Homemade Quick Oats {5 ways}

Here is an easy, homemade alternative to processed store bought quick oats - homemade quick oats, with 5 delicious flavour combos!

Hey breakfast lovers, I'm back. Let's take boring winter breakfasts to a new level. It's time for oatmeal to get a makeover! Side note: I feel like a naughty kiwi for calling it oatmeal instead of porridge but porridge is not a pretty word...it's just weird right? Oatmeal is much better!

I am a breakfast bore. Seriously. I am so predictable. Summer = granola + yoghurt + summer berries. Winter = oatmeal with brown sugar and sometimes cinnamon if I'm feeling adventurous. What a rebel. There is no middle ground. I glide seamlessly from summer breakfast to winter breakfast and I'm not even sad about it. Weekends are a little different but weekdays are a routine lovers dream.

The only issue I have with my winter oatmeal breakfast is the time it takes to cook. I always do it on the stove top because microwave oatmeal and me have never seen eye to eye and I don't have any extra time in the morning to be cleaning oatmeal eruptions from inside the microwave. In saying that, if you've got it figured out, you can definitely cook these oats in the microwave.

And then I saw this amazing post from Teighan at Half Baked Harvest who had the genius idea of slightly toasting the oats and then blitzing them in the food processor. It makes them just small enough that cooking time is cut down hugely but not so much that you lose texture...they're perfect! Not only that, you can add your extras, put the oats into small jars and pull them out in the morning for a quick breakfast! I took inspiration from her ideas and came up with my own 5 flavours of quick oats for busy mornings.

Maple Nut Oats: Almonds & walnuts add a little texture to oats and the maple syrup sweetens it so well.

Blueberry & Cinnamon: the perfect way to get some fruit into your morning - fresh or frozen blueberries work perfectly and the cinnamon makes it so tasty!

Cinnamon Raisin: just like the best bagel flavour but in oatmeal form.

Chocolate & Coconut: cocoa powder and dessicated coconut make it ok to have chocolate for breakfast. Topped with coconut chips it's a real treat.

Pumpkin Spice: for all my pumpkin lovers out there - the cranberries & pumpkin seeds make it amazing and super cosy!

With the exception of the blueberries and the optional pumpkin puree in the pumpkin spice version, everything can be added to the individual jars and stored in the cupboard. I did this as I never have room in my fridge for any extra jars. There are so many other flavours that I considered but left for this time as they involved fresh fruit and being stored in the fridge with a more limited shelf life - cherry & almond, plum & cardamom, raspberry & banana, mango & coconut. But if you want to experiment more, let your imagination run wild!

I love making mine with almond milk - it makes them super creamy and delicious, but either regular milk or even water is fine. If you've already boiled the jug for the coffee, using boiling water makes cooking time even more minimal.

They're the perfect thing to prepare on a Sunday to make those hectic weekday mornings so much more relaxing...and interesting!

Let me know if you come up with any of your own flavour combos, and don't forget to show me anything you make by tagging #thekiwicountrygirl on social media!

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Homemade Quick Oats {5 ways}

Here is an easy, homemade alternative to processed store bought quick oats - homemade quick oats, with 5 delicious flavour combos!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Author: Laura

Ingredients

For the oat base

• ▢ 3 cups rolled oats
• ▢ 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ½ - ¾ cup almond milk or regular milk for cooking per serving

Maple Nut Oats

• ▢ ½ cup oat base
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 2 tablespoon slivered almonds
• ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
• ▢ Maple syrup & slivered almonds for serving

Blueberry & Cinnamon Oats

• ▢ ½ cup oat base
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ⅓ cup fresh or frozen bluberries
• ▢ Maple syrup for serving

Cinnamon Raisin Oats

• ▢ ½ cup oat base
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 2 tablespoon raisins

Chocolate & Coconut Oats

• ▢ ½ cup oat base
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoon dessicated coconut
• ▢ Coconut flakes for serving

Pumpkin Spice Oats

• ▢ ½ cup oat base
• ▢ 2 tablespoon pumpkin puree
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ginger
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon allspice
• ▢ 2 tablespoon dried cranberries
• ▢ 2 tablespoon pumpkin seeds

Instructions

For the oat base

• Preheat the oven to 150°C. Spread the oats in an even layer on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Add the oats to a food processor or blender and pulse 5 or 6 times. The more you chop the oats, the smoother the oatmeal will be. Add the oats to a large bowl and add the sugar, salt and cinnamon. Mix together. Divide the oats into 5 (½ cup) portions, placing them in snaplock bags or jars. Add the mix-ins below.

Maple Nut Oats

• Add the cinnamon & nuts to the oat base. Store in a sealed container until ready to eat.
• To make oats. Add the contents of the jar and ½-3/4 cup milk or water to a small pot. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove, stir and place back in the microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until the oats are cooked. Top with slivered almonds & maple syrup to serve.

Blueberry & Cinnamon Oats

• Add the cinnamon to the oat base. Store in a sealed container until ready to eat.
• To make oats. Add the contents of the jar, ⅓ cup bluberries and ½-3/4 cup milk or water to a small pot. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove, stir and place back in the microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until the oats are cooked. Top with more bluberries, a sprinkle of cinnamon & maple syrup to serve.

Cinnamon Raisin Oats

• Add the cinnamon & raisins to the oat base. Store in a sealed container until ready to eat.
• To make oats. Add the contents of the jar and ½-3/4 cup milk or water to a small pot. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove, stir and place back in the microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until the oats are cooked. Top with brown sugar to serve.

Chocolate & Coconut Oats

• Add the cocoa powder & dessicated coconut to the oat base. Store in a sealed container until ready to eat.
• To make oats. Add the contents of the jar and ½-3/4 cup milk or water to a small pot. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove, stir and place back in the microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until the oats are cooked. Top with coconut flakes to serve.

Pumpkin Spice Oats

• Add the spices, cranberries & pumpkin seeds to the oat base. Store in a sealed container until ready to eat.
• To make oats. Add the contents of the jar, pumpkin puree and ½-3/4 cup milk or water to a small pot. Cook over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively, microwave on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove, stir and place back in the microwave for another 1-2 minutes or until the oats are cooked. Top with maple syrup to serve.

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