This recipe for Ultimate Oatmeal is thick and hearty full of dried fruit, nuts, and honey.
I have a friend named Eddie who’s a Math professor at a university in Wisconsin. He’s one of those amazing, kindhearted people who will go above and beyond at the drop of a hat for a friend. I met him almost 8 years ago now through a mutual friend in the swing dancing community, and the first time I met him he came over to help me move furniture at my parents house. (How sweet is that?) At one point while we were sorting and moving, Craisins came up in conversation. We started wondering why there were names for dried grapes (raisins) and dried cranberries (craisins), but we didn’t have a name for dried blueberries.
We decided that problem needed to be remedied and started brainstorming names for the humble dried blueberry. In the end, we decided they should be named blips! It’s pretty fun to say, and has become a bit of an inside joke between us. At one point he came to visit me in Colorado and gifted me a package of blips. I wanted to use them and had a ton of oatmeal on hand, so that’s how this oatmeal recipe was born!
I have a confession to make: I LOVE oatmeal. I used to eat it this way every single day when I was in college. More recently I’ve been drinking a protein shake with some chai latte powder in the mornings since I often run out the door in a hurry, but I really love this oatmeal when I have a tiny bit more time to make it. I prefer my oatmeal to be pretty thick, so I like to use steel cut oats which stay fairly thick and keep their shape. You’re welcome to to use instant or rolled oats which will get a bit creamier or use extra milk to make them a bit more like traditional oatmeal packets.
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Ultimate Oatmeal
- Prep Time: 2
- Cook Time: 2
- Total Time: 4
Description
Thick, hearty oatmeal full of dried fruit, nuts, and honey.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup oats (rolled, steel cut or instant)
- 1/2 cup milk (your favorite type)
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 Tablespoons dried fruit (Craisins, raisins, dried figs, dates, dried blueberries, etc.)
- 2 Tablespoons nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc)
- 2 teaspoons honey or agave nectar (I typically eyeball it)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Pour milk over oatmeal in a small bowl.
- Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
- Stir in remaining ingredients.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- This makes one large serving or two-three smaller servings.
- I typically eyeball the amounts for each ingredient, so don’t feel like you have to measure exactly.
- Gluten-free: This is gluten-free as long as you use certified gluten-free oats.
- Vegan/Vegetarian: This is vegan as long as you use vegan milk and your favorite vegan sweetener.
Yum yum yum! I love oatmeal, but I usually am lazy and just make a pack of instant oatmeal. I need to try adding some mix-ins!
I really can’t remember the last time I bought packets of oatmeal. They usually have way more sugar than I can stand, and I end up feeling crummy if I start my day with them, so I usually have to make my own with a bit less added sugar.
1) That story is hilarious! I love the name y’all created. 2) Looks so delicious! Oatmeal is so yummy!
Thank you Sarah!!
Why have we not discussed this before? Blips is a fantastic name for dried bluebees (our household name). I’ve also added freeze dried fruits from Trader Joe’s into the mix. Lovely way to start the day!
Bluebees is cute too! Blips also pays homage to a fabulous Duke Ellington jazz song “Bli-Blip”. You can listen to the original recording (and black and white video) here: http://youtu.be/Pthpr7sI9C0 And freeze-dried fruits sounds fun! Totally new texture.
Wow! Stephanie! That is an AWESOME photo with the honey drizzling! Very cool! 🙂
Thank you Wendi!! (That means a lot coming from you!) That photo made me giddy when I was finally able to capture it. It took me a few attempts to be able to catch it at the right amount of drip. By that point, that bowl of oatmeal was 60% honey. Hahaha!
I really love to eat oatmeal. It really to so tempting. I cannot wait to try this recipe at home. Thanks
Oatmeal is just the best isnt’ it?
Yes, especially there is a lot of dried fruits and nuts.