Peaches and Cream Oatmeal

Hello, friends!

I know that not everyone is into breakfast, but I have ALWAYS been a breakfast gal myself. If I don't eat something within the first couple hours of waking up, I get hangry very fast. And that's why it's important to me to always have some easy breakfast ideas on hand!

Growing up I never ate oatmeal - partially because my mom didn't like it so it wasn't usually in the house, but also partially because I didn't like the texture. But somewhere between the ages of 8 and 24 my opinions on it's texture apparently changed - because I tried oatmeal again for the first time in YEARS a couple months ago and have been obsessed with it ever since. I love making a big batch of oatmeal on the weekend and reheating it for breakfasts over the next few days - easiest meal prep ever! It's easy to add yummy flavors to, it fills me up, and it feels nice and cozy first thing in the morning! Plus you can add fun toppings for instagram-worthy photos (very important, I know).

Due to my recent oatmeal obsession I have already created my own versions of many different flavors, but today I thought I would share with you my peaches and cream version! My husband and I have been getting farm-fresh peaches from the farmers market lately and I have loved using them in this recipe. So go grab some juicy delicious peaches before the season is up, and let's get cooking!

Ingredients

The flavors in this recipe really compliment each other well, so here is what you use to achieve maximum yumminess!

• Rolled oats - I prefer to use rolled oats for this recipe, but you can use whatever type of oats you'd like (steel cut, instant, etc)!  Just know that the cooking time and texture will be different based on what type you choose.
• Peaches - obviously, the star of the show. On top of the peach(es) that I use in the recipe itself, I also like to top the finished oatmeal with some extra peach slices (because, you know, I'm obsessed). Try to use the juiciest, most flavorful peaches you can find!
• Plant milk - this is where the "cream" part comes in! I personally recommend using a particularly creamy plant milk here, such as coconut or cashew. However, any plant milk should work.
• Maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon - for a little extra flavor. Feel free to adjust the amounts based on your flavor preferences.
• Flaxseed meal - I like including this in my oatmeal for the added nutritional benefits (yay, omega-3s!). However, you can choose to exclude it if you would like and it shouldn't alter the flavor. I should also point out that flax meal allows the oatmeal to thicken as it cools, which means that when you reheat it the next day you may want to add some extra plant milk to thin it out again - this doesn't bother me at all but if you don't like this step just leave out the flax so it doesn't get as thick!

How to make Peaches and Cream Oatmeal

Keeping with my theme of simplicity, here are the steps broken down:

1. Bring everything except for the oats and peach to a boil
2. Add the oats and peach, cook until desired consistency is reached
3. Add toppings if you're feeling fancy
4. DEVOUR

Tips and Tricks

• Like I mentioned above, the flaxseed meal in this recipe does cause the oatmeal to thicken as it cools. This means that it will likely be much thicker when you pull the leftovers out of the fridge the next day - I like to scoop out my portion for the morning into a bowl, pour on a little extra plant milk to thin it out, and then pop it in the microwave. Once it's warmed up I give it a good stir and then it's good to go!
• You can do whatever you want with toppings here, but some of my favorites are: more peaches, chopped cashews, shredded coconut, an extra sprinkle of cinnamon, and/or an extra drizzle of maple syrup. Go crazy!
• If you're feeling especially creamy, feel free to swap out the water for even more plant milk if you'd like.

Enjoy!

Peaches and Cream Oatmeal

Recipe by Delaney MarieCourse: BreakfastDifficulty: Easy

Servings

5

cups

Prep time

5

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

This peaches and cream oatmeal is dairy-free, vegan, naturally creamy, flavorful, and reheats beautifully! Be sure to try it out for your next breakfast meal prep.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups water

• 1.5 cups plant milk*

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoon maple syrup

• 2 tablespoon flaxseed meal

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• 1.5 cups rolled oats*

• 1 large peach, diced (or 2 small ones)

Directions

• Add water, plant milk, vanilla, maple syrup, flaxseed meal, and cinnamon to a small pot on the stove and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. (The cinnamon may "float" a little bit rather than mixing in at this point, which is okay!)
• Once mixture has come to a boil, turn the heat down to medium low and stir in the oats and diced peach.
• Cook until desired consistency is reached - mine was perfect after about 12 minutes.
• Add whatever toppings you want and enjoy!

Notes

• *Plant milk - any milk works here, but the creamier the better! I prefer coconut milk or cashew milk for this recipe.
• *Rolled oats - any type of oats can be used, but know that the oats you use will alter the consistency and cooking time of your oatmeal.

Happy cooking, friends! If you made this recipe don’t forget to tag me (@joyfulbalanceofficial) on facebook or instagram so I can cheer you on for your oatmeal-cooking ways.

Stay well!