Do you know those instant oatmeal packets? Well, I have something very similar but much healthier! This Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal Recipe is simple to make, delicious, and much healthier than the packets.
What Makes This Oatmeal So Good?
The flavors first and foremost. This is oatmeal loaded with the warm spices we all know and love in the fall. I cannot get enough! It is one of my favorite breakfasts in the winter months.
It is very simple to make. Your breakfast will be hot and ready to go in under 10 minutes and with minimal effort. It is worth it!
Whole grains are an essential part of a healthy diet. There has been so much in the news lately about oats reducing the risk of heart disease. Why not start the day out with them and do your heart a favor? A healthy breakfast is a great way to start your day off on the right foot. I feel like a much better mom sending my kids out the door with this in their bellies on school mornings.
Ingredients
- Milk- I used almond milk, but use whatever you like. Cow milk or even coconut milk is really creamy and delicious. Hot water can also be used instead of milk.
- Regular oats- or whole oats. You can also use quick oats, but I prefer the regular. Instant oats cook too quickly and get mushy. I am not really into that. Regular oats can also be called old fashioned oats. You will find them in the cereal section at your local grocery store.
- Chia Seeds- I like to add these in for extra protein.
- Cinnamon- it won't take much, but that teaspoon ground cinnamon packs a flavor punch.
- Nutmeg- this is an essential spice in any of my fall cooking/baking
- Cloves- another essential spice.
- Ginger- I love these 4 spices and the way they work together.
- Salt- just a touch
- Maple syrup- I use this for sweetening after it is cooked, but you can also use any other sweetener you like. Cane sugar is great, beet sugar, or a small amount of brown sugar. I was going for refined sugar-free though, so I went with maple syrup.
- Toppings of choice
- Butter- I recently started adding a pat of butter to my bowls of oatmeal. I am never looking back! if you are going for vegan oatmeal, leave this out or use vegan butter.
- Vanilla extract- optional, but also a great addition
How To Make
This is so simple to make, let me show you how.
Start by bringing your milk to a boil over medium heat. Once it is just barely boiling, add in the oats, chia seeds, spices, and salt. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
You will know it is done when the liquid has mostly been cooked out and the oatmeal is tender.
Now for the fun part, topping the oatmeal. I topped mine simply with pecans, heavy cream, maple syrup, and heavy cream. I will give more suggestions below.
Meal Prep Breakfast Idea
Let me tell you one other way your can make your own instant oatmeal mix. Instead of the regular rolled oats as I recommend, use instant. Mix them with your spices and place them in an airtight container or ziplock bags. In the morning, add them to a bowl and add the heated milk. Let it sit for a minute, then enjoy.
The recipe will look like this ½ cup quick-cooking oats, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, and a small pinch of salt. Add in 1 cup of boiling milk. Let this sit for a minute, mix, and enjoy. Or you can add your milk to the oat mixture in the bowl and microwave for 45 seconds. Again, let it sit for 1 minute, then enjoy. Top with your pure maple syrup and you are ready to go!
This is a really easy way to get breakfast even more quickly! But let's not box this in. I really like these oats any time of the day!
Notes
Let me give you a few tips for making the perfect oatmeal.
The first one is to make sure you don't overcook the oatmeal or add in too much liquid, the oatmeal will just turn into a mushy mess. I like my oatmeal tender, but not mushy.
Do not cook it on high heat unless you are committed to watching it and mixing constantly. I am never willing to do that, so I cook it on low heat.
It is important to mix it occasionally. I have burned oatmeal more times than I care to admit, it happens quickly.
If you want other topping suggestions for your oatmeal, let me help you out.
I used pecans, but you could also use raw walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, etc. You can also mix in peanut butter or other nut butter you like.
If you like seeds, you could go for pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds,
There are also dried fruits- raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries would all make really tasty additions.
Fresh fruit toppings are really good. I like to cut up fresh apples into cubes to top the oatmeal. They go perfectly with the warming spices.
I used heavy cream and butter for mine, but if you are going for a lower-calorie bowl, omit these.
FAQ Cooking Oatmeal
You sure can. In fact, you don't have to add any sweetener if you don't want to. I really like the maple syrup, so I add this.
Double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe. It is really simple to do, just make sure you have a pot big enough to hold it all! Also, when you are working with bigger batches, be mindful of mixing as they can burn on the bottom.
It is! Always make sure and check labels on your products, but everything in this is naturally gluten-free.
It can easily be. If you are avoiding animal products, make sure and use plant-based milk. Maple syrup or one of the other sugars should also be used. And, if you add the butter as I like to do, make sure it is a plant-based vegan butter.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Healthy homemade granola
- Honey ricotta toast with roasted blackberries
- Quick and healthy breakfast hash
- Cream cheese stuffed french toast
- Strawberries and cream porridge
- Whole Wheat Waffles
Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups water or milk I really like to use milk for mine as it gives it a creamier texture!
- 1 cup regular oats you can also use quick-cooking oats, but I prefer old fashioned.
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- maple syrup I use this for topping the oats after
- toppings of choice
Instructions
- Heat the milk in a medium-sized pan over medium heat until the milk comes to a boil. Add the spices, salt, chia seeds, and oats to the heated milk.
- Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the liquid is mostly cooked out and the oats are tender.
- Remove from the heat and dish up. Top with your favorite toppings. I love to use maple syrup with some kind of nuts and dried fruit. Use whatever you like!
- Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!