Save time AND money with simple and delicious Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal! (vegan // gluten free // soy free // nut free)
First Week of School
We have officially survived the first TWO weeks of school! My super social and extroverted David is loving his new school and already making new friends! And my not so extroverted Jonny had his first day of preschool (ever), and even though he was a little nervous, he stayed for the whole time and is excited about going back! We’ve even done ok with our morning routine (ok, there was that one day when I turned off my alarm and woke up 25 minutes before David had to be AT school, but we still made it on time—showers are overrated anyway, right?). But…..but…..we are still not, and never will be, morning people. None of us. Our whole family is quite happy to stay up all night and sleep all morning. Which means that we need any shortcuts we can get to make our mornings go more smoothly! Enter— Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal! Just like the packets of oatmeal you buy at the store, but for a fraction of the cost! And it’s ready in 45 seconds. Even I can do that in the morning!
David really loves oatmeal. Like really loves it. And I love slow, lazy mornings where I can linger over the stove sipping a mug of iced coffee (always iced, year round, it’s just the way I like it!) and stirring a pot of sweet cinnamon oatmeal. But that’s not our reality most of the time, so I’ve slowly caved and let him get the little boxes of packets at the store. And you know what? They’re really expensive. Like ridiculously expensive compared to the cost of the 10 pound box of oats I buy at Costco. So I decided to make my own “instant oatmeal.” In a batch big enough to last the entire week. And it’s so easy.
If you ever look closely at a packet of instant oatmeal you’ll see that it’s just finely chopped rolled oats. I mean, it’s so simple. So I decided to toss the oats in my food processor with some brown sugar, cinnamon, and some freeze dried apples and make my own! The flavor combinations are endless. You could try any number of freeze dried fruits—peaches and cream was one of my favorites when I was a kid! It’s important to use freeze dried fruits so that they stay dry and crispy until you use it. Traditional dried fruit would be too sticky. You could also skip the fruit and just toss some mini chocolate chips in—that’s Jonny’s favorite!
^^^ Oatmeal euphoria!
Look how easy it is to make Instant Oatmeal!
I hope that you love my Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal! And I hope it helps your busy mornings to feel a little less rushed! What things do you do to save time in the morning?
Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal
Ingredients
To make the Instant Oatmeal:
- 2 cups rolled oats choose gluten free if necessary
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 bag freeze dried apples about 1 ounce (I like the ones from Trader Joe's)
To Serve:
- 1/2 cup of water for each serving
- non dairy milk
- maple syrup
Instructions
To make the Instant Oatmeal:
- Place all ingredients into the food processor.
- Pulse a few times until oats have broken down, and there are no large chunks of apple left. Do not over process into flour.
- Divide into 5 glass jars and seal.
- Store at room temperature until needed.
To Serve:
- Pour 1/2 cup of water into 1 jar of oats and stir.
- Microwave for 45 seconds.
- Stir, adding non dairy milk and maple syrup if desired. Enjoy!
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Don’t forget to pin this recipe!
