Tropical Oatmeal
39
Published May 31, 2023, Updated Sep 18, 2024
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
This creamy bowl of tropical oatmeal cooks up in under 10 minutes on the stovetop. It combines rolled oats with coconut milk and banana and is topped with fresh mango and toasted coconut.
Nothing warms me up like a bowl of oatmeal on a cold morning especially if it involves flavors that make me think of white sand, suntan lotion and piña coladas. This bowl of tropical oatmeal does just that with flavors of banana, mango and coconut. It’s delightful… and now one of my favorite oatmeal variations.
So if you’re in the mood for a tasty bowl of oats that will have you daydreaming about exotic islands give this little combo a shot.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with tropical flavors thanks to the fresh banana and mango, coconut milk and toasted coconut.
- Loaded with fiber from oats, healthy fats from coconut milk and shredded coconut and vitamins and minerals from the fresh fruit.
- Comes together in just 10 minutes!
- Dairy-free, vegan and totally customizable.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- old fashioned oats – rolled oats make for such a creamy bowl of oatmeal. I love Bob’s Red Mill old-fashioned rolled oats. Make sure you grab gluten-free oats if needed.
- coconut milk – this adds a tropical twist and creaminess to the oatmeal. You can use regular or light canned coconut milk. You can replace the coconut milk with any non-dairy or dairy milk of choice. You can also use all water if you prefer. The flavor will change slightly and the oatmeal might not be as creamy, but it’ll still be delicious.
- water – instead of cooking the oats in all coconut milk, we’re doing half coconut milk and half water to reduce the saturated fat.
- banana – half a banana is used in the oatmeal for some creaminess and natural sweetness, while the rest can be saved for topping.
- cinnamon and vanilla extract – nice flavor enhancers!
- toppings – these are optional, but I love adding fresh mango, fresh banana slices, toasted coconut and a drizzle of maple syrup (or sweetener of choice). For the toasted coconut, make sure you’re using unsweetened coconut.
How to Make
Place oats, milk, banana slices, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium-sized pot. Cook on medium-low heat over the stovetop for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally so the oats don’t stick. Banana slices should cook down and become creamy.
Remove from pot, add oat mixture to a bowl and top with extra banana slices, mango chunks, toasted coconut flakes and a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired.
Customize Your Oatmeal
- Use different fruit – fresh pineapple, kiwi, peaches or really any fruit would be delicious.
- Use different toppings – feel free to great creative when it comes to the toppings! Nuts, chia seeds, dried fruit and a drizzle of nut or seed butter are all great options.
- Add protein – stir in 1/2-1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, whisk in egg whites after cooking or add a scoop of Greek yogurt. Check out my full post on protein oatmeal for other ways to add protein to your oats.
How to Meal Prep & Store
This tropical oatmeal recipe is great because you can easily double or triple the recipe for meal prep so you have breakfast ready to go for a few days.
Just store your leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to eat, warm the oatmeal in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until they reach your preferred temperature. You might want to add an extra splash of milk or water because as the oats sit they’ll likely thicken up. Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
More Oatmeal Recipes
- How to Make Oatmeal
- Blueberry Oatmeal
- Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal
- Protein Oatmeal
- Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal
- Cauliflower Oatmeal
- Salted Caramel Oatmeal
- Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal
- Peaches and Cream Oatmeal
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Zucchini Bread Oatmeal
- Easy Basic Overnight Oats
Be sure to check out all of the oatmeal recipes as well as the full collection of breakfast recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Tropical Oatmeal
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ½ cup canned coconut milk, regular or light
- ½ cup water
- ½ banana, sliced
- pinch of cinnamon
- splash of vanilla
- toasted coconut flakes, for topping
- mango chunks, for topping
- banana slices, for topping
- maple syrup, for topping
Instructions
- Place oats, milk, banana slices, cinnamon and vanilla in a medium sized pot. Cook on medium-low heat for about 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally so the oats don’t stick. Banana slices should cook down and become creamy.
- Remove from pot, add to a bowl and top with extra banana slices, mango chunks, toasted coconut flakes and a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
would this work with steel cut oats?
Hi Lyn – I do not recommend making this recipe with steel cut oats, you would need to adjust the liquid ingredients, since steel cut oats absorb more liquid and take longer to bake. I have a delicious baked steel cut oat recipe HERE. Let me know if you give it a try!
Incredible recipe! I’ve mostly been relying on protein powder + oatmeal, so this was my first foray into oats sweetened without the sweeteners from protein power. I was so surprised with how well this turned out, and I crave it every morning for breakfast!
YUM! I am so excited to hear that you gave this recipe a try and it turned out great for you. So glad you are loving this oatmeal. Thank you for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I apprecaiate it!
My 21 month old daughter and I loved this oatmeal! I added some raisins and a touch of pure almond extract too. My daughter is in her picky eating stage now and she even asked for seconds! We have been having difficulty getting her to eat much lately, so thank you!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Amy!! I’m so glad she enjoyed this oatmeal. 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it!
I have to thank you SO much for introducing me to…cooked oats basically. I never used to cook oats because I didn’t think it necessary, I would just eat them plain with (organic) milk and some cranberry-nut mix. I still think that combo is divine but I am enjoying the warmths of cooked oats for winter. I make mine with a blend of coconut milk and water, then toss some coconut rasps in there.
You guys in the US are so lucky, you seem to have a much better choice of health-food/good-for-you options available, despite being the country of fast food. In Germany, I wouldn’t even know where to buy Almond Milk!
Hello, hello! Long time no see ;p I heard about that new milk from Almond Breeze! Sounds interesting 🙂 take me to the tropics too! I did FaceTime with my mom today and she showed me around their house (in Florida) and I virtually basked in their sun lol. I hope all is well (pshh they are beyond well!!)
XOXO, so much love to you!
Hiii lady! I hope you are doing well in NYC. I’m missing you here in Richmond. Let’s meet up somewhere warm. 🙂 xoxo
OMG..I can’t wait to find that Almond/Coconut Blend.
Your oatmeal concoction looks delicious! I haven’t seen that particular flavor yet, but I’m certainly going to be on the lookout for it!
i just picked some of this up too!
hi brittany! those oats like FABULOUS! i had seen this milk in the store but was weary…now i really want to buy it! do you think you could do this recipe as overnight oats too?
Definitely!!