Meal Prep Steel Cut Oats
A meal prep friendly recipe for creamy steel cut oats cooked with cinnamon apples, raisins, and touch of vanilla. All the nutritious goodness of steel cut oatmeal without all of the time! Note: This is meal prep for one or two people, but the measurements for a larger batch suitable for a family of four is in the notes below.
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups soy or almond milk unsweetened
- 1 cup steel cut oatmeal
- ½ tsp sea salt just shy of 1/2 tsp
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large Granny Smith apple
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ⅓ cup raisins
Instructions
Prep
- Peel the apple (optional but recommended) and finely dice, then set aside.
Cook
- In a large pot combine 2cups of water and 2 cups soy milk. Bring to a boil and add 1 cup of steel cut oatmeal, 1/2 tsp of sea salt, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the diced apple and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Add the raisins, stir vigorously, and continue to simmer on medium low for 25 minutes. Tip: Stir the oats occasionally while cooking to prevent sticking but also to help thicken the oats. Stirring actually makes this creamier!Note: You may want to add another 1/4 cup of water or soy milk if the oats are getting too thick for your liking.
For serving immediately:
- Spoon into a bowl and top with whatever you like! Some of my favroites for this recipe are tahini, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a splash of cold soy milk or a generous dollop of salted creamy peanut butter and some sliced bananas or berries. I also love adding a crunchy sprinkle of granola, chopped nuts, sunflower, chia seeds, or coconut flakes. A drizzle of maple syrup or a pat of vegan butter is also great. Dress it up or just serve it as is! It's all delicious 😊
For Meal Prep Storage:
- Once thickened, remove from the heat and transfer to a large conatiner with a lid, but don't cover. Use a spatula to smooth out the top and then allow to cool completely. Once cooled, score the top into four even sections so it's easy to measure each serving in the morning. When you're ready for breakfast the next morning, all that's left to do is scoop out your portion an transfer it to a bowl. Break it apart a little bit with a spoon or fork, and then add 3 tbsp of water or soy milk. Microwave for 1.5-2 minutes and then mix well to reconstitute. Serve warm with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Not a fan of raisins? Sub a few chopped Medjool dates or a handful of chewy dried cranberries instead. I do recommend giving the raisins a try though, even if you don't usually enjoy them, because the raisins are especially delicious in this recipe! Unlike regular raisins, these will soften from the heat of the oats and become super plump and juicy. The texture is entirely different and it's honestly so delicious! Plus I love how they kind of speckle the oats with a little burst of natural sweetness.
Speaking of which, this recipe isn't very sweet so if you like sweeter oatmeal, add some maple syrup, coconut sugar, or brown sugar into the oats while cooking or serve on top.
Why Granny Smith apples? You can use any apples you like - sometimes I even use pears - but Granny Smith are my favorite for this recipe because they are so bright and tart and flavorful. It really plays up the apple-cinnamon flavor and it's so delicious. Note: You can use more than one apple or pear if desired. Sometimes I use two or I'll do a mix of both!
Want more apple flavor? Sub 1 cup of unsweetened apple juice for one of the cups of water! So it will be 1 cup water, 1 cup apple juice, and 2 cups soy milk to 1 cup steel cut oats.
LARGER MEAL PREP BATCH
Serves 8
4 cups water
4 cups soy or almond milk
2 cups steel cut oats
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 Granny Smith apples
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cups raisins