Banana Oatmeal with Raisins & Honey
Hot porridge, cold banana. Five minutes on the stove with the oats softening in milk, not water, and the bowl thickens enough to hold a handful of raisins without them sinking. Honey goes on last, while the surface is still warm enough to thin it into golden streaks.
Five ingredients. 601 calories. Nothing to measure beyond a cup and a spoon.
Hot porridge, cold banana. Five minutes on the stove with the oats softening in milk, not water, and the bowl thickens enough to hold a handful of raisins without them sinking. Honey goes on last, while the surface is still warm enough to thin it into golden streaks.
Five ingredients. 601 calories. Nothing to measure beyond a cup and a spoon.
Ingredients
- oatmeal 0.5 cup
- milk, 2% reduced fat 1 cup
- banana 1
- raisins 1 ounce
- honey 1 tablespoon
Method
-
In a small saucepan, combine the oats and milk and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-
Slice the banana.
-
Transfer the oatmeal into a wide bowl and place the banana slices and raisins on top. Drizzle with honey.
The milk goes in from the start, not stirred in after cooking. Heating the oats directly in milk lets the starches and proteins thicken together, and the porridge sets into a creamier base than oats boiled in water with dairy added at the end.
Why This Works
Behind this recipe
Are raisins a good source of iron?
They look like one on the label. But a Caco-2 absorption study found that iron bioavailability from all three commercial raisin varieties was low, the polyphenols that make raisins sweet also bind to the iron during digestion, reducing how much your body actually absorbs. The 28 grams in this bowl contribute sweetness, texture, and about a gram of fiber. Iron is not their strong suit.
Read the full evidence reviewCan I use water instead of milk?
You can, but the texture changes. Milk proteins denature during the 5-7 minutes of cooking, thickening the porridge into a creamier base than water alone produces. Water-cooked oats set thinner and release less starch into the liquid, so the bowl will be looser. Switching to water also drops the protein, most of the 18 grams come from the 237 ml of milk, not the oats.
Is 601 calories a lot for breakfast?
It depends on your total daily intake and goals. For context, 601 calories is roughly 25-30% of a standard 2,000-2,400 kcal day. If you eat three meals with minimal snacking, that is a normal breakfast allocation. The 113 grams of carbohydrates come primarily from oats and banana, with raisins and honey adding concentrated sweetness.
