Chocolate Oatmeal

By: Pen-Pal Productions on 6:00 AM

Nommmmm.

I've been eating this for breakfast every single day and I can't get enough.  It's a bit like Kristin's Oatmeal Made Interesting recipe but instead uses banana and Almond extract.  The original recipe is from Chocolate-Covered Katie but I've adapted it a bit in that I don't use any additional sweetener and I've opted for Almond Extract instead of Vanilla (though it's delicious with both).

This recipe is easy-peasy.  It doesn't take any longer for me to whip it together and cook on the stove than it was when I was microwaving my oatmeal.  And it tastes like it should be the most horrible thing you could put into your body, but it's actually healthy!


Chocolate Oatmeal

1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Red Mill GF)
1- 1 1/2 cups milk* (I use Almond milk)
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Almond Extract *swoon*
pinch of salt

*The original recipe says you can use water here too but I think it tastes significantly worse with water, not to mention the texture somehow becomes all wrong.  But, whatever floats your chocolate-covered boat :)  You can use as much or as little milk as you prefer to make it the right consistency for you.


Combine the oats and milk.  Add banana and mash together with oatmeal.  Add cocoa powder, almond extract, and salt.  Cook over medium-high until hot. Stir often.  Enjoy!

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Oatmeal made interesting

By: Pen-Pal Productions on 9:50 AM

Boring is the word that came to mind when I used to think about oatmeal. Spoonfuls of sugar couldn't help the bowls I would make for breakfast in the winter. Until I added cocoa powder.

Yep. Cocoa powder. For baking.

Looking for a few ways to jazz up your breakfast? Grab some cocoa powder, cinnamon/sugar, blueberries, jam, or peanut butter.

I mix one part cocoa powder to two parts cinnamon/sugar mix. (We make our cinnamon/sugar mix and keep it in a shaker). So whether you use a teaspoon or a tablespoon, just make sure you add more sugar than cocoa powder. Otherwise your oatmeal will taste like bitter chocolate. And that's just sad.

With your uncooked oatmeal in a bowl, sprinkle in cocoa powder and cinnamon/sugar. Mix it around to evenly coat your oats. Then add blueberries. Or strawberries/apples/bananas. Whatever you have frozen in your freezer or on hand in your fruit bowl. Add water, mix and microwave. Voila! The best tasting oatmeal you'll have.

When I ran out of frozen blueberries recently, I improvised with a spoonful of raspberry jam. Oh boy. Delicious! And you don't need to add sugar to that since the jam is already sweet.

S uses a spoonful or two of peanut butter when he makes oatmeal. He adds cinnamon but no sugar. When he uses cocoa powder, he won't add fruit because he doesn't like chocolate-y fruit. What??

So really, the customization is up to you. Never again will oatmeal be boring.

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