If you're like me, you've always thought oats = oatmeal, and that's pretty much it. Sure, I knew I loved oats in my Nutty Granola, and of course my mom's Grain & Nut Pancakes, but that's about all oats are good for, right?
Nope.
My world opened up the day I discovered oat milk and continued to expand as I discovered more and more ways to incorporate healthy, inexpensive oats in my life.
Here are five of my favorite ways to use oats...
But first things first - Be sure to check the source of your oats to be sure they don't contain glyphosate, the active ingredient in the herbicide RoundUp and found in a lot of conventional cereal and oat products, including Quaker Old Fashioned Oats. Buying organic is the way to go! I've found that when I buy organic oats on sale in the bulk bins at my grocery store, the cost is actually much less than buying non-organic conventional oats, such as Quakers.
Oat Milk
At $3 per carton, the almond milk I was buying was adding up too quickly, and I hate all that packaging, even if it is technically "recyclable." You know I need my homemade granola and milk every morning (so yummy) but surely there is a less expensive option out there! I think to myself, "I'm a DIY kinda girl! I can make my own." So I tried my hand at making homemade almond milk, and while it was tasty, it was a pain to squeeze through the nut bag. If I didn't use the nut bag, it left me with a lot of particles I didn't like. Hmm, so what to try now?
And then I learn of oat milk. Apparently it's a thing? Sure enough, as I'm sitting in a coffee shop in Portland writing this blog, the barista is offering oat milk to someone getting a chai.
So months ago when I discovered that oat milk was, in fact, a thing, I scoured the internet for recipes. And there were a ton - all a bit different. So each week I made a new batch until I found what I think is the perfect recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats
3 cups cold water (more for rinsing)
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Place the oats in a blender and cover with cold water. Allow to sit for 10 minutes and not a second more! Drain the water (leaving some in the blender is fine). If you don't drain, your oat milk will have a gel-like consistency, which I don't particularly care for.
Add 3 cups of fresh cold water to the blender with the oats along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until the oats are pulverized, about 2 minutes. Note: This is not a sweet milk, so if you want it sweeter, add more maple syrup to taste.
Pour over a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for a week or so. Shake before using as the oat residue tends to settle on the bottom of the jar, and you don't want to miss out on this as it's where all the creaminess hides!
Don't toss the pulp! This leftover goodness is great in smoothies (see next recipe), so scoop it from the strainer into a sealed container, and place in the fridge until you're ready to use.
Why do I love this recipe so much?
Tastes delicious - otherwise why bother, right?
Much less expensive than other plant-based milks
Super easy to make
Completely plastic free - I can get oats, salt and vanilla beans in the bulk bins (I make my own vanilla extract), and maple syrup is easy to find in glass jars
Good to know: This homemade oat milk will get thick if heated. I tried to make hot chocolate with it once...and ended up with chocolate pudding! So you might want to consider an alternative when using hot.
Fruit + Oat Smoothies
Sometimes a smoothie is exactly what I need, especially on a hot day. It's healthy, sweet and hydrating! Bonus, the oats in these smoothies offer a bit of extra fiber and make the smoothie more filling. You can put pretty much anything into a smoothie but here is the recipe for my favorite version.
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
1.5 cups mixed frozen berries (I typically use strawberry, blueberry and raspberry)
1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
1/2 teaspoon spirulina
1/4 cup oat pulp (from making recipe above)
1/2 cup oat milk
1/2 cup orange juice
Directions
Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more liquid as needed - milk if you want creamy; orange juice if you want fruity. Makes about 2 servings, depending on how thirsty you are.
Why do I love this recipe so much?
Super satisfying and hydrating on a hot day
Uses all the amazing berries I've harvested at home or gotten from the farmer's market (and then frozen), like making summer last all year long!
A good source of fiber, B vitamins and protein - in addition to tons of other nutrients
A great way to use the pulp leftover from making oat milk - waste not, want not!
Oat + Cashew Butter Cookies
A cookie that's so healthy you can eat it for breakfast? Yup, this is the one! This super dense "cookie" tastes more like hearty banana bread but without the sugar, eggs, oil or flour. Seriously, it's a miracle cookie; one you have to try!
