I am not an oatmeal fan. We never ate it at home growing up and my only experience with it was eating the plain packets of Quaker instant oatmeal at a friend’s house, which wasn’t exactly a culinary experience to remember!
I did discover maple brown sugar oatmeal in college and fell in love with the sugary deliciousness of it, but now that we’ve made the switch to real food, that seems more like dessert versus a nutritious breakfast.
We started making oatmeal for Gabriella around 18 months as a filling bedtime snack and she’s loved it ever since. I always make it the exact same way with cinnamon and raisins, but I ran out of cinnamon recently so I was forced out of my rut.
I was hesitant about serving this Almond Berry Oatmeal to Gabriella because three year olds can be a little fickle when it comes to trying new things. She’s not usually fond of nuts or seeds, but I wanted to add some extra protein and superfood goodness so I took a chance.
When she was licking the bowl a few minutes later, I concluded that Almond Berry Oatmeal was a keeper. I like making a big batch of oatmeal and dividing it up in half pint mason jars to keep in the refrigerator or even freeze for breakfast or snacks.
- 2 cups milk (any kind, but I prefer raw whole milk or almond milk)
- 1 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup fresh or dried blueberries
- 1/4 cup fresh strawberries
- In a small pot over medium heat, warm up the milk.
- Once the milk starts to bubble, add oats and stir.
- Simmer on low for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oatmeal is softened.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.
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