Steel Cut Oatmeal 101

Seriously? I know what you are thinking. Never did I ever think I would be writing a blog post about oatmeal. The fact that I have deemed myself an oatmeal connoisseur, and am looking forward to sharing all my oat tips, would have my 10 year old self running away screaming.

However, those of you who are plant based and vegan know the struggle for a quick healthy breakfast is REAL. The reality is oatmeal is a quick and easy go-to during the week. So… if oatmeal MUST be a staple, let’s do this thing right.

The Base

If you are not a huge fan of oatmeal, let’s just think of oats as nice friendly base. A nutritious vessel for some of your favorite yummy toppings. BUT, we should make the best base possible.

Andrew and I prefer steel cut oats both for taste and nutritional value. They take a bit longer to cook so we make them in batches in a slow cooker overnight at the beginning of the week, which lasts about four days between the two of us.

Ingredients

• 2 cups steel cut oats
• 8 cups water

Instructions

1. Combine water & oats in slow cooker
2. Cook on low covered 4 hours (When cooking overnight let slow cooker stay on warm until morning.)
3. Stir well before serving for best consistency
4. Refrigerate remaining oatmeal after cooled

Makes 8 servings.

Toppings

Now on to the fun stuff. You can really add anything you like to oatmeal, but here are a few ideas to get you started and on your way to a bowl full of oats you will love.

Milk – Steel cut oats turn out creamier than rolled oats, so we typically eat them as is. However, you can add any non-dairy milk if you like your oats extra creamy.

• coconut milk or creamer
• almond milk or  creamer
• cashew milk or creamer

Sweetener – I find after adding all the toppings to my oatmeal, there isn’t really a need for sweetener. If you do like a little extra sweetness there are alternatives to the typical brown sugar, if they align with your diet.

• real maple syrup
• raw honey
• blackstrap mollases

Fresh Fruit 

• bananas
• strawberries
• blueberries
• blackberries
• apples
• peaches

Dried Fruit

• raisins
• dried cranberries
• dried cherries
• freeze dried strawberries

Nuts, Seeds & Nibs

• slivered almonds
• walnuts
• crushed cashews
• pumpkin seeds
• chia seeds
• flax seeds
• pomegranate seeds
• cocoa nibs

Spices & Powders

• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• powdered peanut butter

The possibilities are basically endless, which makes it easy to mix things up and try different flavor combinations. Have a little fun with it 😉 .

If I missed any of your favorite oatmeal toppings, or if you have a different on-the-go weekday breakfast you love, please share!