Start Your Day Strong!
One of my favorite breakfasts, or rather, one of my favorite healthy breakfasts is oatmeal. I mean, come on, if I could eat waffles, hash browns, and eggs benedict every day, I would. But it’s all about balance! While oatmeal is a healthier option, I really do love it, and it fills me up for a good part of my day. Today, we are making a vegan toasted coconut oatmeal!
A Rookie Mistake
One thing I always find myself doing is overestimating the amount of oats I use to make my oatmeal. Usually, a serving of oats is about 1/3 or 1/2 a cup. After I measure my oats, 1/3 or 1/2 cup of it looks really small and sad, and I feel like I could definitely eat more than that. So I end up pouring in a little more oats. Big mistake. By the time I add in my fruit and and toppings, I’m left with a giant bowl of oatmeal that has my stomach exploding. So don’t be silly like me. I find that the standard 1/3 or 1/2 cup of oats really is the perfect amount. So the nutritional informations was correct. Shocking. I know. However, you could have a greater stomach capacity and need more, but just be careful because oats do expand when when they absorb liquid.
How to Toast Coconut
What makes this vegan toasted coconut oatmeal recipe “toasted coconut” is … you guessed it! Toasted Coconut! Fantastic guess! You can always buy toasted coconut flakes, or you can toast your own coconut. You can used shredded coconut, desiccated coconut, or coconut flakes — the steps are all the same for whichever type you use.
Start by preheating your oven to 400˚F. Evenly distribute the coconut onto a sheet tray. Once your oven has heated, place the coconut into the oven. It takes a little while for the coconut to start toasting, but once it does, it goes by real quick. So keep your eyes on it! When some of the coconut has started browning, use a spoon or spatula to mix the coconut so the flakes underneath can brown. Continue toasting and mixing until you have an even distribution of toastiness. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove the coconut from the oven and allow it to cool.
Top Her Up
Now onto the fun part: let’s talk toppings. You can top this toasted coconut oatmeal with anything really. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, nuts, seeds, nut butter, sweetener, cacao nibs. The world is your oyster, my friend. I, personally, used sliced mangoes, sliced strawberries, blueberries, toasted desiccated coconut, chia seeds and agave.
This vegan toasted coconut oatmeal recipe is vegan, but if you aren’t vegan, you can certainly replace the 1 cup of almond milk with regular milk. Additionally, if you prefer your oatmeal to be more loose and wet, just add a little more of either of the milks.
Like I said earlier, I love oatmeal, and this vegan toasted coconut oatmeal recipe is the bomb dot com. That subtle coconut flavor from the coconut milk and coconut extract really is something else. This is the perfect way to start your day because it fuels you with all the nutrients you need to keep you going! Try this recipe out if you’re an oatmeal lover like me. Even if you hate oatmeal, still try this recipe out because this could be the one recipe that changes your mind! Have an awesome day, and I’ll catch you in my next post!!
Toasted Coconut Oatmeal
Ingredients
For the Coconut Oatmeal
- 1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
- 1 cup Almond Milk
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Coconut Extract
- Pinch of Cinnamon
- Pinch of Salt
Optional Toppings
- Fruits
- Nuts and Seeds
- Toasted Coconut Flakes
- Sweetener (ie: agave or honey)
Instructions
- Add the almond and coconut milk into a pot. Heat over medium high heat until the milk comes to a boil.
- When the milk has boiled, add in the oats and stir. Lower the flame to medium and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the oats have absorbed the liquid and have cooked. Halfway through this process, add in the coconut and vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon.
- Serve the oatmeal in a bowl and top with your preferred toppings. Enjoy!
