Even though I’m a big smoothie lover, during winter time, I prefer to have a big warming bowl of oatmeal with stewed fruits and crunchy toppings.

For the past month or so, I’ve been all about gingerbread! With the holidays coming up gingerbread just makes sense, doesn’t it? Some of my recent obsessions have been this gingerbread molasses smoothie or this chocolate gingerbread granola that I can’t seem to get enough of! I actually used the same granola recipe to top my oatmeal in the picture above.

This oatmeal is so easy and simple to make, just like regular oatmeal, but with the addition of blackstrap molasses and fragrant spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice. I love using blackstrap molasses since it’s one of the healthiest natural sweeteners out there, rich in minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and selenium, and vitamins like B6. It also has a glycemic load lower than refined sugar, so it won’t affect blood sugar as much as white sugar does.

Oatmeal is such a great breakfast to make ahead of time. You can prepare it in large batches and store the leftovers in the fridge. It gets even creamier and more delicious the next day! Just add some more milk or water when you’re about to reheat. I like to top mine with fresh or stewed fruits like this cranberry orange sauce, as well as nuts, seeds, or a chunky granola. So good!

Gingerbread Oatmeal

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 1 cup gluten-free steel-cut or rolled oats
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups non-dairy milk of choice (coconut, almond, walnut, hemp, etc.)
  • 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon allspice

Directions

  1. Add oats, water, and sea salt to a small pot and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and let the oats cook until the liquid is absorbed, around 10 minutes
  2. Pour in the milk and the rest of ingredients, stir, and let it cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat and cool
  3. Serve in a bowl topped with warm cranberry orange sauce and chocolate gingerbread granola for an added crunch. Enjoy!

 

Cranberry Orange Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 an orange, juice and zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

  1. Add cranberries and water to a small pot, covered, over medium heat. Once it starts to simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and let the cranberries cook until soft, about 10 minutes
  2. Add in the rest of ingredients, stir, and let the mixture cook for another 2 minutes or so.  Taste test and adjust the sweetness as desired
  3. Remove from heat and let it cool down for 5 minutes before serving