Banana Chai Latte Oatmeal

Yes, my friends, that would be steamed milk you see. (Soy milk. I'm in a soy milk phase right now.)

Some of you might remember my concept for "flooded" oatmeal. In truth, I had grand plans for that concept. I was going to whip it out fairly regularly with creative twists and blah, blah, blah. However, I needed the foam. I didn't want warm milk. I wanted steamed milk. With foam. Without the foam, the flood just wasn't doing anything for me.

Chai Stewed Apples Oatmeal

I've given up coffee. It was tough for me. Really tough. I've spent the last year sampling soy lattes at every coffee shop in New York City, but the past few months have been trying. Within hours of licking the last bits of froth off my mug, I would always find myself feeling woozy and having cold sweats. Every. Single. Time.

Instead, I've had to reinvest in my love for tea.

I really wish I could order chai more often at all my favorite coffee shops. Sadly, most places make theirs from a concentrate or powdered mix that already includes dairy. Bumsville.

Overnight Tea-Steeped Oatmeal

Coffee or tea?

Six years ago, I would have responded, "Neither." I started drinking tea toward the final months of my senior year of high school as a way to calm my ever-tormented digestive system. I wasn't crazy about it at first, but I learned to tolerate it. Now, I drink a glass of tea almost every day. (I've also learned to like coffee, too, but that's beside the point.)

Baked Banana Oatmeal & Variations

If I wanted to, I could create ten billion recipes of just baked oatmeal based on bananas. So many possibilities!

I liked that idea at first:  more posts, right? However, I didn't want to look like a cheater. Is it fair to share a recipe for baked banana oatmeal, and two days later, post a recipe for baked chai-spiced banana oatmeal?? Nope. So to be fair, I'm going to consolidate it all into one fantastic post packed with fun ideas!

Variations on Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

It's mid-October, and pumpkin recipes are everywhere. If you're the type of person that loves this, then read ahead with glee! If you were beyond sick of the pumpkin posts on TasteSpotting and Food Gawker way back on September 1, then I apologize. Another (non-pumpkin-themed) post will be up on Saturday! :)

Here is a list of possible variations for my basic baked pumpkin oatmeal:

Pumpkin & Chocolate Chips:

Fold a handful of chocolate chips into the batter before pouring into ramekin and baking.

Pumpkin & Banana:

Reduce amount of pumpkin slightly (optional) and add sliced bananas into batter before pouring into ramekin and baking.

Pumpkin & Coconut:

Use coconut milk instead of almond milk, and top with shredded coconut; or, get fancy and swirl it.

Pumpkin Spice Latte:

Either replace half of the almond milk with brewed coffee, or mix in 1 tsp of instant coffee granules. 

Pumpkin & Peach:

Reduce amount of pumpkin slightly (optional) and add diced peaches before pouring into ramekin and baking.

Pumpkin & Chai:

Instead of pumpkin pie spice, use a rounded 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp cardamom, and 1/8 tsp allspice.

Pumpkin Green Monster:

Blend pumpkin puree with spinach or your other favorite green before mixing with other wet ingredients.

**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Dirty Chai Oatmeal

I wish coffee shops would stop bastardizing chai.

You know what I mean. You know exactly what I mean. The standard coffee shop version of chai tea comes in powdered form and is full of sugar. It gives me absolutely no control over ingredients. With other drink selections, I can request soy milk or only one pump of flavor. With chai tea, I'm stuck with the powdered sugarfest.

Thus, I rarely order it. Instead, I try to recreate it in my oatmeal. :) In case you're not familiar with a dirty chai, it's basically chai with a shot of espresso. This is how my friend Tiffany often ordered it, and I would always have a sip or two. Mmmmm.

Dirty Chai Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 5 min

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Ingredients (serves 1)

• 2/3 cup strong brewed coffee (I used cold press!)
• 1/3 cup milk of choice
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
• 1/2 a ripe banana
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cardamom (I didn't have this, so I made it without)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of ground cloves
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Bring coffee and milk to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium.
2. Mash up banana and add to the oatmeal. Stir.
3. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add vanilla extract, spices, and salt.
4. If you'd like to add any extra ingredients (coconut oil, nuts), do so now.
5. When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Serve with another splash of your milk of choice (and/or more coffee) and any other additional toppings (shredded coconut, nuts, chocolate chips, etc.).

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**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account!  You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!

Chai and Pear Oatmeal

Pears have never really been my thing. To me, they are just a little too similar to apples, but without the satisfying crunch. However, I find that pears work beautifully in oatmeal, so I buy some occasionally to switch up my routine.

The first time I tried pears in oatmeal, I simply spiced it with vanilla, but I found the result a little dull. Pear has a pretty neutral flavor, so I've learned to play around with stronger flavors in the oatmeal to dress up the pear a little bit. Cue: chai tea!