Tomorrow, November 23rd, is National Espresso Day in the United States. As I type this, I’m sitting in my favorite <3 coffee shop, sipping espresso made for me by “my boys.”
This shop has a small staff, but each of them knows my order by heart. These particular boys work every Saturday morning, so I see them frequently. When I walk in the door, they say, “Double shot espresso for here?” And then they remember to give me my 15% teacher discount without me having to say anything or show my teacher ID. And then they play a wonderful playlist consisting of ample doses of John Mayer, the Script, and all my favorites. I love my boys.
I know coffee isn’t everyone’s cup of tea (kind of an ironic statement, no?), but I dig it. I started like most young people–drinking overly sweetened gas station “lattes” (it’s offensive to me that they even call them that) and Starbucks concoctions. (Fun fact: I never cared much for the PSL. I found the peppermint mocha far more satisfying, but I suppose I’ve always had a thing for peppermint).
During my year in Newark, Allison and I spent much of our weekends in coffee shops around New York (not much has changed in three years…). I fell in love with plain ol’ soy lattes–unsweetened, unflavored, unadulterated. It wasn’t until we were eating sushi one night in the Ironbound district of Newark that my world changed. She decided to order a cappuccino for dessert. That sounded like a great idea, but they didn’t have soy milk. I wasn’t ~technically~ vegan at the time, but I deeply wanted to be and shuddered at the mere thought of dairy. The waitress suggested an espresso. I had never had one before, but it sounded better than just sitting and watching Allison drink her cappuccino.
My life was changed. As someone who loves eating super, super, super dark chocolate (my motto is “85% or higher or GTFO”), drinking espresso was perfect for my taste buds. I sweetened it slightly in the beginning, but it didn’t take long before I could drink it straight.
So, in celebration of National Espresso Day tomorrow, here are my ten favorite oatmeal recipes that incorporate coffee/espresso flavors. 🙂
FYI: All the above coffee pics are taken from my Instagram. Follow me here!
Dirty Chai Oatmeal
Because many chai mixes are not vegan-friendly, this is
not something I am able to experience often. Thank goodness for
oatmeal!
Coconut Mocha Muesli
You can add chocolate-covered espresso beans to the list
of foods I can’t keep in the house. I once ate so many handfuls of
these that it nearly caused me to pass out from too much caffeine
in the middle of a Barnes & Noble. ANYWAY, if you have better
self-control than I do, I highly recommend buying some
and trying this recipe!
Gingerbread Latte Oatmeal
Forget the overrated PSL. I much prefer this gingerbread version. (But
if you’re into the PSL, you can have that, too: recipe here.)
Mocha Sauce
You can turn any recipe into mocha goodness by topping it
with this mocha sauce. Best with baked oatmeal.
Mocha Almond Fudge Overnight Oatmeal
Fact: Everything SoDelicious creates is golden. This recipe was
inspired by their Mocha Almond Fudge coconut ice cream.
Tiramisu Oatcakes for One
Tiramisu is my favorite dessert (tough luck for a vegan), so I have
many variations on the website. However, my favorite is easily
in oatcake form.
Tiramisu Overnight Oatmeal
Not into oatcakes? Fine. This overnight version is stellar, and
way less work than the oatcakes. 🙂
Mocha Oatmeal (+ all its variations)
Peppermint Mocha! Almond Joy Mocha! Coconut Mocha! White
Chocolate Mocha! Yes to ALL!
Apple Baked Oatmeal with Espresso Almond Butter Frosting
Perfect for when you’re feeling ~fancy~.
AND MY FAVORITE:
Mocha Brownie Batter Oatmeal with Almond Butter
I promise you that this is everything that’s right with the world.
