Creamy Oatmeal Recipe for Your Morning Routine
Oatmeal is always touted as the perfect way to start the day. Growing up, oats were pushed as the big “healthy breakfast” food! As we are full swing in winter now, a warm bowl of creamy oats looks ever so inviting. Not your basic Quaker Oatmeal packets though. Those tiny servings of the original plain, maple and brown sugar or cinnamon oatmeal, HECK NO. I’m talking a creamy oatmeal recipe that makes a big bowl of never ending gooey, chocolatey and coconut-ty oats that only take a sweet 15 minutes to cook.
The texture, the flavour, the smell of warm oats is my personal favorite way to start my morning routine. It’s like wearing a winter sweater as you watch the first leaf flutter to the ground as autumn says hello. If you’ve ever taken a Bounty bar (these may only be a Canadian thing? Not sure) and melted it in the microwave to eat it warm … these chocolate coconut oats may be a healthier version of that (not to mention, two of my favorite toppings in oats are chocolate and coconut). I’m going to call this most similar to Bounty Bar Oatmeal and leave it at that.
Many Ways to Eat Oats
Almost everyone who has made oatmeal might agree that it’s a budget friendly, high nutritional value, fibrous, quick, whole grain that can be customized to suit almost any diet and almost every flavour (curried oatmeal is actually a thing). Some people do compare the taste of oatmeal to the smell of dirty socks, although I have no idea where this comes from. Have you even tried the gajillion toppings you can fill your oatmeal bowl with? Please do so and report back to me. And if you still dislike oatmeal bowls … then you need to do me one last favor and try this chocolate coconut bowl.
So there are myriad ways to get in a cup of oats, ones that don’t include making it taste like footwear. A simple recipe such as cooked oatmeal, a refrigerated chia seed overnight oats pudding, granola, baked oats (Tiktok trend) and more! Moreover, being a huge oatmeal advocate, I needed to share this recipe to level up your breakfast game. Who knows? Maybe this will convince the sock-tasting-oatmeal-haters to do a double take.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Oatmeal Recipe
Bounty Bar in a Bowl: Bounty bars were these chewy coconut candy bars covered in chocolate. Even the chocolate had a chewy texture when combined with the coconut – it wouldn’t *snap* like a chocolate bar. When you took a bite, the chocolate melted into the coconut insides and just melted in your mouth! Chocolate and coconut are two flavours that I always appreciate together, and today’s oatmeal recipe mixes those flavours together to elevate a regular bowl of oats into a much more delicious remix.
Make On-the-Go: Mix together the dry ingredients and store in a ziploc bag in your bag. When ready to eat, you just have to add in the liquid and pop it in a bowl in the microwave! Alternatively, you can also add it to a stovetop pan and cook it that way. The ingredients in this recipe are non-perishable, so no worries if you don’t use it right away.
I like to boil the plant-based milk, add the vanilla extract and keep it in a thermos. That way, when I’m ready to eat, I just need a bowl and I can dump all the ingredients in. Leaving the dry ingredients in the hot milk for a few minutes will cook them if you have no other option available. Having an extra snack always comes in handy!
Substitutions
Oats: Use quick-cooking or instant oats as a substitute to old fashioned rolled oats. Do not use steel cut oats. The texture and cook time vary much more than rolled or quick oats. I prefer to use sprouted oats, which take longer to cook but are chewier (and healthier) than conventional oats. Sprouted oats are oat groats that are harvested and dried after germination. They are better at nutrient absorption and have an overall nutritional profile that allow for more bioavailability of nutrients.
Oat Milk: Try substituting a different plant based milk if you don’t have oat milk. I like the flavour of oat milk, but any neutral milk will work (cashew milk, unsweetened almond milk are good ones). For a more coconut-ty version, try using full-fat canned coconut milk! You can also use half water, half milk but all milk will make the creamiest oatmeal.
Coconut: For a refined sugar-free version, use unsweetened shredded coconut. Else, substitute with the sweetened type. Check the ingredients on the bag of coconut to see whether it has added sugar or not.
Monkfruit Sweetener: Substitute coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, or any other dry or liquid sweetener. If using maple syrup, use less than a tablespoon as it will get very sweet.
Chocolate Chips: Use dark chocolate chips if you like your chocolate on the darker side, otherwise stick to semisweet. Check the ingredient label to make sure the chocolate is vegan – it shouldn’t contain dairy or any dairy derivatives (like milk powder) in it. You can also find chocolate chips that are made of monkfruit or a sugar-free sweetener, to keep the recipe refined sugar-free.
Creamy Oatmeal Recipe Notes
- I love to top oatmeal with nuts, seeds, medjool dates, a healthy fat such as peanut butter or sunflower seed butter, dry fruit, fresh fruits (a banana would work better than berries or tropical fruits here) or other toppings of choice for a nutritional boost!
- Cook the oats with 1-2 cinnamon sticks in the pot to infuse the flavor, then remove before eating for cinnamon-coconut-chocolate oats! Or you can also add in a pinch or two of ground cinnamon.
- Freeze individual portions of this recipe into ice cube trays to pop out and reheat when ready.
- Alternatively, mix all the dry ingredients in a Ziploc bag to make this recipe on the go, or keep it for when you’re in a rush. Then all you have to do is dump it all into a pot to cook, or put it into the microwave with the added liquid.
- You can make this recipe in a microwave or a stove! Instructions for both methods are in the recipe card below.
- Make this and leave it overnight in the fridge for a quick breakfast the next morning that you just need to reheat (or even a healthy lunch, if eating oats for lunch is your thing)!
- I usually don’t salt my oats. Add a pinch of salt into the oats while cooking, if needed depending on personal taste.
- If you like your oats more watery instead of thick, add a lot of liquid in! Start with a quarter cup more milk, and increase it as desired.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
Orange & Blueberry Chia Parfait
Blackberry Coconut Overnight Oats
If you make this Creamy Oatmeal Recipe, leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Creamy Oatmeal Recipe (Chocolate Coconut)
Equipment
- Stovetop Pot or Microwave
Ingredients
- ¼ cup dry rolled oats
- ¾ cup oat milk
- 1-3 tsp monkfruit sweetener start with 1 teaspoon of sweetener and add more as required
- 2 tbsp shredded coconut
- 1-2 tbsp semisweet vegan chocolate chips start with 1 tbsp, add more if desired
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the oats, milk, sweetener and coconut to a stovetop pan over medium-low heat.
- Stovetop Instructions: Continuously stir until the mixture begins to boil and thicken after around 10-15 minutes (if you have rolled oats). Quick cooking oats only take a few minutes.
- Microwave Instructions: Microwave in 30 second intervals, stir the oats, and repeat until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Pour into a bowl and stir in the vanilla and chocolate chips.
- Eat it while it's hot! Alternatively, see storage instructions below.
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days
- Alternatively, separate as individual portions and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in the freezer for up to three months.
