A big, fat sugar cookie.
But softer and chewier, and much more filling!
This was the delicious breakfast I made on Sunday, in honor of Christmas. As I prepared my morning oats, the box of Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride tea sat on the counter, staring me straight in the face. (See, sometimes a messy counter can be a good thing.) I had no idea if adding the tea would impart any noticeable flavor, but isn’t that the whole point of experimenting? To see what happens? In this case, what happened was a bowl of creamy oatmeal, remeniscent of a sweet sugar cookie. Merry Christmas, indeed.
(Breakfast was festive last year, too: Zucchini Bread Oatmeal.)
Sugar Cookie Oatmeal
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk of choice (I used almond milk)
- 2 Celestial Seasonings sugar cookie teabags (feel free to change the flavor by using any favorite tea)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
- sweetener of choice, as desired
- optional: coconut butter or oil, or vegan butter (You can easily omit this. But I liked the extra buttery flavor I got by stirring a little virgin coconut oil into my oats.)
Heat the water and milk, then add the teabags and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Right before taking the teabags out, smush them a little with a fork so more of the flavor goes into the milk. Combine the liquid with the oats and salt, then microwave for 3 minutes. (If it starts to boil over, you can stop the microwave and keep heating in ten-second increments until the time is up. But don’t open the microwave door!)
Let the oatmeal sit in the closed microwave for 5 minutes, then transfer–uncovered—to the fridge. It gets thicker as it sits. (I made this, then went running for a little over an hour. It was the perfect texture by the time I got back. Bit if you want to eat this immediately, just use a little less water.) Right before eating, add your vanilla and sweetener (and oil, if using).
View Sugar Cookie Oatmeal Nutrition Info
You can make this the night before if you prefer: just add a splash of milk before reheating the next day. Also, feel free to make this on the stovetop instead of the microwave.
By the time I finished breakfast, everyone else was finally starting to wake up. So I parked myself in front of the tree to open presents. (And then I was forced to move, because Batman kept jumping into my lap and trying to lick my face. Ick… puppy kisses! Some presents, I’m not so sure I want.)
My sister’s gift to me included a bunch of colored sugars, to feed my cupcake-decorating habit. Or maybe I can use the colored sugars the next time I make sugar cookie oatmeal. It was so good that I’m definitely planning to make it again soon!
Do you like unusual oatmeal flavors?
Or do you prefer traditional oatmeal mix-ins? I know I’ve posted some outlandish oatmeal recipes, but my everyday breakfasts can actually be pretty simple– basic oats with raisins, or with a big spoonful of coconut butter and some cinnamon mixed in. Still, sometimes it’s fun to go a little crazy…
One of my crazier recipes: Chocolate Hugs Strawberry Oatmeal.
I usually don’t read comments, but your recent post lead me here. ANYONE who has a decent food blog posts nutrition info. Every food blog I follow posts nutrition info. I think it’s quite silly that the fact that you post nutrition info lead anyone to be “concerned” about you and your healthy. I have been doing Weight Watchers for a year and can tell you that every weight watchers member who has ever found your blog is greatly happy you post nutrition info AND healthy options. Don’t get discouraged! Keep up the good work.
AMEN. The mere presence of nutrition information tells me that Katie knows what her audience wants.
There are a lot of great food blogs out there in terms of the dishes they present. But there are some that do not provide any nutrition information. As a Weight Watchers member myself, I need that information, and when I find sources that don’t provide it, I tend to not make as many recipes from them. Yes, because I am lazy to not have to want to do the work myself. There are enough places that DO provide it, so I’m certainly not starving!
Agreed! I only make recipes from blogs with nutrition info because I need that info for Weight Watchers! I don’t subscribe to blogs who don’t have it.
I’m sure you’re going to get people commenting on this post all day after reading your post today (which I loved). I think that people who are long time readers of your blog know that you do this for your job and that after getting tons and tons of requests for the nutritional information for every single recipe that you are providing that to please the readers (and you have said many times that you typically make the higher fat version and also when people have asked how many calories you eat in a day you’ve mentioned that you don’t count calories).