This recipe has been modified from one I once found online, and though I have looked everywhere, I haven't been able find it again. I'll keep looking so I can give props where due, but I wanted to go ahead and share the recipe so you can start baking.
Ingredients
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup cashew butter (or any nut butter)
2 cups rolled oats
pinch salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup dried fruit (I like raisins or cherries)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the bananas, cashew butter, oats, maple syrup and salt in a food processor and process until smooth. Alternately, you can use a blender or a hand mixer. For the mixer, mash the bananas before adding everything else.
Blend until everything is combined into a paste. Then stir in whatever mix-ins you like, up to 1/2 cup. My favorite is an equal mix of bittersweet chocolate and dried fruit (as listed above), but you could add nuts, white chocolate, pepitas...the possibilities are endless. Make it your own!
Place spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet (I use an oil mister and love it - no waste, no chemicals). Then flatten the cookies a bit as they won't spread while baking. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container 1 week (if they last that long).
Why do I love this recipe so much?
A cookie for breakfast - need I say more?
I love anything that uses cashew butter, especially when it's my super creamy recipe!
A delicious, filling snack for anytime
And a little bit of chocolate and fruit, because who doesn't need a sweet pick-me-up
It's easy to make a double batch and freeze the extras for a later date! Just place cooled cookies on a baking sheet and freeze overnight. Then store in a freezer-safe container.
Good to know: Over the last several years, it has become public knowledge that much of the chocolate available to us is from cacao beans harvested by exploited labor. Please do your research, talk with your grocer, do what you can to spend your money only on cacao/cocoa products that have not been harvested by children who are forced to work, and work in dangerous conditions, with few of even their basic needs being met. It's extremely difficult to determine the labor practices of the cacao/cocoa products available to us. Though it's no guarantee, typically chocolate with origins from West Africa is suspect, while Latin America is more likely to be from non-exploited labor. As we strive to be an informed and compassionate society, please take the time to learn what you can about where your food comes from. It's tough, I know. We're all busy and this information often isn't readily available. But our world will be a better place if we all do what we can.
Oatmeal Cookie Popsicles
You know I LOVE popsicles! They're super easy to make and are a fantastic treat any time of the year. Most of the ones I make are relatively healthy and free of refined sugars. Win! For several of my favorites, check out my previous post: Popsicle Palooza. And if you're looking for an oat and cinnamon sweet treat, check out this recipe...
Ingredients
1 banana
1/4 cup oat pulp
1/4 cup oat milk
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
maple syrup
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds or freezer-safe jars. Tap down the container to release air bubbles. Freeze overnight before serving.
Banana Bread Dog Treats
Oats are a great source of fiber for pups, and it helps nourish their skin. My picky eaters seem to love every ingredient in this recipe, so don't forget your little ones as you try all these oat recipes! Thanks to the Damn Delicious blog for this recipe! I've modified it slightly.
Ingredients
2 bananas
1/4 cup peanut butter (natural, with no Xylitol (toxic) and no salt or sugar, if possible)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
3 cups rolled oats
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place all ingredients in a food processor; blend until fully combined and a paste forms, scraping the sides as needed. Transfer paste to a greased baking sheet (seriously, look into oil misters if you don't have one already) and spread until the paste is 1/8 to 1/4" thick - thicker for a chewy treat; thinner for a crunchy one.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into small pieces. A pizza cutter works really well for this! Toss the pieces on the baking sheet (to expose the underside; it's not necessary to flip every single piece). Place back in the oven and cook for approximately 7 minutes or until slightly golden. Time will vary depending on the thickness of your cookies.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container. These only last about a week outside the fridge and as much as my pups love them, I don't let them eat too many or they will spoil their appetites. So, once cool I place about half of the treats on a baking sheet with space in between each cookie and then place in the freezer overnight. I imagine they'd last several months stored in a freezer-safe container, but they don't last that long in my house. They take almost no time to thaw out once you take them out of the freezer, so they're basically ready right away.
