This is the best oatmeal I’ve ever made in my life. I know I say things like that a lot here, but every time I say it, I mean it.

I especially mean it in this case. O.m.g. Words are almost failing me but I’ll try to power through.

I made this oatmeal yesterday morning after I got back from a long hike. It was the first morning it’s felt like winter and my hands and ears were frozen. I wanted something quick and warming, and I also wanted to use up some banana and dried figs that I had lying around. The idea for this maple brown sugar banana oatmeal was born.

Originally, I was going to just mix brown sugar and maple syrup into the oatmeal and put banana slices on top, but then I decided to mash up half a banana and put it in the oatmeal. That was an excellent decision. The mashed up banana gave the oats more flavor and paired well with the sweet brown sugar and slightly smoky maple syrup.

I also added a little cinnamon into the oatmeal because I wanted a warming spice. It tastes good with the other ingredients and it pairs well with the figs on top. I added walnuts for crunch because I like to have different textures in my breakfast bowls.

When I took the first bite, I almost blacked out. “This is really good,” I said to myself. I made a mental note to file away the recipe for when I open my own bakery someday. This definitely deserves a spot on the breakfast menu.

I’m going to make the oatmeal a lot this winter. In the meantime, I’ll be jamming out to this song. It’s good for Monday mornings when you run out of the house in a rush and decide to have a 30 minute session of car karaoke.

Maple Brown Sugar Banana Oatmeal

Ingredients

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup almond milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 banana, cut in half with one half mashed and the other sliced
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
dried figs sliced in half and chopped walnuts for topping

Directions

Combine the oats and almond milk in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the oats, stirring occasionally.

After a couple minutes of cooking, stir in the mashed banana, maple syrup, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cook the mixture, stirring every so often, until the oatmeal is thick and dense. If you like your oats more runny, take the oatmeal off the burner earlier.

Top with dried figs, chopped walnuts, banana slices, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Enjoy!