Caramelized Banana Chia Seed Oatmeal

I love oats.  Check out this post for a granola bar recipe I made a year ago.  A year later, the love for oats has only grown stronger.  For breakfast I rotate between oatmeal or a smoothie with eggs (I need something to chew on)  There's so many variations to oatmeal & SO many toppings.  Oh the toppings.  You really can customize it however you'd like.  At the moment my favorite combo is frozen blueberries & salted honey topped with gingerbread granola.  Yup that's right - oat on oats.  Oatmeal is such a warming comforting meal and keeps me full until lunch.

Have you tried chia seeds?  I always put some in my oatmeal & smoothies.  Throw them in cereal, yogurt, salad dressing, you can even make chia pudding!  These tiny seeds - they look like black poppy seeds - are full of omega 3 fatty acid which is super important for brain health and fiber to keep you full for longer & keep me energized for hours.  Read more about these superfood seeds here

Now onto the oatmeal!

Carmelized Banana Chia Seed Oatmeal - 

serves 1

- 1 banana sliced into 1/2 inch slices

- 1 Tbs Coconut oil

- 1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

- 1 Tbs chia seeds

- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/8 tsp salt

- 1/2 Tbs cinnamon (adjust to liking)

- 1/2 cup rolled oats

* chopped apple or pear can be used instead of banana 

Toppings 

- fresh or frozen berries

- nuts or nut butter 

- coconut 

- chocolate chips

- chopped apple or pear

- granola

...the possibilities are endless!

1. Melt coconut oil in sauce pan over medium heat.  Add sliced banana & cook 2 minutes on each side (you'll smell it caramelizing)

2.  Add everything except oats to pan, stir and bring to a boil, uncovered.

3.  Lower heat, add oats, stir frequently so oats don't stick to pan

4.  Cook until desired texture, about 6-8 minutes, add a splash of almond milk to thin out if needed.

5.  Scoop into bowl, add toppings & enjoy!