Raise your hand if you secretly love maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal. (Raises hand.) Raise your hand if you are hungry 30 minutes after consuming said packet of instant oatmeal. (Raises hand.)
Making your own instant oatmeal is as easy as combining oats with your favorite dried fruit, nuts, brown sugar and spices. Here are a few tricks to making it extra special so that your family will gobble it up:
1) Toast The Nuts: By popping the chopped walnuts and almonds in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes, the natural oils are released and the end result is a warm, nutty and toasted flavor that you wouldn’t get using raw nuts. (This is the same reason I always toast the pine nuts for my hummus.)
2) Don’t Let Raisins Have All The Fun: I love raisins, don’t get me wrong. But why not give a shout out to your other favorite dried fruits? Apricots, cranberries, cherries, dates, figs… go crazy with your dried-fruit-loving self.
3) Sneaky Nutrition: Flax seed meal and toasted wheat germ does a body good and I guarantee your children will not notice it’s in there. I do guarantee their bodies will appreciate the omega-3′s, zinc, protein, B vitamins, fiber and other goodies.
Prefer video? Recently, I had the opportunity to visit my friends from EightWest to demonstrate this recipe on TV! Check it out!
To help you get started, I’m giving away a $50.00 Walmart gift card to one lucky reader so they can stock up on their favorite oatmeal ingredients! As you may recall, I recently participated in a cooking competition and part of my prize package included several gift cards to giveaway to my readers! Boom.
{Giveaway is Closed} Congratulations to #196 – Tabathia! She won a $50.00 Walmart Gift Card.
To Enter: Leave a comment below telling me your favorite busy morning healthy breakfast.
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Giveaway ends at Midnight EST on Tuesday, January 8th. Winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 9th and Liz will mail the gift card to the winner.
Disclaimer: Winner will be contacted via the email address used to leave a comment on this blog post. Winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Open to US residents over the age of 18 only. This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook in any way. No purchase necessary to enter. I was not compensated to write this post but the Walmart gift cards were sponsored by HumanaVitality. All opinions are my own.
- Serves: 16
- Serving size: 1 cup
- Calories: 326
- Fat: 11.4 g
- Saturated fat: 1.3 g
- Unsaturated fat: 10.1 g
- Trans fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 51.5 g
- Sugar: 21.2 g
- Sodium: 587 mg
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 8.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- 8 cups oats – old fashioned
- 2 cups chopped dried fruit (I used raisins and dried apricots)
- 2 cups chopped nuts (I used walnuts and almonds)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup flax seed meal
- ¼ cup toasted wheat germ
- ¼ cup cinnamon
- 4 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg
- ½ tablespoon ground cloves
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spread chopped nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet.
- Roast nuts for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combing all ingredients including toasted nuts. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.
- To serve: scoop out 1 cup of the oatmeal mixture and place in a bowl with ½ cup water or milk. Microwave for 90 seconds or until liquid is absorbed.
{ 278 comments… read them below or add one }
I try to keep whole wheat, low fat muffins around to eat for a quick breakfast. Boiled eggs are another favorite.
Gotta have healthy oatmeal almost every morning!! If not oatmeal, then whole grain toast with peanut butter and a banana. (P.S. Love your blog!!!)
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Looks great, Liz!
Fave breakfast on the go? Odwalla bars!
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My favorite healthy & quick go to breakfast is egg”muffins.” Super simple: mix one dozen eggs with diced veggies & a meat of your choice (pre-cooked). Divide into 12-14 muffin tins (lined or greased) & bake for 10-12 minutes on 350. Keep them in the fridge & reheat in the microwave!
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Thank you so much Megan!! So glad you found me!!
Nothing says really quick and healthy, and straight to your bloodstream like fresh juice. My go to breakfast is one carrot, one cucumber, handful of spinach, bunch of kale, an apple for the whole ‘keeping the doctor away’, and last but not least, a two inch piece of fresh ginger. Juice in about 60 seconds and you are in the car off to work. I like keeping fresh ingredients around so the kids can juice in the morning too. It’s become a family ritual.
