Tropical Oatmeal – Eating Bird Food

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

Be sure to check out all of the oatmeal recipes as well as the full collection of breakfast recipes on EBF!