I made the mistake of walking outside yesterday.
And then immediately turned right back around.
No.
Just… no.
I love how they feel the need to write “very cold” under the temperature. As if seeing –12 didn’t already make that abundantly clear.
There’s something about abysmally-cold weather that screams comfort food. And this healthy breakfast recipe, which combines spicy chai tea, dark chocolate, and creamy oatmeal is pure comfort food in a bowl. Feel free to triple up on the chocolate by adding chocolate chips and Healthy Chocolate Sauce.
Chocolate Chai Oatmeal
(serves 1)
- 1/2 cup rolled oats (40g)
- 1 cup water or milk of choice (240g)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (120g)
- 2 chai tea bags (decaf or regular)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp cocoa powder (4g)
- sweetener of choice, to taste
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract (2g)
- 1/2 tbsp melted coconut oil or peanut butter (optional, but much richer if added)
- mini chocolate chips, optional
If using the microwave: heat the water and milk, then add the teabags and let sit for no less than 15 minutes. Right before removing the teabags, smush the tea bags a little with a fork so more of the flavor goes into the milk. Combine the liquid with the oats and salt, then microwave 3 minutes. (If it starts to boil over, you may stop the microwave and keep heating in ten-second increments until the time is up. But don’t open the microwave door.) Let oatmeal sit in the closed microwave 5 minutes, then transfer–uncovered—to the refrigerator. It gets thicker as it sits, but if you want to eat it immediately simply use a little less water and cook longer. Right before eating, add all remaining ingredients and stir well.
If you wish to use the stovetop: after soaking the tea bags in warm liquid, simply heat the oats, salt, and tea soaking liquid until oatmeal is thick and fluffy. Then stir in all remaining ingredients.
Click for: Oatmeal Nutrition Facts
Question of the Day:
Was it freezing cold yesterday for you too?
Apparently every single state—even Hawaii!—dipped below freezing at some point during the day. However, maybe I shouldn’t complain about our weather here in Washington… To people in Minnesota and Chicago, it probably sounds like a tropical vacation.
Made this one morning before my run and I was BLOWN AWAY! This tasted ah-mazing. I had my doubts about soaking the teabags for a whole 15 minutes, thinking it might turn out too strong and be bitter, but that was certainly not the case. I only had raspberry spice chai on hand, which actually went amazing with the cocoa, and I used dark chocolate almond butter for my nut butter, which gave it more chocolate-y goodness <3 I'm really happy with this oatmeal recipe, and it will definitely be a repeat. It actually inspired me to try spicing my oatmeal with Earl Grey tea, which turned out great. Thanks for the delish breakfast and the inspiration! Here's the final outcome: http://dreamsofsugarplumcakes.tumblr.com/post/80516203378/cookbook-morning-glory-oatmeal-low-fat-vegan 🙂
I made this on the stovetop and it turned out great! I added some sliced bananas for a different texture and added sweetness. I wasn’t able to finish it all so I stashed it in the fridge and heated it up in the microwave for about a minute and it was even better! The bananas caramelized and oozed a little – – mixing perfectly with the other ingredients. I was worried those along with the chocolate would make things too sweet, but the chai balanced everything else out perfectly. Thanks so much for sharing!
Must make this VERY soon! Oh my!!
Hey, Katie! I love the recipe for “overflowing oatmeal”. However, I realised the oatmeal tend to be a whole big clump (moulded to the bowl) after being left overnight in the fridge. May I ask, have you tried testing, usually how long does it take for the oatmeal to reach the right texture, without being too runny and not leaving it overnight in the fridge? Would say, 10min be sufficient?
Also, any idea how long does it take for frozen fruits to be thawed? I was just told that microwaving frozen fruits isn’t advisable as the nutrient contents would be lost.
Hope to hear from you!
Cheers! xx
Hey, Katie!!
I am an eleven-year-old health nut. One of my best friends has Type 1 diabetes AND Celiac. Luckily, I found you!! Whenever I go over to her house, we coordinate so that we each bring some ingredients so we can make a recipe of yours. (She hasn’t been able to come over yet, because Diabetes is hard to manage at another persons house, but we’ll get there) : ) Our first was sugar-free cookie dough dip. YUM!! We just dug in with spoons! Our next is chocolate strawberry truffle pie. I can’t wait. It’s so much easier than I thought it would be because I found out that my friend has a Vita-Mix! I just wanted to thank you for having such a great blog AND that you can handle how people act these days. I’ve seen some rude comments that you reply to with grace. I would’ve been rude right back. Sigh. I’ll work on it. Also, you handled the rumors about you like a lady. It makes me so happy when I see people like that, changing the world, one tiny little inch at a time. A bonus to you: The meanest comments go unanswered. Thanks Katie! I feel better letting you know how I feel. Gotta go! School supplies needs packing! Middle school!
Not that there were rude comments on this post. Other posts! Sorry if I confused some other commenters and you, Katie!
This made me smile! Thank you for trying the recipes 🙂
Coconut oil is defenitly a game changer! But my favourite is to add oil and top with peanut butter ? Way tastier and more filling..Yum!