Today we’re recreating a childhood favorite- those little packets of instant oatmeal- using simple, wholesome pantry ingredients and loads of fresh berries.
And, while it may take a little bit more work than tearing open a packet, adding water, and microwaving, we think this homemade strawberries + cream oatmeal is leagues ahead of the store-bought stuff.
Come, let me show you how it’s done.
First, we make the base of our oatmeal: strawberry milk!
Whatever milk you love (I used canned coconut) goes into the blender with a generous amount of fresh strawberries and comes out on the other side as the prettiest pink, strawberry-tinted milk.
The strawberry milk goes into a saucepan with rolled oats, vanilla, maple syrup, and a teeny pinch of salt, and then the whole thing just gets simmered until thick and creamy.
As a final step, we’ll chop up a few extra berries and stir them in for added texture and a pop of fresh berry flavor, then dish it up with a little splash of extra milk and a drizzle of maple syrup, and dive right in.
Seriously, it couldn’t be easier.
We’ve been making this for breakfast on chilly mornings, and literally can’t stop ‘mmm’-ing in between bites; there’s just something so nostalgic, comforting, and satisfying about a big bowl of strawberries + cream oatmeal for breakfast, especially one made with just six simple ingredients and only a few minutes of prep work.
If you make this fun, fresh, homemade version of strawberries + cream oatmeal, be sure to leave a comment below letting me know what you think, or take a picture of your pretty pink oatmeal and tag me on Instagram so I can see!
Happy breakfast-ing, friends!
Love oatmeal? Try out some of our other favorites: Apple Pie Oatmeal, Caramel Apple Steel Cut Oatmeal, Blueberry Almond Butter Baked Oatmeal, and Golden Turmeric Oatmeal.
Strawberries + Cream Oatmeal
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
- 2 cups milk of choice
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1-3 Tablespoon maple syrup, to taste
Instructions:
- Set aside 3-4 strawberries (to be diced and stirred into the oatmeal at the end), then place all remaining berries and milk into the bowl of a blender or food processor, and blend on high until smooth.
- Pour strawberry milk into a medium saucepan. Add oats, vanilla, salt, and 1 Tablespoon maple syrup and stir to combine. Turn heat to high, and cook, stirring often, until boiling.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until your desired oatmeal consistency is achieved (2-3 minutes for a more liquidy oatmeal with a toothsome texture, 4-5 minutes for a thicker oatmeal with a softer texture). If at any point your oatmeal is too thick for your liking, feel free to add an extra splash of milk or water to the pot to help it along.
- Taste and add more maple syrup, as needed, to reach your desired sweetness level.
- Finely dice the remaining strawberries and fold them into the oatmeal. Divide between two bowls, top with an extra drizzle of maple syrup and a splash of extra milk, if desired, and serve immediately.
NOTES:
Any milk you love will work well here, though the creamier the milk the creamier the end result will be (I used canned full-fat coconut milk). Depending on which you choose, this oatmeal can easily be made dairy or nut-free.
Frozen berries work equally well for making the strawberry milk, but a few diced fresh berries really add an extra pop of color, texture, and flavor at the end that this oatmeal needs, so don’t skip them!