5-Minute Vegan Oatmeal
I’ve always been a cereal girl.
Much of this is out of sheer practicality. After snoozing the alarm a couple of times, taking a sleepwalk-y shower, getting dressed, and hunting down all the stuff I need for the day, I nearly always find myself both ravenous and just a touch short on time. That makes the two-second find-bowl-pour-twice breakfast option my standard morning fair.
But, I also actually really love cereal. The cold crispness of the milk mixed with the chewy, crunchy goodness of the cereal is just such a perfect combination.
Now, my penchant for cereal was great news going vegan, because switching to a plant-based cereal breakfast is a piece of cake. Swap out the cow’s milk for a plant-based milk. Make sure the muesli brand you pick up at the store has no dairy or eggs. Done!
Two tiny changes and my breakfast needs for 98% of my mornings were all taken care of.
Ah, but what about that last 2%?
That last 2% has turned out to be really tricky. Those are my rare “must have a warm breakfast today” mornings. And my go-to warm breakfasts were anything but vegan.
I was a huge fan of making two slices of toast and a frying up an egg, sunny-side-up.
I also liked scrambling an egg with chorizo to roll in freshly-comal-warmed tortillas.
Homemade Egg McMuffin-inspired sandwiches were also in rotation: a fried egg with a slice of cheese melted on it right in the pan, layered between slices of toast or an English muffin with or without a sausage patty or fried hotdog slices.
And finally, there was the occasional warmed ham-and-cheese bagel. (Or, if I’m being honest, sometimes just a melty-cheese bagel).
You can see the problem. Nothing remotely vegan there. Nor anything that loans itself to simple vegan swaps.
But, of course, those I-need-a-warm-breakfast-right-this-second mornings have still rolled around since I’ve been plant-based, so I’ve had to hunt for new, warm, fast breakfast go-to’s. And of all the recipes I’ve come up with, this oatmeal recipe is my absolute favorite.
Why I Love It
This recipe checks all my fast, warm breakfast boxes.
It comes together in less than 5 minutes.
It’s warm and stays warm until the bowl is empty. (I eat fast. What can I say?)
It’s seriously filling.
And it’s rich, sweet and creamy, making it feel like a decadent comfort food.
But that decadence is only tastebud deep. This oatmeal is really, really healthy. All the base ingredients are whole-food plant-based and offer serious health benefits.
- Oats improve glucose tolerance and reduce cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.
- Berries improve artery function, reduce blood pressure, raise good cholesterol levels and are rich in antioxidants.
- Flaxseeds provide a valuable dose of essential omega 3 fatty acids and they reduce inflammation, heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer risk.
- Bananas are a good source of potassium, which is important for healthy artery function.
- Dates provide essential minerals, improve fertility, boost kidney and liver function and lower triglycerides.
- Peanut Butter reduces blood sugar spikes and reduces the risk of heart attacks.
- Cinnamon can help regulate blood sugar levels, lower triglycerides and cholesterol, boost bone strength and lower blood pressure.
- Nutmeg may be able to boost mood and is very rich in antioxidants.
- Ginger: eases nausea, reduces pain and has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Cook Time
Ingredients
- ¼-½ cup rolled oats, (or quick oats if you like a gooier texture)
- ¼ cup berries, frozen
- 1 tbsp flaxseeds, ground
- 1 medium banana
- 1 large scoop natural peanut butter, (about 1-2 tablespoons)
- 2-4 fresh dates, pitted, (and/or a large handful of raisins or unsweetened dried cranberries)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 pinch ginger
- 1 cup water, boiling
- Optional: A handful of unsalted raw or lightly roasted nuts (I love pecans, but you can use any nut)
- A drizzle of agave nectar (about 1 tablespoon)
- A large spoonful of vegan marmalade (about 2 tablespoons)
- Additional fresh fruits or berries for topping
- Additional cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for topping
Instructions
- Add water to kettle or a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. (If you are using milk, stick to the saucepan.)
- In a non-plastic breakfast bowl, add oatmeal, flaxseeds, frozen berries, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. (Note: the berries can be fully frozen because pouring the boiling water over them thaws them instantly!)
- Chop bananas and (if using) dates. Do not forget to check if you need to remove the pits from the dates before chopping.
- Slowly add the boiling water to your oatmeal and berries. Stop when you can just see an unbroken thin layer of water pooling above the surface of the oatmeal. (Note: this will not be the full cup of water you boiled.)
- Allow the oatmeal to sit until water disappears. Stir oatmeal to test consistency and make sure all oatmeal has been cooked. If you like your oatmeal runnier (I like mine to hold my spoon upright for me) or if you find spots of dry oatmeal, slowly add additional water until all oatmeal is cooked and/or you have the desired consistency.
- Layer on chopped banana and remaining desired toppings.
- Enjoy!
Tips:
1. Be vigilant about adding your banana after your boiling water (or milk). Bananas are solid and, when chopped, flat enough they deflect boiling liquid all over your kitchen if you hit a slice at the wrong angle. You will not be surprised to hear that I learned this the hard way.
2. Add your peanut butter dead last, tapping it into the bowl off the spoon you want to eat with. This saves annoying scrapping time and gives you some awesome peanut-buttery bites at the beginning when you get the leftovers off the spoon.
3. Without a really sweet fruit (like dates, raisins or dried cranberries) this oatmeal will come out bland. Don’t skip on these fruits! If you don’t have any on hand, marmalade, agave nectar or even brown sugar, though less healthy, will make this breakfast dish much more enjoyable to eat! (And, hey, we’re still way healthier than chorizo and eggs, here…)
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 | |
| Calories | 417 |
| Calories from Fat | 180 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 20 g | 31% |
| Saturated fat 3 g | 15% |
| Unsaturated fat 17 g | |
| Carbohydrates 55 g | 18% |
| Sugar 29 g | |
| Fiber 12 g | 48% |
| Protein 12 g | 24% |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | |
| Sodium 17 mg | 1% |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Nutrition facts calculated via VeryWellFit.com.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26545667
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18258621
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2841576/
- http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3163/2
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2009.00105.x
- http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1846/2
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25456155
- https://pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/428766
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23122211
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696988/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854496/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16007907
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10793599
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16117603
© 2018 Miranda Poenicke
