Toasted Oatmeal: The Best Oatmeal

Toasted oatmeal with coconut flakes, dried blueberries, cashews, Chinese Five Spice and agave.

Hear me out: I thought oatmeal was gross for a long time.

I know, I know — I’m a Southerner and I eat grits, so I have nothing to talk about, right? I’ve heard this from my Northern-born pals.

I’ve totally changed my mind on oatmeal since learning:

1.) I like it toasted

2.) I like it with a quarter of the water suggested on the packaging

Oats, toasted, are delicious. And less water makes them less soggy and more el dente (with a bite). That’s how I prefer most of the grains I eat including rice and pasta.

These days I add a half of a spoon of coconut oil to a medium heat pan and then add a half a cup of oats (rolled, quick cook). I toast those bad boys for about two minutes. You can’t walk away from it, the oats burn pretty quickly, but it’s only two minutes, so it’s not a waste of time.

At two minutes, I add half a cup of water (1:1 ratio of oats to water) with the same heat. The water is absorbed in about 30 seconds. I switch off the heat and serve with dried fruit, nuts, some sweetener (honey or agave) and then give it a sprinkling of Chinese Five Spice. Five Spice, with it’s mixture of warm and peppery spices, is a great flavor combo for a breakfast containing sugar, but toning down the one-dimensional “SWEET” note.

Ultimately, I think that’s why I like this toasted oatmeal breakfast so much: It’s interesting to eat because there’s more to taste than sugar.