Salted (or not) Caramel Apple Oatmeal

One week remains of my first year of teaching! Each year, as my life and career become increasingly more demanding, I worry about how my blog will fit into my schedule. This year, I consistently worked 70-80 hours a week, yet I somehow managed to squeeze in a few hours each weekend to manage this blog . . . So if you’re wondering why I’m not so great at responding to blog comments anymore, that’s why. I’m sorry! I read and appreciate all of them!

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Despite my long hours of classroom prep, I remained loyal to this blog. I think that’s quite telling. No matter how stressful my life was, I made this blog a priority. Why? I enjoy it. Yes, it’s a LOT of (more) work, but it’s also gratifying and therapeutic.

This recipe, like many others, has been stumping me for at least a year. How could I make a VEGAN caramel sauce? It’s not that I didn’t know how–there are tons of recipes out there. I just didn’t feel like making it (see above re: 70-80 hours a week)!

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Cue caramel-flavored agave! I found this on Amazon. To be honest, it tastes kind of maple-y, so if you want a true caramel experience, I would recommend a different brand…or making it yourself. 😉

That being said, it did taste different than maple syrup, and I felt like I was eating caramel apples. Naturally, I I added salt…because everything is better salted. Well, most things.

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If you had some delicious, fresh caramel sauce, what kind of oatmeal would you make?

Salted (or not) Caramel Apple Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Yield: serves 1

What you'll need:

  • 1 cup milk of choice, or water
  • 1/4 cup quick cooking steel-cut oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
  • 1/2 (or all) an apple (I used Fuji)
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • caramel sauce and coarse salt for topping

How to make it:

  1. Finely dice or grate apple.
  2. Add milk (I use 1/2 c almond milk and 1/2 c water) to a saucepan over medium heat and add diced apples. Bring it to a low boil and let the apples cook for a minute or two, and then add oats.
  3. Reduce heat to medium low (it should be at a simmer).
  4. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add vanilla extract and salt. Stir.
  5. When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with caramel sauce, add a splash of your milk of choice, and sprinkle on a heavy pinch of coarse salt, if using.
https://www.theoatmealartist.com/salted-or-not-caramel-apple-oatmeal/

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About Lauren Smith

Lauren is a herbivore, Slytherin, and connoisseur of oats. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook.

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