Cherry Pecan Oatmeal Recipe

I have had a love of oatmeal since my youth but the kind of oatmeal I’ve eaten has evolved. When I was little I remember making packets of Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal Fruit and Cream in the microwave, my favorites were Strawberry and Peach. Then as I got older I went through a phase of making steel-cut oats in the microwave but with Almond Breeze Unsweetened Coconut Vanilla Almond Milk. This is when I started experimenting with adding different ingredients.

Discovering homemade almond milk was a game-changer. It is so delicious and creamy I wanted to make things that called for it just to have it (basically a vehicle for how to get the deliciousness into my body). One day I reached for the oatmeal (oats are kind of a staple in my opinion) and have never had a better bowl. The time it takes to make it on the stovetop is completely worth it. 

The toppings you add are totally up to you but the below is my tried and true for the best oatmeal recipe.

Benefits of Oatmeal

It’s hard to know if something is “good” for you these days with so many different diet trends, but according to WebMD oatmeal has many benefits. 

• Provides antioxidants
• Good source of fiber
• Lowers bad (LDL) cholesterol
• Lowers blood sugar levels
• Helps you to feel full to manage your weight

Types of Oats

There are three main different types of oats for oatmeal; old-fashioned, steel-cut, and quick-cooking.  

Note that oats are naturally gluten-free (oats don’t contain gluten) but if you are specifically eating gluten-free look for oats with the gluten-free callout on the label, there can be lots of cross-contamination in the facility.

• Old-fashioned oats are pretty straight-forward.  The grain is steamed, flattened by a steel roller, and then flaked.  When you buy old-fashioned oats you will see a whole oat flake and has a lot of texture.  This is what I keep on hand at all times for cooking and baking.

• Steel-cut oats aren’t rolled by the steel roller, instead, they are by steel blades.  The texture is different than the flattened old-fashioned oat because it’s cut into smaller pieces.  While it takes longer to cook steel-cut, there is less processing because they haven’t been steamed and flattened.

• Quick-cooking (and instant) oats have the most processing and are similar to old-fashioned in the process of being steamed, flattened, and then flaked.  However, depending on if they are quick-cooking or instant, they are either rolled thinner than old-fashioned OR they have been cooked and dried.  Because of all the processing, the texture can be mushy.  When people don’t like oatmeal, a lot of times it’s because this is all they’ve tried.

Oatmeal vs. Porridge

When I was traveling in London a lot of restaurants offered porridge and it got me to thinking…is porridge the same as oatmeal?  Looked the same…tasted the same.  

After doing some research, I discovered porridge is actually any grain cooked with liquid whereas oatmeal is specifically oats cooked with liquid.  Oatmeal is porridge, but not all porridges are oatmeal.  

In China I noticed they serve Congee at breakfast frequently, what I didn’t realize is that Congee is porridge, because it’s made with rice and liquid.  

In the UK though, the porridge is made of oats.  So when you are in the UK next and you see porridge on the menu, know that it’s oatmeal.

Cherry Pecan Oatmeal Recipe

Servings: 1

Ingredients

• ½ cup organic old fashioned oats
• 1 cup homemade almond milk
• ½ cup of frozen organic cherries
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ tablespoon chopped pecans
• Dash of Cinnamon

Stovetop Directions (recommended)

1. In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. 
2. Add oats and cover with lid, simmer on medium for 5 minutes. 
3. While oats are cooking, place cherries in a small bowl and microwave for 90 seconds to thaw. 
4. Let the oatmeal sit for one minute then top with thawed cherries, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. 
5. Enjoy!

Microwave Directions (optional)

1. Combine milk and oats in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave on high for 3 minutes
2. Place cherries in a small bowl, microwave for 90 seconds to thaw
3. Top oatmeal with thawed cherries, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon
4. Enjoy!

 Tips

• I prefer the stovetop method because I can control the heat and consistency better than the microwave (I also try to use the microwave the least amount possible), but the benefit is less cleanup.
• If not using homemade almond milk add a dash of salt to the milk when boiling.
• You can use 1 cup of any liquid in place of almond milk but may change the consistency; if it’s too creamy for your liking I suggest swapping half with water.
• There will be cherry juice in the bowl once thawed. You can omit it from the oatmeal if you’d like, but if you add it you’ll get extra flavor and a reddish tint.
• Double or triple the recipe to have breakfast for days to come, just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to eat you can reheat on the stovetop or microwave, but add a splash of almond milk before heating.

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