Creamy Coconut Oatmeal with Dark Chocolate and Almonds Recipe — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC - Rachael Hartley Nutrition (2024)

I am a HUGE breakfast person. Give me all the avocado toast, pancakes, and omelets. And while I do tend to gravitate towards savory, nothing says warm and cozy to me like a bowl of creamy oatmeal. But not the boring and bland kind that you make out of a package and mix with water. I’m talking about the a rich and hearty bowl of oatmeal, perfectly cooked so it’s creamy yet toothsome, and topped with all the yummy things!

Oatmeal is so versatile that whatever flavors or ingredients you’re craving, you more than likely can throw those in a bowl of oatmeal. You can make it sweet and chocolatey like this creamy coconut oatmeal recipe, fresh and fruity like this cranberry apple oatmeal, or you can make savory oatmeal topped with sautéed veggies and a fried egg.

Not only does this creamy coconut oatmeal recipe taste great, but it’s also cheap, easy to make, and has many health benefits! You can fix a bowl of oatmeal in about 20 minutes so it’s great for those no-alarm-set, sleeping-in type of mornings. When you’re in a rush or if you’re like me and aren’t a morning person, you can save time by throwing all of the ingredients in a mason jar and storing it in the refrigerator the night before for overnight oats. I like to make my overnight oats with a blend of 50/50 yogurt and milk.

Which type of oats to choose for this creamy coconut oatmeal

You might have noticed there are quite a few options for oats at the grocery store - instant oats, quick oats, rolled oats, steel cut oats. The main difference in these is how long it takes to cook. Instant and quick oats take just a couple minutes because most of the hull has been removed, and they have been chopped up a bit to help liquids quickly absorb. Rolled oats have been flattened, which also helps liquids absorb. And steel cut oats, which take the longest to cook, are left hole but chopped up a bit.

I usually stick with rolled oats, also called old fashioned oats.Rolled oats mean the entire grain has been steamed and rolled to make it flat. When you compare these with steel cut oats, rolled oats take less time to cook, absorb more liquid, and create a creamier texture. Steel cut oats are still a great option but for extra creaminess and to save time, I’d choose the rolled oats. Or if you want to make this recipe in the microwave, use quick or instant oats.

How to Make the Creamy Coconut Oatmeal

The most common complaint about prepackaged oatmeal, besides the taste, is the texture! Many people are convinced they don’t like oatmeal because they’ve never ventured away from the prepackaged oatmeal that tells you to just add water. The trick to the creamiest oatmeal is by adding water AND coconut milk! The fat from the coconut milk acts as an emulsifier to hold the ingredients together and gives you that creamy, thick texture that water alone can’t do. Fun fact: if you only have the prepackaged oatmeal, no worries, you can still add coconut milk to make it better!

My reasoning for using coconut milk over dairy milk is simply for texture purposes. I find that cooking oats in regular dairy milk can make them taste a little gummy instead of creamy. I still love adding a drizzle of whole dairy milk at the end though! Cooking oats in a mixture of canned coconut milk and water adds filling fats, creamy texture, and doesn’t get gummy the way that milk does.

Benefits of Whole Grains

A whole grain means the entire grain is still intact and contains more fiber and nutrients than refined grains. Oats are a type of whole grain and they provide the fiber that makes this creamy coconut oatmeal more filling. There are many other benefits of whole grains than just making you feel full from fiber:

• Supports healthy digestion

• May reduce levels of inflammatory markers

• May reduce risk for colorectal cancer

Adding more whole grains to your diet, like with this creamy coconut oatmeal, recipe will be pleasing to your taste buds and beneficial for your body! If oatmeal isn’t your thing, try these other whole grain breakfast recipes:

• Multigrain Buttermilk Pancakes

• Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

• Strawberry Rhubarb Breakfast Crisp

Serves 4ish

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Pinch of sea salt

• Maple syrup

• Shredded coconut

• Chopped toasted almonds

• Chopped dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Bring water and coconut milk to a boil. Stir in oats, vanilla extract and sea salt, reduce heat and cook 3-5 minutes until tender and creamy. Sweeten with maple syrup to taste.

2. Top oatmeal with coconut, almonds and dark chocolate and serve.