Flavor! You can leave the bourbon out, if you like.
• Bananas. You should use ripe bananas that aren’t too soft, or they’ll soften too quickly in the sauce.

Instructions

This is a quick and easy recipe to make. You can get the oatmeal cooking first, and then get the caramelized bananas going at the same time.

Oatmeal

• In a saucepan, combine the oats, water, milk, sugar, spices, vanilla and raisins.
• Cook the oatmeal over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the oatmeal is thick and creamy.

Caramelized Bananas

• In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, and stir in the brown sugar and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
• Stir in the cream and bourbon, and add the sliced bananas. Cook for several minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the caramel is thick and bubbly, and the bananas are starting to soften around the edges.
• Serve the oatmeal hot, and spoon the bananas and caramel sauce over the oatmeal. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of oats do you use?

I prefer to use old-fashioned oats, which cook in about 5 minutes.

Is oatmeal gluten free?

Yes, this is a gluten free oatmeal recipe.

What kind of bourbon should I use?

You can use either a good-quality bourbon or whiskey in the toffee sauce. I love the flavor of Jim Beam and Elijah Craig for cooking and baking. If you prefer, you can leave the bourbon out completely, or just add a teaspoon of vanilla extract to the toffee sauce instead.

Can I use any kind of milk to cook the oats?

Whole milk makes the oats creamy and rich, but you can use any milk you like, including non-dairy options.

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