My favorite quick breakfast is , oatmeal with sliced bananas and strawberries and a dash of cinnamon
My favorite breakfast on the run is a hard boiled egg, banana, and a cheese stick (low fat, of course). All finger foods I can eat in the car or at my desk.
Quick breakfast for me is a toasted brown rice cake topped with almond butter or other nut butter.
We go through a lot of oats in this house, so I’m loving the idea of getting it together so the boys can make it themselves.
My go-to healthy breakfast is oatmeal with fresh blueberries, sliced banana and chopped nuts. Love your blog!
yo crunch yogurt! or chobani
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I love smoothies for a quick breakfast. I toss in frozen fruit, greek yogurt and some spinach. Yum!
My healthy breakfast go to is a made ahead healthy frozen burrito, egg one.
Smoothies for sure!
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Yogurt and fruit is my favorite quick breakfast on the go.
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I love special k cereal with strawberries in it.
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Hi, new follower here.
The closest I would get to healthy is when I grab a piece of fruit and some cheese.
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greek yogurt with berries
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Smoothies are fast and easy
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My favorite healthy morning breakfast is a banana smoothie!
I like to make a big batch of healthy pancakes and freeze them for later. I just pop them in the toaster and they’re good to go!
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special k strawberries cereal and I add banana slices
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Granola Bar, Yogurt and OJ
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I like to have cream of wheat with fruit
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This looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it! And I love oatmeal for breakfast, or yogurt with granola.
I would say yogurt with chopped up fruit — bananas, blueberries, whatever I have. And maybe some granola.
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fresh fruit like apples and bananas.
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I love French toast bake
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I eat oatmeal daily. I usually eat it plain, but I love yhese ideas:-) You are amazing Liz!
I am always in a rush each morning, so my go to/fast breakfast is either oatmeal, or yogurt with a little bit of granola.
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Great idea! I love my oatmeal in the morning.
My favorite quick and healthy breakfast is apple, peanut butter, steel cut oat bake. I can make it at the beginning of the week & it typically will feed my hubby & I at least 3-4 meals throughout the week. YUM!
A quick bowl of oatmeal or a banana cut up in a cup of milk is my favorite.
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While I am not a big oatmeal fan, my husband eats it almost every morning. He loves to add dry fruit, and always tops the whole thing off with a spoonful of flax seed. I’m going to show him your post for some new ideas!
I bake high-protein oatmeal bars to keep in the freezer for grab-and-go breakfasts. Another favorite quick healthy breakfast I enjoy is a coffee protein shake like Fit Frappe Vanilla Latte or Click!
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I like Greek yogurt with mixed nuts and oatmeal
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Wheat toast and white eggs
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I like to have a half of a grapefruit with a little Stevia sprinkled on top.
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I cringed every morning when my My 16 y/o daughter would rip open the oatmeal packet. I try very hard to keep packaged foods out of our house, but early am starts and teenagers can be treacherous, so I was trying to focus on just getting her to eat something….anything! This is convenient and customizable, she now has 3 wholesome flavors (brown sugar, apple cinnamon, and cranberry almond) to choose from, and I feel good knowing she is getting better nutrition. Thanks!!
love overnight oats and chia seeds
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Mmm! This looks yummy. I love oatmeal in the morning, and like to mix in a chopped up banana and plain greek yogurt–pretty much no matter what flavor. I’m sure other fruit would taste good, too, but I just crave that banana mixed in! Also love eggs, of course.
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Looks yummy!
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Raisen bran. But I am going to try this recipe.
Doctored up oatmeal IS my favorite go to quick breakfast. I am excited to try this recipe!
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I was keeping a home-made bran muffin mix which I would back up the night before, but this recipe for quick oatmeal is now my favorite. I never really liked oatmeal, but the fact that I can add the ingredients I really enjoy has definetely changed my mind. This is great!
Favorite breakfast is making scrambled eggs enough for 5 servings put into a zip lock bag the night before and microwave 1 serving each day, in the morning and make a egg sandwich to go…..
