This past weekend, I found myself in the unfortunate situation of being out of fresh fruit. I imagine this is a pretty common problem for some people, so I try to make sure I have a wide variety of oatmeal recipes that can appease the most vacant of pantries!
My mom recently sent me a box full of “fancy” dried fruits. By “fancy,” I mean that they are not raisins and bananas. They are the pricier stuff that I can never afford: Â pineapple, cherries, and blueberries.
Using what I had, I threw together this recipe. I thought it sounded unimpressive in my head, but I was shocked at how tasty it was! I had to share it.
Cream Cheese Oatmeal with Dried Fruit
What you'll need:
- 1 cup milk or choice, or water
- 1 tbsp cream cheese (Tofutti works, too)
- 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
- 1/4 cup dried fruit
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice (omit if using dairy cream cheese)
- pinch of salt
How to make it:
- Add milk to a saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese immediately in small pieces (so it dissolves better).
- When liquid begins to boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
- Add dried fruits. (I used blueberries, cherries, cranberries, and raisins.)
- Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add vanilla extract, cinnamon, optional lemon juice, and salt. Stir.
- When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of your milk of choice and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, etc.).
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