No Bake Cookie Oatmeal

Remember making no bake cookies back in the day?  On the stove you cook up a big concoction of oatmeal, cocoa powder, peanut butter and about a pound of powdered sugar, then drop them by the spoonful on wax paper and wait for them to cool (or burn your mouth trying to eat them right away).  I used to make them frequently in junior high.

This morning I woke up to chilly, dreary weather in Kansas.  Once I finally got myself out of bed I decided to make hot oatmeal for breakfast.  I haven’t made hot oatmeal in at least a month since the weather started getting warmer.  And it’s funny because I actually have another post almost ready to go about cold oatmeal for spring and summer.  I was going to post it yesterday but just did not have time.

Anywho back to the hot oatmeal.  I got out the little saucepan and container of oatmeal intending to make peanut butter chocolate oatmeal.  But when I was digging in the pantry I spied the giant container of cocoa powder that I just bought last weekend.  Why in the world have I never thought to add cocoa powder to oatmeal before?

I added the cocoa powder in with the oats while they were cooking and realized it looked like the no bake cookie concoction.  So I continued on down that path and ended up with this at the end:

No bake cookie in a bowl!  Here’s how I made it this morning, but make sure you read through to the end because there’s a change I will make for next time (because I will definitely be making this again).

No Bake Cookie Oatmeal
Serves 1

1 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 cup oats
2 tbsp ground flax
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp maple syrup (or other sweetener)
Powdered sugar for dusting

In a small saucepan bring water and pinch of salt to a boil.  Add oats, flax, cocoa powder and vanilla.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes until thickened, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.  Remove from heat.

Transfer oatmeal to a bowl.  Drop peanut butter blob in the middle.  Drizzle with maple syrup.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Let it sit for a few minutes so the peanut butter gets melty (use this time to get the rest of your breakfast ready or wash out your oatmeal pan).  Admire the awesomeness in the bowl before you stir it all together and gobble it up.

Here’s my breakfast with coffee and the April issue of VegNews.  I’ve never actually read this magazine before but FIL brought it over for me this morning with a bag of stuff from MIL (FIL came over early to help Benzo work on our kitchen floor).  She found the magazine at her favorite store Cargo Largo for 99 cents.  We’ll see if it’s any good!

This oatmeal was super delicious, but as I said I think I would make a change for next time.  I will try it with only one tablespoon of cocoa powder instead of two.  I was a little excited when I threw in two tablespoons and the bitterness of the cocoa was almost a bit too much.  I actually hadn’t added the maple syrup until I tasted it and decided it needed a little more sweetener.  I may also try adding some mashed up banana for added sweetness and some soy or almond milk for added creaminess.

I thought the M&M bowl was appropriate for my chocolatey breakfast.

This breakfast looks rich and decadent, but don’t be afraid!  Chocolate has a bad reputation because it’s full of sugar.  Unsweetened cocoa is actually a great addition to your diet because it is full of antioxidants.  One tablespoon only has 10 calories and 0.5 grams of fat (none saturated or trans).  And it has two grams of fiber!  So use unsweetened cocoa powder in your cooking and then sweeten with something other than sugar like maple syrup, fruit, brown rice syrup or stevia.  I did use a tiny bit of powdered sugar this morning but felt it was okay because it was balanced out by lots of fiber and protein. 

Since FIL and Benzo are busy working on the kitchen floor, I’m kind of on my own today.  I was going to mow the grass and work in the garden but its too wet right now.  I think I’ll do some inside cleaning and go on a long run later this afternoon.  I’m also going to catch up on blogging.  I feel like I have a big backlog of stuff to post!