If you like Brownie Batter Oatmeal (and it appears that most of you do), then you will love this. Bonus: NO BANANA. To me, that’s a downer, but to some of you, it will seal the deal.
Now let’s be real. Have I ever steered you wrong with any recipe that contained the word “fudge”? Let’s look at the evidence: Raspberry Fudge Oatmeal. Fudgy Banana and Peanut Butter Oatmeal. Ummm, CASE CLOSED.
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Inspired by my recent Berry, Almond, & Coconut Oatmeal, I realized I haven’t done enough with almond extract. So many possibilities!
My favorite aspect of almond extract (besides its taste) is the intensity of its flavor. This allows me to (drum roll please) . . .use the hidden banana trick! Oatmeal without banana is like a cookie without chocolate chips (a poor analogy, considering my favorite cookie is a snickerdoodle).
Anyway, strawberries have been–inexplicably–on sale and in great quality at my local produce market, so I’ve been enjoying them in my oatmeal and salads. Combined with the nutty almond extract, this oatmeal is a fresh and fruity delight.
Despite its popularity, I’ve never been particularly proud of the original Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal. At the time, I was a bit precarious with my recipes. I knew it wasn’t perfect (it tasted like bananas, for Pete’s sake!), but I enjoyed it, and it sounded fancy, so I posted it before I should have. Much to my anxiety, this recipe became a hit. I wasn’t surprised that people were excited about the recipe itself, but I was stunned when people actually tried it and liked it. Really? But it tastes like bananas!!
Coconut butter is THE most luxurious ingredient in the entire world. More luxurious than pomegranates. More luxurious than pistachios. More luxurious than dark chocolate.
(Let me get one thing straight: coconut butter is NOT better than peanut butter. However, because coconut butter is a rarity for me, it is more exciting and special. But in the end…peanut butter FTW!)
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Klara gave me a wonderful opportunity to try and review my own custom-made cereal. Creating my mix started out a little overwhelming. I wanted everything, but I knew I wanted it to be a cohesive mixture. For example, I couldn’t add chocolate to a tropical mix, and I wouldn’t want mango in a strawberry-banana mix. This was the hardest part–but in a fun way. I also loved how I was able to choose organic and unsweetened varieties.
Eventually, I went the “strawberry banana” route (although it contained raspberries and goji berries as well). Choosing the base of my cereal was difficult. I initially chose muesli since granola can give me a stomach ache sometimes (all the sugar), but then it felt like a waste (since I make homemade muesli all the time easily). I chose the oil-free granola. This was “special” to me because I tried making an oil-free granola once and it turned out terribly, so I wanted the luxury of having someone else make it for me. 🙂
The packaging is fantastic. The back tells you the ingredients used, the nutrition info (even though it’s a custom mix!), AND a QR code in case you want to order the exact same mix again without having to work through the options and lists again. Nice touch.
My package from MixMyOwn also contained this little baggie of goodies. I’m not sure if everyone gets the same thing, but it’s cute. The coconut in there looks delish.
Throughout the entire ordering process, from first opening the web site to holding the actual package in my hands, I could see that this company has a passion for breakfast and pleasing modern needs. They recognize that there is a demand for information (clear ingredients list that says exactly which products are organic, for example), as well as a demand for the option of better-quality ingredients. As further proof, Klara passed on this list of 7 tips for healthier breakfasts, and I agree with all of them (although I believe all fruits and veggies are superfoods!).
I was giddy as soon as I opened up my bag of granola. I saw the giant vanilla bean sitting amid all the other ingredients, and I knew it was going to be excellent (the vanilla bean is one of the choices in the final list of special add-ins; I highly recommend it). I picked out a clump of granola first, and–success!–it was crunchy. Already, it was better than the homemade oil-free granola I made once. 😉
About MixMyOwn.com
Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, MixMyOwn.com is dedicated to promoting a wholesome lifestyle for customers by providing a way for customers to choose their own whole-grain and multi-grain cereal ingredients and have it delivered fresh to their doorstep. The MixMyOwn.com website offers nearly 100 responsibly chosen ingredients — including many 100% natural, unprocessed, organic and non-GMO, preservative-free and sugar-free options*. Ingredients include 31 types of dried fruits, 20 types of nuts and seeds, and five whole-grain bases. Or customers can choose from one of eight pre-mixed breakfast cereals. MixMyOwn was created by entrepreneur couple Klara Charvatova and David Filipi in July 2013. The company uses U.S.-based suppliers only and ships orders to all U.S. states for a flat rate.
For more information about the advantages of custom cereal and MixMyOwn.com, please call Klara Charvatovaat 702-354-1936 or send e-mail to klara@mixmyown.com.
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Sometimes I work so hard trying to think of interesting flavor combinations that I miss the most obvious ones. I’m constantly trying to dream up great ideas for pomegranates, and when I thought of bananas, I felt a little silly. How could I have missed that? Banana + any other fruit = happiness.
Some of you have already noticed my love affair of bananas. I seriously cannot hide it. I’m in love with the flavor (I didn’t use to be!), I appreciate how it makes my body feel, and I adore the texture it adds to oatmeal. Complain all you want, banana-haters, but I’ll continue to pump out recipes with bananas. 🙂
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My sister and her husband hooked me up for Christmas. In addition to the fantastic vanilla bean paste they gave me, I also received four bags of nondairy white chocolate chips. Hooray! Time to make those white chocolate recipes I’ve been dreaming up.
The white chocolate chips add an unexpected sweetness that mellows out the intense gingerbread spices. To keep this porridge healthy, go easy on the chocolate chips. The banana makes the oatmeal sweet and healthy, and a small handful of white chocolate chips will just add a hint of pizzazz.
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Confession: I did not buy vanilla beans for this recipe. *gasp*
Truthfully, I found something better: vanilla bean paste (Christmas present from my sister! Thanks, Amy!).
Now, I’m sure the quality of an actual vanilla bean is higher than that of my paste, but the difference is that I have the next best thing up in my cupboard, easily accessible, whenever I need it, for a fraction of the cost. Look at the pictures! You can see the little vanilla dots if you look closely!
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Yes, my friends, that would be steamed milk you see. (Soy milk. I’m in a soy milk phase right now.)
Some of you might remember my concept for “flooded” oatmeal.” In truth, I had grand plans for that concept. I was going to whip it out fairly regularly with creative twists and blah, blah, blah. However, I needed the foam. I didn’t want warm milk. I wanted steamed milk. With foam. Without the foam, the flood just wasn’t doing anything for me.
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Whenever I make a recipe with coconut, I become angry with myself for not doing so more often. Coconut is so…perfect in every way. Buttery, rich, flavorful. So great.
This oatmeal combines the lovely combination of almonds and coconut, like my Almond Joy Oatmeal. It also contains a hidden banana, so I guess you could say they’re close cousins. The difference is this one tastes a little healthier (without the chocolate, and the addition of fresh berries)! However, these cousins are equally tasty. 🙂
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