As someone recovering from an eating disorder I have to say that your blog has been so helpful for me! I know someone else mentioned how much it has helped them too. I used to be so afraid of nuts/nuts butter and now with your recipes I love experiencing all of the heavenly goodness that I was missing out on! My dietitian loves it too because it changes up the variety and provides me with more nutrition than what I’d get if I just grabbed a handful of nuts!
And goodness your sister looks like she’s thin too, you’d think that people would recognize that it is in your family’s jeans! I know some people who have always tried to gain weight and I feel bad when people bash them like this because I know people who are thin who are just as self conscious if not more self conscious about their bodies than healthy weight individuals. You shouldn’t ever have to defend yourself and I’m so sorry that all of this happened.
Just know that there are hundreds if not thousands of people who read your blog every day who love it. People who leave the negative comments represent probably .0001% of your readers. I’ll try to let you know more when I try to recipes to let you know just how much I love them! I’ve shared your link many times on facebook and my friends have left comments saying they loved your recipes!
So don’t ever forget that there are tons and tons of people that love your blog!!!! <3
Thank you so much, Michelle!!
And yeah lol my sister is tiny :). People who know us in real life would never describe us as “skinny” or “bony” though… more like “tiny.”
I wasn’t really writing the post to answer the snarkers… they’d never be satisfied no matter what I wrote. But I worried that maybe I was sending out the wrong message. I would never want anyone to think that I thought it was ok for me to eat a 170-calorie breakfast!
So sorry that people would talk to you that way Katie! Your blog is so wonderful, and I think you should completely ignore that stuff. Your readers love your style and what you do every day, and maybe you won’t appeal to everyone, but I don’t think you need to justify your recipes or their calorie counts to anyone. I get lots of daily recipe blogs with random recipes- smoothies for breakfast, etc, and i don’t see comments questioning why someone would only eat that. I know you say it doesn’t matter, but just look at how many of your readers have jumped to your defense!! You are definitely respected and loved by your readers, and those comments matter to us!! I love your blog and tell at least one person about it a week! And, as a southern girl myself, bless their hearts!!
Angry brownies… I love it!! 😀
I would have never thought about adding tea to my oatmeal, but it’s a wonderful idea! Bet it was awesome! 🙂
Hey Katie! I just made this with the Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile and it was FANTASTIC!!! I love your recipes for oatmeal–I swear sometimes I go to bed dreaming about which of your fabulous oatmeal recipes I’ll try the next day! Thank you 🙂
I wonder how it would taste if I used organic spiced tea or peppermint…
OMG!!! I LOOOOOOOOOOVE oatmeal and I LOVE tea and I have NEVER thought to make it w/ tea (or for that matter doing anything with tea other than, well, TEA). THANK YOU to everyone who has posted ideas on oatmeal add-ins AND tea ideas. Katie, I just LOVE your blog. Thank you for sharing your obviously incredible talent and vision of making crazy-yummy food out of crazy-but-not-so-yummy ingredients!
Aw I hope you like it, Casey!
Hi Katie! I wrote on your FB page a week or so ago but I just wanted to say again THANK YOU for all you do! I’ve been wanting to try your oatmeal recipes for what feels like forever! I really wanted to try this sugar cookie but like most folks couldn’t find that tea. But I had a Vanilla Carmel tea that was awesome so I made it this morning with that. I’m still munching away enjoying every bite! I added a scoop of vanilla protein powder and a little more almond milk when I took it out of the fridge because I wanted some protein. I was a little worried it would change it too much, but it really didn’t. Just more “pudding-y” which I love 😀 Thank you again!!!! I am on a mission to try everything!!!
Vanilla-caramel sounds delicious! I just bought a chocolate-coconut tea (best idea ever?) and want to try it with oats too :).
I don’t know if you can get it in the states (I’m from London, UK) but have you tried Yogi tea in Choco Aztec Spice? It is DELICIOUS alone, in milk (cheaters hot chocolate) or in oats! Do say if you try it!
xx
Ooh I will have to look out for it!