5 Minute Confetti Oats

on Jul 06, 2020, Updated Jan 27, 2022

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Bright red berries add the perfect pop of summery sweetness to this quick and easy weekday oatmeal recipe.

I call it a “weekday recipe” because it’s easy enough to whip up on a busy weekday morning, but it still feels a little special since it’s topped with raspberry “confetti.”

…and I know confetti sounds fancy/ time consuming / possibly unhealthy but it’s really just a few freeze-dried raspberries crumbled on top.

The raspberry sprinkles are an easy way to add flavor and a fun, festive feel to one of my favorite quick and easy breakfasts.

TAKES 5 MINUTES FROM START TO FINISH

I go from zero to HUNGRY in the morning, and standing around waiting for breakfast to cook is just not going to cut it on a week day (…on the weekend? Maybe, because no one loves a Saturday morning spent reading the paper, flipping pancakes, sipping my coffee, and watching old reruns of The Barefoot Contessa as much as I do 😊 But that’s only on the weekends...)

Weekdays require quick and easy, and that’s exactly what this recipe is and once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to make it in your sleep in LESS than five minutes.

Seriously, I clocked it once, and it only took me 3.5 minutes…but I already have a recipe on this blog called 3 Minute Breakfast Porridge so I had to come up with a different name. What can I say? I like when breakfast is FAST! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Oh and it’s healthy too 👇

DOES A BODY GOOD

According to cronometer.com, just one 1/2 cup serving of quick cooking oats contains:

5 grams of protein
4 grams of fiber
Zinc, selenium, manganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and phosphorous 🌱

DOESN’T GET BORING

This base oatmeal recipe is pretty neutral, making it the perfect canvas for fun toppings. You can easily change up the flavors from day to with a few easy combos like sliced peaches, pecans, and nutmeg…chopped pineapple, toasted coconut, and tahini, or sliced pears, walnuts, and dried cranberries.

The possibilities are endless and making a few swaps now and again keeps this breakfast from getting boring! See the Notes section at the bottom of the page for more tasty flavor combinations ☀️

Serves 1

Oats:

1/2 cup quick cooking oats
big pinch of salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon, plus more for sprinkling
3 tbsp applesauce or mashed banana
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy or almond milk
2 drops almond extract
2 tsp ground flaxseed

Toppings:

plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt (I like this one a lot right now)
fresh or thawed frozen berries
peanut or almond butter
freeze dried raspberries for “sprinkles” (optional)

Note: this is not a sweet oatmeal recipe at all really. I like it this way because the applesauce and berries a slightly sweet and most days, that’s enough for me. But I also love topping my oats with maple syrup and/or stirring in some dried fruits like dates, chopped apricots, or raisins.

In a microwave safe bowl (use one that has high enough sides so it won’t spill over when it cooks) add the oats, salt and cinnamon. Stir to combine and then add the water, almond milk, and applesauce.

Microwave for 1.5-2 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed and the oatmeal is thickened.

Then remove the bowl from the oven and stir in the almond extract and ground flaxseeds. Mix well.

Top with vegan yogurt (I do about 1/3 of a cup) some juicy berries (also about 1/3 of cup) and a generous drizzle of peanut butter.

Add maple syrup if desired and create the natural “sprinkles” by taking one or two freeze-dried raspberries and crushing them between your fingers over the bowl.

The result will look like raspberry confetti which makes the bowl look beautiful and adds a nice tart berry flavor.

Serve warm and pat yourself back for making a delicious, filling, nourishing breakfast in under 5 minutes flat! 💯 🏆🙌

Don’t have almond extract? Add a few drops of vanilla extract instead! Almond extract is stronger than vanilla though, so use it sparingly.
Don’t have ground flax seeds? Stir in some chia seeds or just leave it out 😊
Don’t like apples? Swap the applesauce for mashed banana instead.
Want this to taste like Fall? Swap the apple sauce for canned pumpkin, add 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (in addition to the cinnamon) and add 2-3 tsp of maple syrup. Top with apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries for instant Fall-in-a-Bowl 🍂
Want this to taste like Summer? Use coconut milk (from a carton) instead of water and almond milk and top with toasted coconut, mango, and pineapple ☀️
Ok last one (lol) want this to taste like an oatmeal cookie? Leave off the vegan yogurt, stir in 2 tsp of vegan butter, add a few drops of vanilla extract, and a handful of raisins. Top with more cinnamon and almond butter if desired 🍪