I saw this recipe on 8West and can’t wait to make it … I look forward to more healthy, tasty recipes!!
Thanks so much for watching and saying hi! Enjoy the oatmeal!!
My favorite busy morning breakfast is granola and fruit. It’s healthy and satisfying, and really enjoyable besides. This is a great tasting, simple recipe, and I think it would be much less expensive than buying a commercial granola in the long run.
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We also like vanilla Greek yogurt parfait s with fruit, walnuts and flaxseed.
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Great recipes!!
This oatmeal recipe sounds wonderful. I look forward to trying it.
Thank you for your blog!
I work at a middle school so I am an early riser during the school year (5am). I usually microwave milk & oatmeal and then add almonds & blueberries for a quick breakfast. Your recipe sounds great – I have added the ingredients to my shopping list. My son is in college and he tries to eat healthy. I think that I will make two batches of your oatmeal – one for me and one for my son to take back to GVSU! Thanks…I am watching Eight West right now and saw your recipe on that show. Your website is amazing…going to try the oatmeal cookies & the brown rice with veggies also. Happy New Year!
Hi Pam! Thank you for watching my segment on EightWest! I’m so glad you like the website – let me know what else you try!!
Oatmeal and a banana
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I’ve never heard of dried cloves, is this ground cloves? Thanks.
Yes it is! I’ll correct that in the recipe to avoid confusion!
Overnight oatmeal is my go to breakfast. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
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My favorite is definitely a whole wheat bagel thin with some reduced fat peanut butter!
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Hey Liz!
We are big oatmeal fans, and have it most mornings, even when we’re busy. Our favorite way is with walnuts, sunflower seeds, craisins, apples and cinnamon. We usually top it off with a little vanilla yogurt. I love the idea of having an instant mix, My kids could probably make their own!
p.s. I already follow you on fb, twitter, and pinterest.
Egg beaters make for a quick/healthy breakfast! Sometimes with salsa for a little flavor. I’m excited to try out this do it yourself oatmeal!
For a busy morning when I am in a hurry…I will grab fruit! I love apples and bananas and keep them on hand for when I am running late!
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I love the idea of your instant oatmeal! I need fast breakfast in the morning for our family. I like eating hard boiled eggs and multigrain Cheerios for breakfast, but they get old pretty fast. This will be a nice change. And I refer to The Lemon Bowl often for healthy recipes to try! Thanks!
My favorite quick, healthy breakfast is boiled eggs.
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sounds good
Apple slices with peanut butter are quick for me.
I usually make a smoothie or toast with peanut butter and bananas! Love your blog and all your receipes!
I make three-ingredient granola that has no oil in it, from Chef Kathleen’s book “Cooking Thin.” I eat it almost every morning. The main ingredient is oats, oats, and more oats! I look forward to trying your recipe, although my kiddos aren’t old enough to be making their own breakfast yet!
I pre-bake scrambled eggs with spinach and feta in muffin tins so I can reheat in the microwave for a quick tasty breakfast.
My easy healthy breakfast – oatmeal mashed banana walnuts and almond milk!
Thank you.
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Fast breakfast for me is plain greek yogurt with fresh or frozen raspberries…
Our favorite is some Fage greek yogurt with a couple drops of vanilla extract and either some local honey or some all-natural fruit preserves.
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I enjoyed this simple yet delicious recipe a lot! This turned into my new favorite breakfast. This is as good or maybe even better than my grandma used to make it. Another nice addition is the cost savings~ Thanks for being on EightWest!
Yogurt and toast with peanut butter.
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Whole grain cereal and milk is the best for busy morning.
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I love combining raw oats with plain Greek yogurt, cinnamon, and stevia, and refrigerating the combination overnight. It becomes thick and creamy and keeps me satisfied for hours. It’s great topped with chopped apple or berries too! This is my version of overnight oats!
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Oatmeal is my favorite easy breakfast and I just love what’s in your recipe and would love to make it for my family!
