Banana, Chocolate, and Almond Butter Overnight Oats featuring Aloha
There are two types of people: you are either one who eats breakfast or does not. Me? I have never in my entire life fallen into that latter category. Not only have I never gone a day without breakfast (truly), but I am also mind blown that there are people in this world who voluntarily skip this meal. What gives!? Maybe I am biased because I would be ready to eat my arm if I went sans food until lunch, but I truly believe that breakfast should be a staple of everyone’s morning. I get it, we’re all busy. We live in some odd world where “being busy” is something we weirdly brag about; “oh my gosh, I was so busy today I totally forgot to eat breakfast”. If you’re someone who’s uttered these words, I’m here to help. Firstly, I am truly curious, how do you forget about a meal!? Secondly, let’s talk meal prep. I believe that some of us are honestly too busy to make breakfast every morning, and that is a totally valid point. However, that by no means gives you an excuse to totally skip the most important meal of your day. My solution? Find a breakfast you enjoy, prep multiple servings of it on a Sunday or weeknight, and pop them in the fridge for the mornings to follow. This doesn’t mean that you’re scarfing down a bar while simultaneously trying to zip up your dress and wondering to yourself five minutes later, “did I eat that bar I just pulled out of the drawer or have I lost my mind?” I’ve been there; eaten something too quickly while distracted doing something else only to later question whether I really ate it or not. Instead, take some time – I’m talking 10 minutes – and enjoy your breakfast. Everyone’s mornings are busy but I strongly believe you can carve out this small amount of time to start your day off on the right track. Now, back to the food. When I prep my breakfasts, I have a few mandatory criteria the meal must meet: I must be excited to eat it in the morning, it must be filling and healthy, it must not take too long to prep (because, heck, we’re even busy on Sundays), and it most likely must include some of my favorite breakfast staples – banana and almond butter. Regarding the last point, what ingredient makes banana and almond butter the true holy trinity? Chocolate, duh. And since I’m not about to douse Hershey’s syrup all over my breakfast, in comes Aloha chocolate protein powder. The perfect ingredient to add in some extra protein to make this breakfast even more filling and to take that flavor profile up a notch. This gluten and dairy free chocolate banana almond butter overnight oat recipe is truly a weekly staple in my kitchen and I thoroughly believe it will be one in yours too!
Ingredients:
Oats (½ cup)- I prefer half steel cut and half rolled oats
Aloha chocolate protein powder (1 scoop)
Coconut yogurt (¼ cup) – if not using, double the almond milk
Almond milk (¼ cup)
Ripe banana (1)
Spoonful of almond butter
Spoonful of chia seeds
Cinnamon
Water
Directions:
Make the chia seed pudding: place the spoonful of chia seeds in a cup and fill with enough water to double the height of the seed. Stir well so that the seeds and water are combined and set aside for ~5 minutes to form a pudding/gel like substance. Add more water if necessary.
In a separate bowl, mash ½ your ripe banana into a smooth consistency
Add the almond milk, coconut yogurt, and almond butter into the bowl with your mashed banana and mix together
In that bowl, add the oats, cinnamon, and Aloha chocolate protein powder
Stir in the chia seed pudding
Pour the mixture into a jar and top with a dollop of almond butter and the remaining ½ of your banana
Allow the oats to soak overnight and enjoy the next morning or up to 4 days later.
Compliant with the Following Diets:
Plant based
Vegan
Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Low FODMAP