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Oatmeal is a favorite here along with whole wheat English muffin sandwiches.
I love 3 eggs scrambled with some pico de gallo or if I’m not into the spices that morning I might add spinach and turmeric. Surprisingly this is a quick breakfast
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This recipe is exactly what I was looking for! Am going shopping for ingredients today! Thanks!
I make old fashioned oats every morning and add a spoonful of ground flax, dried cranberries,, banana, walnuts and honey. I cook it for 3 minutes and it’s just right for me!
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greek yogurt with granola on top!
Thanks for the cool giveaway!
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Your oatmeal recipe looks wonderful. I can’t wait to try it this weekend. My favorite morning meal is yogurt and granola. Quick easy and good for you.
Greek yogurt with kashi GoLean Crunch cereal as granola.
My healthy breakfast is oatmeal. i am making your recipe right now and can’t wait to try it!!
A high fiber granola bar and a piece of fruit. It seems to hold me until lunch time.
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whole grain Eggo waffles with MorningStar veggie sausage.
I eat plain oatmeal. But I made you homemade oatmeal recipe today and Imcan’t wait till morning to try it!
Let me know what you think!! We have been eating it all week.
My favorite quick breakfast is raw oatmeal and yogurt mixed together with a bit of whatever fruit i have in the fridge. I keep this in fridge overnite and in the morning it is delish!
Lately, I’m really into oranges. There’s nothing better than a quick orange when they’re in season.
My favorite busy morning breakfast is oatmeal.
I’ve been soaking my oatmeal the night before with a bit of rye flour and vinegar. Then I just add a banana and almond milk and cocoa powder in the morning. Very delicious!
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I really enjoy having yogurt, fresh fruit and a cup of orange juice for breakfast, that’s all I need to start my day
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my favorite busy morning breakfast is an egg white omelet full of yummy veggies!
Greek yogurt and almonds
I always love having grits with blueberries.
My own egg sandwich, it lasts longer on the way out the door than cold cereal.
My fave on the go breakfast is a green smoothie, packed with veggies, fruits, protein and it delish and packs a healthy punch!
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A mixture of apples cheese and walnuts
I love a bagel with raisin and peanut butter
white eggs on whole toast
Thanks for the giveaway! I like instant oatmeal, croissants and muffins for quick breakfasts!
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I like making different varieties (strawberry banana, peach coconut, aplle cinnemon, etc) of refrigerated overnight oatmeal in cute little 8oz mason jars. It’s so easy for the kids to grab one and eat. I also enjoy them about 10 am at work for a late morning snack.
My easiest breakfast (besides oatmeal) is homemade whole-grain toast and yogurt. I use plain yogurt and mix in fresh fruit, toasted walnuts, wheat germ, and a touch of honey and cinnamon!
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Smells delicious, but has too much salt. Otherwise I’m certain it much be wonderful. Guess I’ll be making a double batch and not add anymore salt. Next week for breakfast hopefully….
Sophia: Please make it your own and skip the salt!! The great thing about making your own instant oatmeal is that you don’t have to have ingredients found in the packets (like sodium.)
Enjoy and please let me know how it turns out!!
I recently discovered your website and I’m enjoying trying out your recipes in an effort to be healthier. I love the taste of the roasted nuts in this oatmeal, but I find it really salty. I think I would leave out the salt altogether if I make this recipe again.
Aren’t roasted nuts the best? Feel free to adjust salt in any of my recipes – it is all up to personal preference. Enjoy!!
I just made this and the cinnamon is way overpowering. Next time I will use only 1/2 of the cinnamon called for. As is, I cannot taste the fruit or nuts bacause of the cinnamon.
Hi Melissa – I’m sorry the cinnamon flavor was too strong! I’ve made it for several friends and family with less and they always ask for more. I guess everyone prefers it a bit differently but regardless I’m hopeful you will try it again and make it your own way next time with less cinnamon! I also love using different fruits and nuts depending on what I have on hand. Very customizable! Enjoy!